Social sustainability is one of the three dimensions in the concept of sustainability and is seen as the weakest pillar of sustainable development. Previous literature concludes that social sustainability is a difficult concept to define and achieve. Therefore, the social dimension has not been addressed to the same extent and has been frequently avoided in research and practice. However the importance of the social dimension of sustainable development has been recognized from both the private and the public sector during the last decade. The social aspect of sustainability requires more attention and it is important to define the social sustainability processes that should be integrated during the planning phase of residential development projects. The purpose of this research is to contribute with knowledge about how social sustainability can be addressed in the housing industry and within the scientific fields of urban planning and project development. By looking deeper, from both the developer and municipality perspective, into how social sustainability aspects are addressed today, how cooperation regarding these aspects is working, what values a focus on social aspects can create for both parties as well as desires for the future, the research also aims to provide a recommendation of how residential developers can improve their working process. Four projects located both in Stockholm and Gothenburg have been used as a basis for the empirics in this research. Empirical information has been collected primarily through interviews but also from existing social sustainability tools. Interviews were conducted with representatives from JM AB and the municipalities of Stockholm and Gothenburg. The research has identified that concrete tools, cooperation, clear objectives, and an understanding of each other’s aims and goals are crucial for a good working process regarding social sustainability. A recommended working process has been developed with the aim of helping residential developers to address social sustainability in residential projects. The identified steps in the recommendation provide an understanding of how developers should work with social sustainability internally and in cooperation with the municipality. By working systematically with social sustainability in residential development, the research indicates that developers can become more attractive in the eyes of the municipality and thus gain a competitive advantage over their competitors as well as increase the possibility of creating shared values. / Social hållbarhet är en av tre dimensioner i begreppet hållbarhet och ses som den svagaste pelaren för hållbar utveckling. Tidigare litteratur drar slutsatsen att social hållbarhet är ett svårt begrepp att definiera och uppnå. Därför har den sociala dimensionen inte behandlats i samma utsträckning och har ofta undvikits i forskning och praktik. Däremot har betydelsen av den sociala dimensionen av hållbar utveckling uppmärksammats av både den privata och den offentliga sektorn under det senaste decenniet. Den sociala aspekten kräver mer uppmärksamhet och det är viktigt att fastställa de sociala hållbarhetsprocesser som bör integreras under planeringsfasen i bostadsutvecklingsprojekt. Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med kunskap om hur social hållbarhet kan hanteras i bostadsbranschen och inom de vetenskapliga områdena stadsplanering och  rojektutveckling. Genom att, från både bostadsutvecklarens och kommunens perspektiv, djupare undersöka hur sociala hållbarhetsaspekter behandlas i dag, hur samarbete kring dessa aspekter fungerar, vilka värden ett fokus på sociala aspekter kan skapa för båda parter samt önskemål för framtiden, syftar studien också till att ge en rekommendation för hur bostadsutvecklare kan förbättra sin arbetsprocess. Fyra projekt som ligger både i Stockholm och Göteborg har använts som underlag till empirin i denna undersökning Empirisk information har samlats in, främst genom intervjuer, men också utifrån befintliga sociala hållbarhetsverktyg. Intervjuerna genomfördes med representanter från JM AB och kommunerna Stockholm och Göteborg. Studien har identifierat att konkreta verktyg, samarbete, tydliga mål och en förståelse för varandras syften och mål är avgörande för en god arbetsprocess beträffande social hållbarhet. En rekommenderad arbetsprocess har utvecklats i syfte till att hjälpa bostadsutvecklare att adressera social hållbarhet i bostadsprojekt. De identifierade stegen i rekommendationen ger en förståelse för hur bostadsutvecklare ska arbeta med social hållbarhet internt och i samarbete med kommunen. Genom att arbeta systematiskt med social hållbarhet i bostadsutveckling, visar studien att bostadsutvecklare kan bli mer attraktiva i kommunens ögon och därmed få en konkurrensfördel gentemot sina konkurrenter, samt öka möjligheten att skapa gemensamma värden.

The construction industry has an increased focus on using sustainable methods to reach a more sustainable society but is still lacking the social aspect of sustainability. The belief is that this aspect has to be a natural part in construction projects to successfully plan and develop sustainable societies. A method to achieve this could be the use of Social Impact Assessment (SIA), a method frequently used in other countries such as U.S, Australia and Canada. The aim with the thesis is to investigate how this method can be used in a Swedish context, but also how the public in the best manner can be involved in decisions that affect them. To complement the theory with empirical findings a case study is done within Järvalyftet, one of the biggest redevelopment projects in the Stockholm region at the moment. A SIA deals with several areas and issues and is therefore complex to perform in an efficient way. It is consequently important to create a team with mixed disciplines to be able to manage the work and face the different problems in the best possible way. The thesis indicates that public involvement is of major importance to create an acceptance for the planned project among the affected parties in order to reduce both the timeframe and the costs of the project. Further, the thesis indicates that public involvement early on in a project facilitates for the affected people to deal with changes and trade-offs resulting by the project. / Byggbranschen har idag ett större fokus på att använda hållbara metoder i byggandet för att på så sätt nå ett mer hållbart samhälle, men saknar fortfarande fokus på den sociala aspekten inom hållbarhet. För att lyckas med att planera och bygga hälsosamma och hållbara samhällen måste de här aspekterna bli en naturlig del i byggprojekten. En metod för att lyckas med detta kan vara användandet av Social Konsekvensbeskrivning, en metod som ofta används i länder som USA, Australien och Canada. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka hur denna metod kan användas, men också hur allmänheten på bästa sätt kan bli involverade i beslut som berör dem själva. För att komplettera teorin som använts i arbetet har en case study gjorts inom Järvalyftet, ett av dagens största ombyggnadsprojekt i Stockholmsområdet. En SKB berör många olika områden och frågor och är därför en komplex process att genomföra. Det är följaktligen viktigt att skapa en grupp med varierande yrkesdiscipliner för att hantera arbetet och möta de olika problemen på bästa möjliga sätt. Arbetet visar på att allmänhetens deltagande är av stor betydelse för att skapa förankring bland berörda parter då ett projekt planeras, för att på så sätt minska både projektets tidsram och kostnad. Vidare visar även arbetet att involvering av allmänheten i ett tidigt skede av projektet underlättar för de berörda att hantera de förändringar och avvägningar som projektet medför.

Today, artificial light is considered to be an obvious part of cities and it can fulfill many functions and purposes. Natural light and darkness are expected to return in longer as well as shorter life cycles of all living organisms since light affects their existence. Light is especially important for the ability of humans to see and move freely, which has resulted in the world being more and more illuminated. In line with an increase in artificial lighting, municipal planning has started to develop plans regarding light in cities. As such, the purpose of this study is to investigate and analyse how Stockholm, Gothenburg och Malmo approach lighting in relation to its effect on its surroundings and sustainable development. According to previous research, increased lighting might foster social sustainability while simultaneously affect ecological sustainability negatively unless the lighting is planned in a balanced way. Badly used lighting results in light pollution and that must be minimised. A thorough document analysis of the cities’ various planning documents has been performed. In those documents, the results vary. Firstly, Stockholm’s lighting plans aim to promote architectural and aesthetic values while, secondly, Gothenburg carries out broader work in which the city is a member of an international network and, thirdly, Malmo has engaged in lighting planning considerably longer than the other two. In conclusion, it can be established that each city approaches lighting in different ways. Shared between all three is that they must improve their sustainable long term lighting planning because, today, problems appear between social and ecological sustainability. In essence, the study contributes with deepened knowledge of how lighting planning is conducted in the cities. In the future, it will be of interest to study how light pollution might decrease as a result of urbanisation. / Belysning kan fylla många funktioner och syften och ses idag som en självklar del av staden. Naturligt ljus och mörker förväntas återkomma i längre och kortare cykler av alla levande organismer då ljuset påverkar deras levnad. Ljuset är speciellt viktigt för människans förmåga att se och röra sig fritt, vilket resulterat i att världen lyses upp mer och mer. I takt med den ökade belysning har den kommunala planeringen börjat utveckla planer som berör ljus i staden. Syftet med studien är därför att undersöka och analysera hur Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö förhåller sig till belysning i relation till dess inverkan på omgivningen och hållbar utveckling. Ökad belysning kan enligt den tidigare forskningen främja social hållbar utveckling samtidigt som den ekologiska påverkas negativt om inte belysningen planeras på ett balanserat sätt. Illa använd belysning resulterar i ljusföroreningar och dessa måste minimeras. En djupgående dokumentanalys har genomförts av städernas olika planhandlingar, där resultatet varierar något mellan städerna. Stockholms belysningsplanering vill framför allt främja det arkitektoniska och estetiska värdena, Göteborg genomför ett bredare arbete där de ingår i ett internationellt nätverk samtidigt som Malmö har bedrivit ljusplanering under en betydligt längre tid jämfört med de andra. Sammanfattningsvis går det konstatera att respektive stad på olika sätt arbetar med belysning. Gemensamt för alla är att de måste förbättra det långsiktiga och hållbara arbetet inom belysningsplaneringen, då det idag uppstår dilemman mellan social och ekologisk hållbarhet. Studien bidrar till en fördjupad kunskap kring hur ljusplanering bedrivs i städerna och i framtiden är det av intresse att studera hur ljusföroreningar kan minska i samband med urbaniseringen.

Denna studie behandlar hur fysisk planering samspelar med social integration och social hållbarhet samt hur det appliceras i ett utvecklingsområde. Undersökningen har skett i delområdet Lindängen i Malmö med fokus på Lindängen centrum där de sociala och fysiska rummen har granskats för en upprustning av stadsmiljön. Det finns en brist på kunskap inom ämnet gestaltad livsmiljö kopplat till socialt hållbart samhällsbygge samt har tidigare forskning visat att kommuner har svårt att avsätta medel till förvaltning av offentliga rum. Generellt bör gestaltning, kvalitet och hållbarhets lyftas i högre grad vid utgivning av forskningsmedel. Lindängen centrum blir en intressant fallstudie eftersom området relaterar till problem som dålig samverkan i byggprocessen i samband med fastighetsägarens ekonomiska synpunkter vilket har resulterat i att platsen inte utvecklats. Det finns många teorier som visar på hur stadens och offentliga rummens utformning kan förutsätta mänskliga handlingsbeteenden för social integration. Aktiva gator, kantzoner och fasader behövs för interaktion mellan människor där placering av dörrar, fönster och bänkar kan vara avgörande. Detta uppnås med fysiska objekt i rummen och olika bebyggelsestrukturer i form av levande fasader, primära och sekundära ytor samt soft edges. Dessa aspekter genererar livet och flödet i de fysiska rummen. Följande teorier som presenteras i arbetet har tillämpats i fallet Lindängen och utifrån detta skapades ett gestaltningsförslag. Detta gestaltningsförslag visar på hur olika former av upprustning kan leda till ett främjande av social integration som i sin tur stärker den stadens sociala hållbarhet. / This study is focused on how physical planning cooperates with social integration and social sustainability as well as how it applies in a development area. Our research has occurred in the sub-area Lindängen in Malmö centered on Lindängen Centrum where the social and physical space has been audited for rearmament of the urban environment. There is a lack of knowledge within the subject of urban design connected with social sustainability. Antecedent research has indicated that municipalities are struggling with funding the governance of public spaces. Design, quality, and sustainability should generally be emphasized to a higher degree at the publication of research funds. Lindängen centrum becomes an interesting case study, seeing that the environment relates to problems, for instance, bad concurrence concerning economic problems which results in that the location has not been developed. There exist many theories that conclude how the city and the design of the public spaces can presuppose human action behavior for social integration. Active streets, borders, and facades are crucial for the interaction among people where the placement of doors, windows, and benches can be vital. This is achieved by physical objects in spaces and various building structures in the shape of living facades, primary and secondary surfaces as well as soft edges. These aspects generate life and the flow in the physical spaces.The following theories presented in this study have been applied in the Lindängen case and based on this created a design proposal. This design proposal shows how various improvements in the urban spaces can lead to a furtherance of social integration, which in turn can strengthen the city's social sustainability.

En ökad trend mot mer kundspecifika produkter har ökat antalet produktvariationer. I och med denna ökning ställs högre krav på montörer som utför manuell montering vilket bidrar till en högre kognitiv belastning på montörerna. Vid manuell montering innefattar varje specifikt fall olika förutsättningar vilket innebär att kraven på montören i fråga varierar utifrån given situation. Om montören upplever tidspress i sådana situationer kan det resultera i ökad mental belastning vilket i sin tur kan öka risken för skador och sjukdomar samt lägre produktivitet för monteringsprocessen. Därav anses montörens välmående vara en viktig aspekt gällande hållbarhet vid manuell montering. I och med detta behöver kritiska faktorer som påverkar montörernas välmående tas i beaktning vid planering av monteringsprocesser. Syftet med denna studie är att utreda hur planeringsarbetet för manuella monteringsprocesser påverkar välmåendet för montörer på företag som tillämpar enstycksproduktion i den svenska tillverkningsindustrin. Detta uppnåddes genom att identifiera befintliga metoder och verktyg gällande tidsestimering samt samla data kring hur ett företags anställda upplever arbetsmiljön och planeringsarbetet för den manuella monteringsprocessen. Denna information möjliggjorde sedan utformning av en förbättrad lösning i form av en tidsestimeringsmodell som tar social hållbarhet i beaktning. Studien har en kvalitativ forskningsdesign där en fallstudie har genomförts på det svenska företaget FlexQube. Insamlingen av data gjordes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer samt analys av dokument som erhölls från det studerade företaget. Resultatet påvisar att montörers välmående påverkas av faktorer såsom ljudvolym, monteringsprocessens ergonomi, tidspress, stämning i produktionen, variation av arbetsuppgifter samt mängden information montörerna erhåller. Genom att efterfölja studiens föreslagna rekommendationer, som tar dessa faktorer i beaktning, vid planering av monteringsprocesser samt implementera studiens framtagna tidsestimeringsmodell kan företags manuella montering bli mer hållbar. / An increased trend towards more customer specific products has led to an increased amount of product variants. This increase results in higher demands on the assembler who performs the manual assembly, which in turn leads to a higher cognitive load of the assembler. Every case in manual assembly includes different conditions which leads to varied demands for the assembler depending on the situation. If the assembler experiences time pressure in such situations, it can result in increased mental pressure. This can in turn increase the risk for injuries and illnesses as well as reduced productivity for the assembly process. Therefore, the wellbeing of the assembler is considered an important aspect regarding sustainability in manual assembly. Due to this, critical factors which affect the wellbeing of assemblers should be taken into consideration when planning the assembly process.  The purpose of this study is to investigate how the planning work for manual assembly processes affects the wellbeing of assemblers at companies that apply one-piece production in the Swedish manufacturing industry. This was achieved by identifying existing methods and tools for time estimation, and by collecting data regarding how the employees at a company experience their work environment and planning work for the manual assembly. This information then led to the production of a time estimation model. The study has a qualitative research design where a case study was performed at the Swedish company FlexQube. The data was collected through semi structured interviews and by analysis of documents that were provided by the studied company. According to the results, the wellbeing of assemblers is affected by factors such as volume, ergonomics of the assembly process, time pressure, the atmosphere in the production area, the variety of work tasks, and the amount of information that the assemblers are provided. By following the study’s proposed recommendations, which considers these factors, when planning the assembly process and by implementing the produced time estimation model, the manual assembly for companies can become more sustainable.

Blomquist, Aviva (2021). Understanding Community Sense of Place and Social Sustainability Through Instagram: The establishment of Rågsved nature reserve and the demolition Snösätra Graffiti Wall of Fame. Human Geography, advanced level, master’s thesis for Master exam in Human Geography, 30 ECTS credits  Supervisor: Danielle Drozdzewski Language: English Key words: Digital geography, sense of place, social media, public space socio-spatial planning, participation, social sustainability, cultural sustainability.  This thesis investigates digital sense of place and social and cultural sustainability issues in the establishment of Rågsved nature reserve and the subsequent demolishment of (parts of) Snösätra Graffiti Wall of Fame. Drawing on theories of the more or less digital world, the non-representational, the more-than human, and the idea of geolocative social media as participatory public space (in the making), the thesis aim was to investigate how covert netnography/digital ethnography and discourse analysis can help us understand sense of place, and to identify sustainability issues through geotagged user generated data on Instagram. The empirical findings reveal conflicting community sense of place, assembled through complex entanglements between algorithms, physical structures/landscape, language, and sensory embodiments, which were simultaneously digital and non-digital. There were indications that the flows of posts geotagged on Instagram functioned as ‘claimed’ participatory public space, where stakeholder communities discussed place outside of dominant political imaginations. In addition, the posts indicated social and cultural sustainability issues. The main conclusion is that this type of discourse analysis of social media has the potential for functioning as a ‘passive’ participation strategy, and for creating deliberative discussions with stakeholder communities based on an understanding of place as they experience it.

A comprehensive study is presented of the Capacitated Multi DepotGreen Vehicle Routing Problem (CMDGVRP) applied to a heterogeneous fleet of electronic waste collecting vehicles with two objectives: to reduce the total fuel consumption of the vehicles (environmental sustainability) and to limit the continuous drive-time of the drivers (social sustainability). Research has been limited from this aspect, and in this study, the focus is on the practical application of pickup and delivery of electronic waste. The study also presents results for the online dynamic routing variant of this problem, where traffic congestion appears mid-route. A detailed analysis and parameter optimization has been done for Simulated Annealing, Genetic algorithm(GA), along with more advanced variants like Non-dominated Sorting GA (NSGA II), NSGA III, UNSGA III, and Indicator-Based Selection Evolutionary Algorithm (IBEA). Additionally, the Gini index is used to create a multi-objective model, which is novel in the context of CMDGVRP to the best of our knowledge. The use of the Gini index in the field of CMDGVRP shows excellent potential in balancing environmental, economic, and social sustainability. An extension of the CMDGVRP is introduced where vehicles can visit dropoff locations mid-route and then continue with a new route. This implementation is novel to our knowledge and is named Drop-and-continue. It is shown to increase the performance on large datasets. Results are presented from realistic simulation studies on a public dataset, with varying route lengths and vehicle fleet sizes, along with a real-world dataset from a waste collection company in Sweden. The results show that the optimal choice of algorithm depends on the dataset size and if there is a maximum budget of evaluations or computation time. Realistic problems are solved in a matter of a few seconds, given that they are initiated well. Simulated Annealing and Genetic algorithm prove to be very competitive in the case of large problems and limited computation time budget.

Previous research has shown that the existence of after school program is beneficial for children's health and their academic performance. Lorensborgsskolan, an elementary school situated in Malmö, implemented a project called “From movement in school to being active in organized sports” where they started a school sport organization. The project seeks to increase the amount of children active in external sport organizations and to make the transition more accessible. The project collaborated with Hemmaplan which is an initiative from the Scanian Basketball Federation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discuss the prerequisites for implementing Lorensborgsskolans project “From movement in school to being active in organized sports” from a sustainable perspective. The sustainable perspective contains three concepts: social, environmental and economical. Three research questions has been formulated.How was the preparation of this project in relation to sustainability?What challenges can be identified when implementing this project?What benefits can be identified when implementing this project?Interviews, observation and document analysis were the methods used in this research and the data was analyzed through a six step coding process. The result and analysis were divided in three paragraphs named after the research questions connected to the theory. The research findings indicate how this project would give the children a protective factor outside of school. According to the collected result the children should be given the access to pursue sport in the entire city of Malmö and to work on their social skills. In conclusion, an external analysis should have been done before the implementation of the project. The financial aspect is identified as a challenge. For the children to be a part of the school’s sport organization is free of charge in contrast with external sport organizations where this does not imply.

Detta kandidatarbete behandlar tillgänglighetsanpassningarför ökad inkludering på torg i två svenska kommuneri södra Sverige. Jämförelser mellan torgen visar påmöjligheter att förbättra tillgänglighetsanpassningarna påtorgytorna för att utöka tillgänglighet och inkludering istadsmiljön. De utvalda torgen som studien kretsar kringär Lilla Torg i Malmö stad samt Mårtenstorget i Lundskommun. De potentiella tillgänglighetslösningarna harframtagits genom studier av ett prisbelönat bidrag i EU:stillgänglighetstävling Access City Award från åren 2018 och2019. Det utvalda bidraget är staden Viborg i Danmark.Forskningsfrågorna har varit (1) Vilka omgivningsfaktorerhämmar målgruppers inkludering på torgytor i den byggdastadsmiljön? Och, (2) Vilka aspekter och kvaliteter kananses skapa en tillgänglig torgyta för alla målgrupper?Torgytor kan skapa hinder på grund av bristandetillgänglighetsanpassning och undanröjande av enkeltavhjälpta hinder med hänvisning till kulturhistoriskavärden. Tillgänglighet är inte enbart ett fysiskt krav förden byggda stadsmiljön enligt Plan- och bygglagen utanäven en medborgerlig rättighet enligt UN CRPD. Arbetetredovisar även malmö- och lundabornas uppfattningarpå de tillgänglighetsanpassningar som finns eller börfinnas på torgytorna. För att ta reda på bakomliggandeorsaker till genomförande av tillgänglighetsutformningav stadsrummet och vilka regelverk kommunerna måstefölja, intervjuades tjänstemän från Malmö Stad och Lundskommun. För att få en jämförande bild intervjuades ävenrepresentanter från två funktionshindersorganisationer.Resultatet av detta kandidatarbete är potentiellatillgänglighetslösningar som kan appliceras på de utvaldatorgen. De framtagna lösningarna fungerar som exempelpå hur torgytorna kan inkludera alla besökare. Vår slutsatsär att goda tillgänglighetsanpassningar för tillgänglighetoch inkludering på medeltida torgrum behöver utgåfrån en drastisk förändring av kommunikationen mellanstadsplanerande delar av kommunen och invånarna istäderna. Kommunerna bör även skapa ett aktivt samarbetemed funktionshindersorganisationer och rörelser somarbetat med tillgänglighetsfrågor för att vidareutvecklakunskapen inom tillgänglighetsanpassningar som kan taplats i staden. / This bachelor thesis deals with inclusion and accessibility adaptations of two medieval town squares in two municipalities in southern Sweden. The selected squares that the research study revolves around are ‘Lilla Torg’ in the city of Malmö and ‘Mårtenstorget’ in Lund municipality. The thesis is a comparative study that has resulted in potential renewal solutions that can be applied to the squares to increase equal access to the urban environment. The solutions have been inspired by one of the prize-winning cities in the European Access City Award competition from the year 2018 and winner of year 2019. The laureated city was the city of Viborg, which is a medieval city situated in Denmark. The Access City Award is an annual award ceremony in which the European Union awards European cities that actively work with accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles to increase inclusion for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. The research questions were: Firstly: What factors inhibit inclusion for people with disabilities on medieval town squares? And, secondly: What aspects and qualities can be considered to create accessible town squares of medieval origin for all potential user groups? The thesis provides a clear overview of aspects and different factors that constitute an inclusive and welcoming urban environment for every citizen. Our cities usually consist of older buildings that not always are adapted progressively to avoid access problems and obstacles that an older urban environments can create for various user groups. Town square, which are specifically addressed in this thesis, can often create obstacles due to the lack of accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles. This is often attributed to their cultural-historical values. However, cultural-historical values are aspects of the city that can questioned, since, when it comes to medieval squares, they have often undergone substantial changes over time. The visual expression is one of the reasons for why municipalities often tend to avoid physically reshaping such districts and squares so that they do not lose the city character of the city. To find out more about underlying motives for the accessibility adaptations that the two Swedish town squares in this study have undergone officials from both the City of Malmö and Lund Municipality were interviewed. In addition, representatives of Swedish disability organisations were interviewed about necessary changes to realizes in such areas. As a backdrop to the study, legal frameworks that monitor Swedish urban design were mapped. Legal frameworks of specific interest for this research study is both international conventions and national laws, regulations and guidelines that apply to building matters and the implementation of accessibility and usability requirements. Our study has primarily focused on the UN Convention 26 on equal rights for people with disabilities as well as the Swedish Planning and Building law and ordonnance with their adherent regulations on accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles. However, the national local government act allows for different physical realisations of these requirements. This circumstance may contribute to the fact that different types of urban environment are differently adapted. In consequence, visitors to town squares can experience urban spaces as inclusive, less inclusive or purely excluding. Our stance is that accessibility, not only within the built urban environment, is a requirement and not an option, therefore, there is a need for communication between urban planning organizations of the municipality and the actual users of the city. The result of this thesis is twofold. Firstly, the work will also present views of citizens in Malmö and Lund concerning their perception of accessibility adaptations of two medieval town squares. These views strengthen our arguments that the studied sites are not sufficiently adapted to suit all types of visitors. Secondly, this thesis proposes a set of potential solutions that can be applied to medieval town squares to address accessibility, inclusion, and usability problems. These solutions are based on exemplary models of how the squares can be adapted for all visitors and interviews with stakeholders. Our solutions open with a drastic change in the ordinary communication between urban planning organizations and the inhabitants of the cities. A functioning dialogue between the municipality and the users of the built urban environment is the key to a gradually more adapted city where everyone feels and physically can be included in the urban environment. By holding regular meetings a number of times during the year, a municipality can gather opinions about issues that the inhabitants think should be changed or improved to solve accessibility, inclusion, or usability problems or easily removal obstacles that may compromise daily activities that take place on medieval two squares. Municipalities should also initiate active collaborations with local organizations or movements that work with accessibility issues to further develop knowledge that entail accessibility, usability, and inclusion in the city. The element that both Malmö and Lund should mainly consider is the ground covering at the squares. Smoothing the ground can be a drastic physical change, but it would solve a few problems that visitors experience. Although the ground covering at Mårtenstorget in Lund has already been redesigned, citizens and visitors believe that this is still a problem for certain target groups. The same concerns apply to Lilla Torg in Malmö as the ground cover has not been adapted to be more accessibility. Although the cites want to retain the cultural-historical values and the visual expression of the old city centers, there are no factors that can prevent the municipalities to implement such a drastic transformation. Materials such as granite, small and large stone can still be used to maintain the visual expression. Working with contrast markings on the ground surface and with adaptations for people with visual impairments is another point both cities should adapt. Both Lilla Torg and Mårtenstorget lack guidance routes and distinguishable edges, that makes it difficult for people with visual impairments to navigate the squares. Seating should also be updated in the squares, the benches found at Lilla torg lack back and arm supports, by simply replacing the existing furniture creates a more welcoming atmosphere for persons with functional variations. According to our observations, more seating should be installed on Mårtenstorget, although the square surface is also used as a car parking space, the parking area should be clearly defined to provide clarity in that urban space and to create a more organized atmosphere. This change will also allow for more seating to be mounted on the square. By using creative solutions and universal design in terms of accessibility, cities with the help of citizens can create more welcoming and inclusive city spaces.

Smart city as a concept or term is the contemporary buzzword which is referred as a means to deliver urban sustainability. In recent years, different smart city initiatives have emerged worldwide, which are advocated increasingly by the private and public sectors. However, there has been a considerable amount of critiques by social and urban scholars who question the current understanding and practice of the smart city, raising doubt if the current smart city is sustainable. The most frequently mentioned critiques indicate that the current smart city which does not have a common definition and theoretical foundation is intensively dominated by technical perspective and the role of private sector. This thesis aims to find out how this current understanding and application of smart city concept affect the urban planning practices and urban policy-making. By taking Malmö as a case study and conducting policy analyses, the research shows that this trend leads to the project-based practices which in the absence of strategic and holistic vision toward the smart city as a concept might not fulfil sustainability criteria, cannot be a beneficiary means for sustainable urban planning, and is a poor concept for social sustainability. It shows that although private sector is an integral part of smart city practices, public sector -municipality -needs to take a leadership position in defining smart city based on the real city’s demand and integrate it into the urban planning strategies.