Sustainable and equal commuting to work

Umeå Municipality is one of nine municipalities that signed a climate contract on December 11, 2020. The Climate Contract 2030 aims to accelerate the development towards achieving climate-neutral cities. By being a pioneer, Umeå Municipality intends to demonstrate its commitment to this cause.

Umeå Municipality has set a target for 65 percent of trips within the Umeå urban area to be made using sustainable modes of transportation by the year 2025. Encouraging more residents of Umeå to travel sustainably on a daily basis is crucial for achieving both carbon neutrality and similar goals in other cities.

Gender Equality and Social Sustainability in Umeå

Umeå Municipality has a long tradition of incorporating gender equality into urban planning as a part of their commitment to social sustainability. They recognize that social sustainability is essential for achieving their vision of a growing and climate-neutral city.

The Collaboration with RISE

Umeå, in collaboration with RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), initiated a project with a focus on power, gender, and identity. The project's primary objective was to identify areas predominantly traveled by private cars and to explore solutions utilizing service design methodology and norm-critical innovation.

Shifting Focus towards Behavioral Change

Initially, the project emphasized physical and structural changes, such as improving public transportation options and enhancing safety in the local environment. However, through project dialogues and external engagements, the focus shifted towards encouraging new behaviors and the values they create.

Co-creating Solutions

RISE facilitated dialogues and conducted field studies with the municipality and workshops with companies. This collaboration resulted in a range of measures, where the municipality and companies each assumed responsibility for different areas. Companies can work on changing attitudes among their employees, improving cycling infrastructure, and adjusting work schedules to align with public transportation. The municipality, on the other hand, can make improvements to the built environment, establish new bus stops, and undertake other related actions.

Long-term Collaboration

This collaboration between RISE, Umeå Municipality, and the companies in the Västerslätt area marks the beginning of a long-term partnership towards achieving sustainable commuting goals and fostering positive change.