Urban development that strengthens vitality and resilience
Urban development – solutions for cities and municipalities
Urban development brings together solutions for urban planning, construction, mobility and infrastructure into functional whole. Sweco helps cities and municipalities create vibrant, safe environments that adapt to extreme weather events, support resilient growth and make everyday life smoother far into the future.
What does urban development mean?
Urban development means development of cities and municipalities so that housing, mobility, construction, the environment and services form a functional and vibrant whole. It brings together economic, social and environmental objectives while ensuring the performance of critical infrastructure.
Urbanisation continues both globally and in Finland: by 2050, more than 70 percent of the world’s population and around 80 percent of Finns will live in cities.
Cities are simultaneously facing challenges related to growth, climate change, the economy and security, which highlights the importance of long-term planning, sustainability, resource efficiency and resilience.
At Sweco, urban development is centred on vibrant, healthy and pleasant everyday living and working environments. We help cities and municipalities reduce the environmental impacts of construction and transportation in line with their strategic objectives. We offer municipalities a multidisciplinary, data-driven and impactful planning approach for sustainability work and sustainable urban development. We act as an intermediary between the public and private sectors and help create partnerships that promote sustainable urban development.
Architecture and landscape design as the foundation of urban development
Urban planning must take into account extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. We also help our clients manage natural capital sustainably and strengthen biodiversity. In cities’ land use planning and zoning as well as in real estate development, we consider solutions for increasing rainfall and rising heat, for example.
Architectural design is an essential part of sustainable urban development, as it has a major impact on the appearance, functionality and ecological footprint of cities. Sweco’s experienced architects, structural engineers and building services consultants design buildings and urban environments that improve energy efficiency, reduce material consumption, propose solutions that promote circular economy and take residents’ wellbeing into account.
Landscape design is a key part of our service offering in promoting sustainable urban development. We integrate green areas, such as parks and green infrastructure, into the urban environment to create pleasant areas for residents. At the same time, these also serve as nature-based solutions for stormwater management.
Sustainable transport supports successful urban development
The implementation of sustainable transport and comprehensive transport planning are central to successful urban development. At Sweco, we examine mobility as part of broader street and area development, where the aim is to create smooth and safe solutions, good accessibility, urban vitality and strategic climate and nature objectives.
Infrastructure projects are not merely routes, railways or technical solutions; they are levers for urban development. In these projects, different modes of transport are coordinated and the conditions for walking, cycling and public transport are strengthened. Tram projects, for example, also improve the accessibility, safety and comfort of the urban environment.
We prepare sustainable mobility studies and design easy-to-use public transport services. We promote safe solutions for cycling and walking and develop city bike and micromobility solutions.
Transport planning projects also solve much more than mobility. They can strengthen urban green spaces, support stormwater management, take nature values into account and build an urban environment that is better adapted to climate change.
Sweco’s experts combine expertise in transport planning, street and infrastructure design, rail transport, water services, project management and urban environment development so that individual projects support broader and more resilient urban development.
Strategic sustainability consulting to support urban development
Sustainable urban development requires strategic choices whose impacts are reflected in decision-making, investments and project implementation. Sweco’s strategic sustainability consulting helps cities and municipalities connect climate, nature, resource efficiency and circular economy objectives with practical measures. We support our clients with sustainability strategies, carbon and sustainability management, roadmaps, indicators and reporting so that objectives do not remain on paper but guide everyday decisions.
We help build an overall picture of cities’ sustainability work and prioritise measures from the perspectives of impact, cost and feasibility. We combine strategy work with data, analytics and expertise from different areas of urban development, linking climate and nature objectives, land use, mobility, energy and construction into a shared development path. At the same time, we support our clients in responding to tightening regulatory and reporting requirements and in demonstrating the impacts of solutions transparently.
Would you like to follow current perspectives on sustainable urban development?
Circular economy in construction and renovation make sustainable urban development concrete
In construction design, we help cities, municipalities and property owners make choices that extend the lifecycle of buildings and reduce the carbon emissions and nature impacts of construction.
Renovation, changes of use and conservation-oriented refurbishment are often lower-carbon and more cost-effective alternatives than demolition and new construction. Sweco combines expertise in architecture, structural engineering, building services, research and project management so that solutions are technically, functionally and economically sustainable.
We emphasise circular economy in construction design at both building and area level. We help manage projects from the perspective of reducing carbon emissions, reuse existing structures, building components and materials, plan demolition projects in a material-wise way and find solutions that enable excavated masses, demolition materials and other resources to be used efficiently.
Our project management ensures that projects are implemented according to plan.
Discuss your urban development needs with our experts
Do you need help with sustainable area development, resource-efficient construction, developing transport solutions, clarifying sustainability strategies, preparing roadmaps and monitoring practical implementation? Contact our experts.
Juha Vihma
Head of Business Unit, Architect SAFA, Oulu and Northern FinlandJani Päivänen
Land Use, Team ManagerMikko Kietäväinen
Sales ManagerJari Brandt
Business Director, City and TransportMikko Raninen
Team Leader, Sustainable mobilityMeeri Mäkihelmi
Circular economy, buildings
Johanna Tavia
Team Manager, Strategy, resilience, regulation and communicationsFrequently asked questions about urban development
How does Sweco support urban development?
Sweco offers a multidisciplinary expert team for urban development, combining strategic management, urban planning, architecture, construction, mobility, infrastructure, environmental expertise and sustainability consulting. We help cities and municipalities implement solutions that support vitality, resilience and sustainable development.
How is urban development implemented?
Urban development is implemented through urban planning, land use, zoning, transport and infrastructure planning, construction, energy production and distribution, circular economy and strategic sustainability management, for example. At its best, the different areas form a whole that supports a city’s long-term goals and sustainable growth.
What does urban development mean?
Urban development means the long-term development of cities and municipalities so that housing, mobility, construction, services, infrastructure and the environment form a safe and vibrant whole.
What is sustainable urban development?
Sustainable urban development brings together environmental, economic and wellbeing objectives as cities grow. The aim is to reduce the environmental impacts of construction and mobility, take the impacts of climate change into account in people’s everyday lives, strengthen biodiversity and create functional, safe and pleasant environments for current and future generations.
Why is urban development important?
Urban development helps cities respond to population growth, extreme weather events, security challenges and the needs of business life. A well-designed urban environment supports residents’ wellbeing, regional vitality and sustainable economic growth.