With architecture and design we can create a better society

As one of the few countries in the world, Sweden has adopted a new, comprehensive policy for what are known as designed living environments. Photo: Scandinav

A building does not begin and end with four walls.

A town square is much more than an open space, and a city’s network of streets does more than just control the flow of traffic.

Architecture and design affect our lives: how we perceive each other and ourselves, how we meet, collaborate and live our lives together. With the help of architecture  and design, we can change our everyday lives, and eventually we may be able to change the world too.

Today we face several challenges, globally as well as nationally. Amongst other climate change, population growth, segregation, housing shortages, health inequality and social division.

Architecture can play an important role, good architecture does more than just provide a sensory experience – it can also be used as an instrument for real change.

With well executed infrastructure we can reduce noise and emissions. With careful planning of housing, we can increase integration. And by creating new places to meet we can get people to meet in new ways.

In other words: we see a clear shift, in which architecture creates benefit and content, and is not limited to the surface.

A policy for our designed living environments

In 2018 the The Swedish parliament (Riksdagen) a comprehensive policy for what are known as designed living environments. Put simply, it´s about everything that exists around us: residential buildings, schools, hospitals – and public space with its parks, streets and squares.

Our architecture policy is closely associated with the UN’s 17 global goals for sustainable development.

The objective is clear: architecture and design are to contribute to a sustainable, equitable and less segregated society in which everyone gets the opportunity to influence our shared environment.

The goal is that quality and sustainability will always take precedence over short-term financial interests.

Knowledge about architecture and design will be disseminated through research and education. We will safeguard the good living environments we already have and make them even better.

We will listen to the people who live in cities and communities and let their needs and wishes lead to concrete projects that change both the social structure and everyday life.

To succeed we need everyone to work together: politicians, businesspeople, variety of different professional and inhabitants. The public sector must lead the way and encourage everyone else to follow.

The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning has been put in charge of coordinating policy, monitoring developments, improving competencies and providing guidance to government agencies, county councils and municipalities.

Since 2018 Swedan also holds a national architect. The national architect will serve as an inspirer and facilitator, a positive force that opens possibilities of new collaboration and helps us keep focused on our main goal: to use architecture and design to help us build the society we all want to live in.

Would you like to know more?

You can read more (in Swedish) about architecture and designed living environments.

Arkitektur och gestaltad livsmiljö