A small step towards movement – A giant leap for public health

At SE26, innovation, ambition, and a strong desire to create a better future come together. This is why the national innovation program ShiftSweden is a natural fit for SE26. As the name suggests, ShiftSweden focuses on three crucial shifts: circular business models, sustainable transport alternatives, and the integration of the built environment with mobility.

ShiftSweden is part of Impact Innovation, Sweden's major innovation initiative. It targets organizations that want to be part of shaping the vision of tomorrow’s attractive and accessible communities.

Several Projects Are Already Underway
ShiftSweden has taken on the challenge of showing how a society can be not only economically and environmentally sustainable but also socially sustainable. They leave no stone unturned in their quest for solutions for future mobility and how it can be integrated into attractive living environments.

Given the large influx of people to Skellefteå, and its ongoing population growth, ShiftSweden addresses issues that are highly relevant for a city undergoing societal transformation, where mobility and public health are two key aspects.

At present, no fewer than 23 projects are ongoing across Sweden. In Malmö alone, two projects are challenging current ideas about mobility.

Street Lab 2045 focuses on children’s perspectives in urban planning, using inclusive methods and active mobility. It employs future scenarios, prototypes, and a visualized film of the results to stimulate dialogue and guide future work. The project emphasizes co-creation with children, students, and experts, while also exploring the impact of automation on street spaces.

The Neighborhoods of the Future – The Hyperlocal Heart of the 15-Minute City explores how two very different neighborhoods can develop by 2040. With a focus on mobility and urban planning, the project seeks new ways to make city offerings more accessible. The goal is to create future scenarios that challenge norms, highlight alternative movement patterns, and provide concrete proposals for how urban spaces can be redesigned.

Det andra Malmö-projektet, Framtidens kvarter – det hyperlokala hjärtat i 15-minutersstaden, utforskar hur två olika kvarter, med vitt skilda förutsättningar, kan utvecklas fram till 2040. Med fokus på mobilitet och stadsplanering söker man nya sätt att tillgängliggöra vad staden har att erbjuda. Målet är att skapa framtidsscenarier som utmanar normer, synliggör alternativa rörelsemönster och ger konkreta förslag på hur stadsrum kan omformas.

SE26 i sin tur representeras genom att driva projektet Vi går igen, i Skellefteå. Bakom det står, Skellefteå kommun och Rise. Den utforskar en framtid där gångtrafik och gående i alla dess olika former spelar en central roll. Tanken är att skapa och testa olika incitament som får gåendet att bli roligare och mer attraktivt både för transportens skull men också som en ren form av livskvalitetshöjande, i sig, lustfylld aktivitet.

Mobility Brings Quality of Life
ShiftSweden aims to develop alternatives to individual car travel. This is especially relevant for Skellefteå, where a growing population and the city’s geographical location demand innovative transport solutions. By integrating mobility with the built environment, not only is a more sustainable city created, but the conditions are also set for a city where people move smoothly and naturally through well-thought-out flows — without depending on cars.

Mobility is about more than transportation — it’s about giving people access to work, education, leisure, and each other. In short, it’s about freedom and enabling people to be active members of the society in which they live. Developing coherent systems for public transport, cycling paths, and pedestrian walkways is crucial to building a society where everyone can participate.

Positive Public Health Effects as a Bonus

Creating and connecting attractive environments also significantly boosts people's well-being and health. ShiftSweden’s work on integrating mobility and the built environment aims to achieve precisely this. A city that makes it easier for its residents to walk, cycle, and use public transport encourages physical activity and reduces the negative health effects associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

This can be seen as a form of "nudging" — a city that invites movement also generates movement among its residents, which in turn leads to positive public health effects. For Skellefteå, this means building and planning a city that promotes good public health through smart urban design.

If you’re interested in learning how you can participate in "Vi går igen" or SE26, contact us here.

About ShiftSweden

ShiftSweden is an innovation program within Impact Innovation, Sweden’s innovation initiative for the 2030s, a joint effort by the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas, and Vinnova.

ShiftSweden’s mission is:
“We are transforming Sweden – fossil-free and resource-aware – into attractive and accessible living environments for all. We are showing how, in 100 places over 10 years.”

To achieve this mission, they focus on three major shifts:

1. From resource-intensive linear construction processes to sustainable and value-creating circular business models.
2. From unsustainable transport to a new freedom reform with competitive alternatives to individual car travel.
3. From planning, development, production, and operation in silos to new innovative ground by integrating the built environment and mobility into one ecosystem.