Mistra Sport & Outdoors (2020-2024) is a large research and collaboration program aiming to generate knowledge that supports the environmental sustainability of sports and outdoor activities. One of the six themes concerns Sustainable Use of Land and Water environments, where three landscapes are targeted – the mountains, the coast, and the peri-urban. Based at the Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering at Royal Insitute of Technology, KTH, in Stockholm, the following challenges are investigated in the context of the densifying Stockholm County.
- How do different activities and facilities impact land and water environments?
- How can the environmental impact of sports and outdoor recreation activities be handled in planning and management?
- How can environmental impact be handled in relation to the need for accessibility and collaborative use of land and water environments?
Project leaders: Sara Borgström and Erik Andersson
ONGOING STUDIES
Developing a method for co-management of densifying, multi-functional green spaces.
While built-up areas are densifying so are the urban green spaces. They are expected to support an increasing number of functions, e.g. climate change adaptation, biodiversity support, a place for sport as well as relaxation and noise and pollution reduction. Green space planning and management is today about navigating an increasing amount and diversification of needs and finding ways of advanced collaboration. The learning team of the peri-urban landscape in Stockholm has developed a method for how to initiate a collaboration between a multitude of actors in a dense, multifunctional green space. The method is currently tested.
Leader of the study: Sara Borgström
Recreation ecology of Norra Järvafältet – data collection and development of a geospatial model
We are contributing to the understanding of how, where, when, and why people use green and blue spaces in peri-urban landscapes of Stockholm. We are also interested to learn about public attitudes toward wildlife and their habitats. Right now we are conducting a survey with residents in Järfälla and Sollentuna municipalities about their relation to the nature of Norra Järvafältet nature reserve.
Leader of the study: Amin Rastandeh
Combining recreation and nature conservation in practice. Voices from local and regional practitioners in Stockholm, Sweden.
The study investigates how recreational management supports multiple landscape values in the green peri-urban areas of Stockholm, Sweden. The study looks at if, and if so, how recreational management and nature conservation currently are combined in practice. The results point to conflicting interests and goals between a fast urbanization at the cost of peri-urban green spaces. The results further identify different needs, deficits, and possibilities in a transforming multifunctional urban landscape in times of climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
Leader of the study: Kristin Malmcrona Friberg
Dealing with environmental consequences of outdoor recreation in land use planning – a policy analysis
Land use planning can be described as a process of knowledge generation and decision-making that aims to clarify the direction of landscape development while acknowledging multiple land use interests and safeguarding sustainable development. Therefore, it is a strong tool for navigating potential tensions between different interests and also handling possible negative environmental impacts from outdoor recreation activities. In this study, we analyze comprehensive and strategic policies at the municipal and regional levels in Stockholm County in order to better understand how environmental effects of outdoor recreation are handled.
This study is part of a joint effort with similar empirical studies executed in mountainous and coastal landscapes of Sweden with colleagues at Mid-Sweden University and Gothenburg University.
Leaders of the study: Sara Borgström and Anja Moum Rieser