The Healthy City - Social Inclusion, Urban Governance, and Sustainable Welfare Development

Aim

The overall aim of the research program, The Healthy City - social inclusion, urban governance and sustainable welfare development, is to with a public health focus analyze urban development spatial, social and temporal dimensions, to develop and apply an analytical model of network politics, everyday life, structure and policy. The program would also contribute to the knowledge base for the Swedish collaborative project Partnership for Sustainable Welfare Development through practice learning and research, and to strengthen the multidisciplinary research in public health and urban studies at Örebro University. 

Background

Research has been conducted within the Partnership for Sustainable Welfare Development that included four cities (Örebro, Helsingborg, Norrköping and Västerås) during 2003-2009. In addition to municipal management were municipal housing and several national partners involved, including the Swedish Institute of Public Health, Local Authorities and Regions and the Swedish municipal housing association.

Method

The essence of the partnership was to work for a sustainable welfare development in priority neighborhoods through experience exchange, method development and knowledge distribution. A neighborhood was selected in each city to particularly focus, in terms of policy, practice and research. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. 

Results and publications

The research program has resulted in a Doctoral dissertation and a Licentiate dissertation, as well as several scientific articles and other publications.

Fröding, K. (2011). Public Health, Neighbourhood Development and Participation – Research and Practice in four Swedish Partnership Cities. Örebro University: Örebro Studies in Care Sciences 32. 

Geidne, J. (2014) Implementation and Sustainability in a Swedish Neighbourhood Setting Approach för Health Promotion – Research and Practice in four Partnership Cities. Örebro University:  Örebro Studies in Care Sciences 57.

Fröding, K., Elander, I., & Eriksson, C. (2014) A Community-based participatory research process in a poor Swedish neighbourhood. Systemic Practice and Action Research. DOI: 10.1007/s11213-014-9319-y

Fröding, K., Geidne, J., Elander, I., & Eriksson, C. (2013) Towards Sustainable Structures for Neighbourhood Development? Healthy City Research in four Swedish Cities 2003 – 2009. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 27 (2), 225-245, DOI 10.1108/14777261311321798. 

Geidne, J., Fröding, K., Montin, S. & Eriksson, C. (2012) Implementation structure and participation at neighbourhood level. A multiple case study of neighbourhood development in Sweden. Systemic Practice and Action Research. DOI 10.1007/s11213-012-9227-y.

Fröding, K., Elander, I., & Eriksson, C. (2012) Neighbourhood development and public health initiatives. Who participates? Health Promotion International, 27(1), 102-16, DOI:10.1093/heapro/dar024.

Fröding, K., Eriksson, C., & Elander, I. (2008) Partnership for healthy neighbourhoods. City networking in multilevel context. European Urban and Regional Studies, 15(4), 317-331.

Elander, I., Eriksson, C. & Fröding, K. (2009) Lokalt partnerskap för folkhälsa. Innovation med djupa rötter i det svenska samhället. Kapitel 8, s. 179 – 199 i Gun Hedlund & Stig Montin (Red) Governance på svenska. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press.

Charli Eriksson, Eva Järliden, Annika Larsson, & Solveig Sandberg (Red). Partnerskap för hållbar välfärdsutveckling. Utveckling och forskning under sex år i fyra städer. Örebro: Örebro universitet. Studier i folkhälsovetenskap.

Eriksson C. (2006) Den hälsosamma staden ur teoretisk synvinkel. I Bostadsområdet som arena för- stad och landsbygd. Forum Folkhälsa, 5-6 oktober i Saltsjöbaden. Stockholm: Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting, sid 8-10 

Eriksson C. (2005) Den hälsosamma staden. Miljöforskning, 2005 (2): 36-7.

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