GROW – Leave no neighbourhood behind
Jeppe Albers, Founder & CEO, Nordic Safe Cities
"Lets Grow"
The Nordic countries and the Nordic welfare states are closely associated with equality and inclusion. Contrary to this self-understanding, there are segregated areas also in cities in the Nordic countries. Divided by income levels, employment status, or ethnicity – or explained by rapid urban development, economic megatrends, housing markets, immigration, or other socio-economic factors – certain neighbourhoods and housing areas have been left behind. These neighbourhoods are often characterised by unemployment, lower education levels, worse health outcomes, higher crime rates, and more people feeling unsafe and excluded from society.
NBO – Housing Nordic, SLA, and Nordic Safe Cities have come together to learn from all the good local initiatives across the Nordics and work together to grow social, physical, and economic investment in vulnerable segregated neighbourhoods, making them safer and more inclusive. By sharing our knowledge and expertise from across professional fields, we aim to tackle the issue of urban segregation, to grow and empower the youth’s potential and believe in their future by further investment in education, play, and safety in their neighbourhoods. Grow our economy, our welfare and health outcomes by changing the local perspective and ensuring access to good local employment opportunities and continued competency building. Grow our local environments and make strategic transformation of urban spaces and surroundings into safer, more inclusive, liveable, and attractive, socially cohesive neighbourhoods with solid cultural and human qualities. And grow with one another in a trustworthy, transparent, and democratic fashion in the commitment to cross- Nordic and sectoral cooperation so that every person in the Nordics, regardless of where they live or their social and economic background, is allowed to fulfil their full potential. And no neighbourhood is left behind.
With this publication we launch insights into the first conversations, directions, and conclusions from GROW in 2022. We hope to inspire more collaboration across the Nordics to catalyse an agenda-setting conversation and set in motion sustainable change, to increase inclusion and safety and prevent inequality and segregation.
We want to change the perspective on vulnerable segregated neighbourhoods as hubs of unsolvable problems. Instead, we want society to see them as vast, unfulfilled potential with rewards so promising that investment in the neighbourhoods only seems obvious. Building on our learnings and experiences this past year, this publication is meant as a tool for further work and inspiration to challenge, exchange, and inspire continued development of vulnerable segregated neighbourhoods in the Nordics.
We hope you are inspired to use the thoughts in your city and neighbourhood.
Enjoy the read
Jeppe Albers, Founder & Director, Nordic Safe Cities
Bent Madsen, Chairman of NBO, CEO, BL, & Chairman of Policy Group
Mette Skjold, CEO & Partner, SLA
About the partner group
Nordic Safe Cities works to create safe cities that stand against the rise of polarisation and safeguard citizens from extremist violence, hate and fear. Nordic Safe Cities is a network of 21 cities across the 5 Nordic countries joined in a strong alliance to promote democratic values, community cohesion and inclusion. Together with politicians and practitioners, we help cities create new solutions locally, and to share and spread the Nordic solutions and knowledge to the Nordic region and in the world.
NBO – Housing Nordic is an umbrella organisation that was founded in 1950 on a vision of a Nordic region with economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable housing for all. It consists of public, cooperative and social housing associations from the five Nordic countries; Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and sweden. The purpose is to exchange knowledge and coordinate advocacy on common interests. NBO members together represent nearly 2.5 million homes.
SLA is a Copenhagen-based landscape architecture office with branches in Oslo and Aarhus. The company works with living landscapes, sustainable urban design and city planning in a wide range of scales. From our offices, we design some of Scandinavia’s most contemporary, climate-friendly, safe, and inclusive urban landscapes and public spaces. We believe in a distinctly multidisciplinary approach to making safe, democratic, and liveable cities.
GROW - White Paper
Chapter 1
Our first steps
GROW has been initiated in 2022 and has over the year assembled +100 stakeholders from across Nordic neighbourhoods in a collaborative manner, to grow a joint framework for countering segregation and inequality in vulnerable segregated neighbourhoods.
We have identified and united the five Nordic neighbourhoods of Hakunila (Finland), Søndre Nordstrand (Norway), Hammarkullen (Sweden), Vollsmose (Denmark) and Nordvest (Denmark) from Nordic Safe City member cities to work together and deliver different solutions to grow their neighbourhoods. During the process we have further assembled a group of specialists from public and private organisations and academia. They have delivered Cross Nordic policy recommendations for decision-makers to grow neighbourhoods socially, economically, physically and boost opportunity for its residents and their local municipality.
The recommendations are a result of a holistic and detailed approach taking a 360-degree perspective to the problems in question. We have worked in a collaborative cross- Nordic and sectoral manner which prioritises sparring and idea development, because we are convinced that there is much to learn from both the Nordic similarities but also from our differences. In addition, the solutions to the complex issues in question are rarely embodied in a single expert or field of expertise which stresses our mantrum of a collaborative and holistic approach. We believe that we grow stronger together.
Result and progress
During 2022, the Grow initiative has produced policy recommendations to grow Nordic neighbourhoods and counteract inequality and city-wide segregation by initiating new learnings and catalyse tangible and sustainable change in the 5 Nordic neighbourhoods of Hakunila (Finland), Søndre Nordstrand (Norway), Hammarkullen (Sweden), Vollsmose (Denmark) and Nordvest (Denmark).
This has taken its starting point in existing strategies and ‘on the ground’ challenges in the five Nordic Safe Cities member cities and local housing organisations with the aim to grow their neighbourhoods: increase inclusion and safety, counteract segregation, and grow communities and opportunities for residents.
In close collaboration we have produced 8 policy recommendations as a result of the work done during the year. We want to stress that even though the recommendations are a result of neighbourhood-specific work, the emphasis is on the universal character of our results. The aim is that our work has, up to this point, laid the cornerstones for a fundamental framework that is applicable and useful for any vulnerable segregated neighbourhood’s process in battling segregation and creating equal opportunity for everyone.
The GROW project operates from the conviction that, by leading by example with our Nordic values of trust, equality, and democracy, we can create a partnership of transformation from which we can encourage each other to grow fruitful change in the neighbourhoods that need it. The work laid out in 2022 has been our collaborative effort to create an opening move with pertaining effect.
We want to change the perspective from which the work of developing vulnerable segregated neighbourhoods is approached, away from a matter of problems and into a perspective that focuses on the huge potential of social, economic, and human resources. Not only in the specific neighbourhoods who have been a part of the project in 2022, but in any vulnerable segregated neighbourhood, making our experience and work the first stone to ripple down the mountain of positive change growing ever faster and more impactful.
Methodology and process 2022
To obtain these goals the Grow initiative has operated on two levels: A Task Force and a Policy Group.
The Task Force is a practical working group of Nordic organisations and municipalities which provided a forum to spar on specific local cases and problems related to insecurity, inequality, polarisation, and segregation.
The Task Force included the 5 municipalities and housing organisations across the Nordics that contributed with a specific problem or case, which was the centre of attention and focus of support in the conversations from which our continued work had its starting point.
In addition, the Task Force included a range of interdisciplinary sparring partners, experienced professionals, and Nordic experts in the field.
By participating in the Task Force, the housing areas of Hakunila (Finland), Søndre Nordstrand (Norway), Hammarkullen (Sweden), Vollsmose (Denmark) and Nordvest (Denmark) received insights on new research, practices, and tools, interdisciplinary sparring, fresh eyes and new perspectives on their local problems as well as inspiration from their Nordic colleagues. They likewise showcased their efforts, methods, and results, and assisted other cities with their cases.
The Task Force met at one physical camp in Copenhagen on May 18 – 19, 2022, study- and support visits to neighbourhoods in September, two online sparring sessions through the fall and finally at our yearly Summit in October.
At the GROW Camp we united key urban and social thinkers, policy makers, as well as local professionals from neighbourhoods across the Nordics to develop good and sustainable practices for positive change.
The local visits and sparring sessions provided specific targeted sparring, inspiration and learning to the 5 case neighbourhoods. Lastly, at our Summit the neighbourhoods met a final time to discuss and present preliminary learnings, the Policy Paper, and its use in their specific neighbourhood.
The Policy Paper is a product of the policy group and the result of the work done in the five Nordic neighbourhoods in 2022. It serves as a foundation for concrete actions and future initiatives, and inspiration for creating sustainable and safe neighbourhoods.
The Policy Group itself is cross-Nordic and interdisciplinary, consisting of 12 experts and professionals from a wide range of fields and is chaired by Bent Madsen, CEO of BL, and Chairman of the NBO Board. The Policy Group met four times during 2022 to create political and strategic recommendations on how Nordic cities can build strong housing visions for more inclusion and safety, and author a Policy Codex.
The 8 policy recommendations can be found further down.
The Policy Group likewise stayed in continuous dialogue with the Task Force to ensure that the political recommendations compiled in the Policy Codex reflects the needs and challenges on the ground in Nordic neighbourhoods and cities.
Furthermore, the two groups connected during the Camp and the Grow meetings and discussed how to take action to grow the areas identified further below.
Chapter 2
Our Policy Codex
During 2022, the Grow initiative produced policy recommendations to grow Nordic neighbourhoods and counteract inequality and city-wide segregation and shared these with Nordic decision makers and the public.
These policy recommendations are:
We must approach vulnerable neighbourhoods as investment opportunities with hubs of large-scale unredeemed human potential, and dare to be bold, transformative, and pioneering in our investment approaches – for the good of the people living in those neighbourhoods and for society at large.
We must ensure that all neighbourhoods are easily accessible as part of a connective and socially cohesive city, and re/design each neighbourhood with strong enough cultural and human qualities to transform into a natural destination for inhabitants to choose to live and spend their time.
We must prioritise making a strong opening move by placing economic and physical lighthouses – educational, employment, recreational – in particularly vulnerable neighbourhoods to provide and thereby also attract more opportunities, resources, and people to the neighbourhoods.
We must compensate for socioeconomic differences by systematically re/allocating resources to the most vulnerable neighbourhoods, creating more equity, reducing segregation, and signalling that the neighbourhoods have political attention and priority – they have not been left behind.
We must ensure that young people believe that they belong, that they feel seen, heard, and empowered to picture a future for themselves as active and contributing democratic citizens. We – as authorities and as a society – must invest in giving the youth the space, tools, training, and chances to achieve that.
We must make an equal effort to reach and act on the minority that engage in criminal activity, as we do to engage with and create trust among the majority population, as these are intrinsically linked. Inaction on crime may convey that the authorities do not care about the neighbourhood or the wellbeing and safety of the citizens, while the absence of effort to create trust between citizens and authorities may likewise leave room for malignant forces – local or external – to sow division and spread disinformation and may aggravate the geographical, social, and economic exclusion of vulnerable neighbourhoods.
We must lean on our core Nordic characteristics of trust, transparency, equality, and democracy in our efforts to prevent segregation, and jointly set clear guidelines on how to show and stand firm on these values in all that we do, in every neighbourhood. From the cross-Nordic, national, municipal, and local level – with our frontline practitioners leading by example.
We must commit to bettering our Nordic cooperation across public and private sectors in partnerships for change that continuously push and inspire each other to strengthen public housing and urban development policy, reaching ambitious social and economic targets in the efforts to prevent segregation and parallel societies.
Chapter 3
Case Neighborhoods
Vollsmose, Odense, Denmark
Investing in social and physical transformation
Vollsmose is located around 3 kilometres outside the centre of Odense and consists of nine housing estates. It is the largest residential area in Denmark with approximately 7.300 residents.
The housings are owned by two housing organisations, FAB and Civica. The largest number of the housing estates in Vollsmose consist of regular building blocks, but there are also high-rise buildings and terraced houses. The area has large, green recreational areas and Odense Ådal (river) is also located nearby.
Vollsmose has a lot of great qualities, but it is experienced as a closed and isolated area due to its infrastructure as the area is surrounded by four-lane roads and up until 2021 no roads through the area. The perception of Vollsmose as an isolated island also means that few citizens except the ones living there visit the area. On top of that, Vollsmose is still largely known for a high unemployment rate and has had and still has a bad reputation due to problems concerning crime and gangs.
Challenges
Towards 2030 Vollsmose will be undergoing a physical and social transformation. The physical transformation concerns six of the nine housing estates. The six estates answer to 2.800 dwellings and out of these 1.000 dwellings will be demolished and the rest will be renovated. New private residences will also be built.
The residents who can no longer live in Vollsmose because their dwellings are demolished will be rehoused.
In GROW we have particularly focused on exploring how to attract new residents to a neighbourhood which for decades has had a bad reputation and how to ensure a good neighbourhood and community between current and new residents.
Imagine if
Vollsmose undergoes a successful physical and social transformation into an attractive and sustainable neighbourhood in eight to 10 years’ time. It will be an attractive neighbourhood with different housing options in terms of architecture and ownership, an infrastructure that connects the neighbourhood to the surrounding city and a safe neighbourhood with community engagement between new and current residents.
A neighbourhood where you choose to live, to visit, and work.
Imagine if the interaction between current and new residents produces social value such as safety, cohesion and community engagement. Values which are one of the reasons why you choose to live in Vollsmose and not somewhere else.
Next steps to grow
The transformation of a neighbourhood with the size of a small town takes time. Besides all the plans for the actual physical and social transformation it is necessary with a strong political and administrative leadership and set-up.
A company which has the task of developing and selling some of the land in Vollsmose has been established.
The next main task is then to develop and sell land to private investors to build new housing and businesses. Along with that there will be a constant focus on the social transformation and other parts of the physical transformation to ensure a successful transformation and an attractive neighbourhood by 2030.
Nordvest, Copenhagen, Denmark
Investing in the youth and their social impact
The community development project ‘Beboerprojekt Nordvest” is based upon 14 community housing estates in the north-western (Nordvest in Danish) part of Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. The 14 community housing areas are run by 4 different community housing providers, and in total encompass 4.294 housing units and 8.127 residents.
The area of Nordvest has several green areas eg. Utterslev Mose and Bispebjerg Kirkegård, and some larger and more traffic-heavy roads eg. Frederiksborgvej, Tomsgårdsvej and Frederikssundsvej. In Nordvest there are areas with traditional detached housing, but most housing types in this area are apartment buildings (either private rental, cooperative-owned or community housing), where Beboerprojekt Nordvest only provides services to residents in the community housing apartment buildings. Residents living in these community housing units are statistically and proportionally more marginalised residents than those living in the other housing types.
The community housing sector is non-profit and democratically governed. Also, community housing is strictly regulated. Community housing organisations fall under municipal supervision. The individual municipality decides whether new community housing should be built. The municipality can typically dispose of every third vacant home for municipal housing purposes. Community housing is for everyone, but at the same time it contains a special obligation towards population groups with specific housing needs. For example, young students, the elderly, the disabled, single parents, refugees, and residents in need of rehousing because of urban renewal.
Challange
A relatively high proportion of 15 – 24-year-olds in Nordvest are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET). In GROW we have focused on how to best utilise municipal tools/services for NEET residents, expand coordinated partnerships between the municipality and the community development project, and at the same time fully utilise the community development project’s unique tools.
Imagine if
Across the municipality of Copenhagen, there were radical new forms of multi-departmental and cross-sectoral support for solving the wicked problems that face marginalised youth and NEET residents from community housing areas city-wide.
Imagine if this was done and financed via a social impact investment project – the first one of its kind in Copenhagen – that initiated totally new structures for learning and collaboration. These new collaborations benefit both the NEET residents as a target group for the project, and the municipality in terms of developing new models for solving complex and existing issues.
Next steps to grow
Going forward Nordvest will investigate further research regarding social impact investments. This investment approach is attractive, as it helps make public services more efficient and innovative, but the City of Copenhagen has not utilised this type of funding model before, and the approach has some complex considerations regarding budgeting models across public service areas.
Furthermore, the GROW project has instigated a focus on getting the other local stakeholders on-board.
Other community development projects, the municipal youth services, and social investment foundations all require further involvement, as each possible collaborator has unique and different structures and considerations. In addition, as the business model grows in complexity and scope, there is a requisite need to grow together to bring in more and differing expertise to fully realise the potential behind a new financial model for holistic solutions for NEET residents in community housing.
Hakunila, Vantaa, Finland
Investing in inclusion and life chances
The Major Region of Hakunila comprises of several very different areas and neighbourhoods varying in demographics, housing types and socio-economic outcomes.
Hakunila is a polarised area. The Major Region of Hakunila has about 30.000 people spread over thirty-six square kilometres. The Hakunila city centre with around 11.000 inhabitants is an area of positive discrimination as defined by statistical indicators based on educational levels, income, unemployment levels and the number of children from 0-6 years whose mother tongue is other than Finnish or Swedish. Eighty percent of the housing in the centre consists of blocks of flats, many of which were built in the 1970´s or 1980´s. On the other hand, not far from the centre there are areas of privately owned detached and terraced houses.
Within walking distance there are beautiful fields and woods, running and skiing tracks and even a horse riding stable. Places for worship in Hakunila include a Lutheran church, a couple of mosques and a Pentecostalist church. Among municipal services there is a library, youth clubs and sports grounds and a municipal swimming pool. Health centre and social services organised by the wellbeing services county from the beginning of 2023 are found in the Hakunila shopping centre complex. The shopping centre is run-down and houses some not very trendy bars, a couple of ethnic restaurants and stores, and a large supermarket. It is widely agreed that lack of adequate public transport (local train or tram) and dependency on buses has left Hakunila behind in urban development.
Challange
The original challenge we worked with in GROW was the issue of minority youths feeling excluded from society and the vulnerability of marginalised youth to join gangs and a lack of trust in authorities. We focused on how to enhance trust and provide equal opportunities for children and young people to engage, participate and create their own community through hobbies. However, the real challenge is much bigger and visible in the central area of Hakunila. Many public services run by the state, e.g., the social security agency Kela and the employment office have left Hakunila years ago complicating everyday life for many who are not able to use digital services. Residential segregation is increasingly visible in the Lehtikuusi school, which has the highest number of students with Finnish as a second language in Vantaa. Day-care centres have become even more segregated than the school.
Imagine if
Hakunila in the future is a safe, resilient, and socially sustainable neighbourhood where every person, regardless of their social and economic background, can realise their full potential.
Imagine if Hakunila in 2024 has dropped its shabby image and is becoming a hip destination to families who want to live close to excellent outdoor and recreational facilities. The Lehtikuusi school has all the resources needed and the school building has undergone a thorough renovation and is a magnet for families seeking a great school. Hakunila’s diverse population is a source of pride and intergroup relationships are good.
The different departments of the City of Vantaa together with NGOs, religious communities and companies form a strong network which connects municipal officers and services with local people. Services are accessible to all.
For a last thing – imagine if the decision to build the light trail connecting Hakunila to the rest of the city and the airport is finally made. That could be a real game changer to make Hakunila attractive to investors and new residents. Imagine if everybody mattered.
Next steps to grow
It is central that people in any given neighbourhood can believe in a meaningful future. In the making of a thriving and safe Hakunila, a more participatory approach which puts much more effort in taking people along in planning and decision making processes is needed. Several projects are underway. The first step is strengthening the various projects and networks involved in developing the area. Among these are the Reducing school segregation in Vantaa project which for the first time brings together experts from different departments, especially from Education and Learning and City Planning.
The Regional Program of Positive Action is about to begin with new measures. The program consists of four key themes: 1. Effectiveness from knowledge-based management, 2. Child-oriented investment strategy, 3. Wellbeing from education, employment, and health, and 4. Thriving city centres. Also, the Finnish model for leisure activities continues its cooperation with the Lehtikuusi school.
Put together, Hakunila’s next steps involve a wide spectrum of actors working toward the same goal and using branding for turning around the image of Hakunila.
Hammarkullen, Gothenburg, Sweden
Investing in residential democracy and trust
Hammarkullen is located in the district of Angered within the city of Gothenburg. Most buildings in Hammarkullen were built according to a public housing programme implemented in Sweden in the sixties and seventies. Apartment buildings were built in a standardised way which often meant large apartment buildings with many apartments in each building.
The area of Hammarkullen has several challenges. A majority of the apartment buildings are worn out, run down and over time public services have moved out of the area. In order to get public service one has to leave Hammarkullen which has resulted in less movement in the area.
Compared to the city Gothenburg in general, Hammarkullen has lower health rates, a higher proportion of unemployment, higher dependency on social benefits and poorer school results. Average income is lower in Hammarkullen compared to Gothenburg in general. The residents in Hammarkullen participate in public elections less frequently compared to other residents in Gothenburg.
In Hammarkullen there is a criminal network and parallel structures which to some extent has created a culture of silence among the residents. The culture of silence has led to issues in all areas of Hammarkullen; school, housing, local environment etc.
Challange
Hammarkullen’s challenge relates to parallel structures and criminal networks which spreads a culture of silence and leads to distrust in authorities and community representatives.
Imagine if
In the year 2024 Hammarkullen is one step closer to achieving their goal of increasing the trust between the local actors In Hammarkullen such as the social services department, the housing company, the municipal schools, and the residents, thereby strengthening the abilities of the residents while breaking the culture of silence.
Imagine if this was done by developing a sense of responsibility and commitment between the residents to issues related to the local environment and housing.
Imagine if several factors would be improved, including reduced unemployment, increased school results, increased security, less dependence on benefits and increased health rates resulting in Hammarkullen no longer being considered a particularly vulnerable neighbourhood by the year 2025. The housing company’s ambition is to drive investments that enable residents to make this positive change on their own through persistence and long-term work.
Next steps to grow
The housing company has started an effort that will lead to greater housing influence from the residents themselves. Employees from the housing company are currently knocking on doors and inviting the residents to meetings. The goal is that the neighbours will get to know each other in these meetings thereby increasing the safety in the buildings. These steps should lead to more people being confident in maintaining the general standard of care. Currently there is a culture of silence where neighbours do not report if somebody misbehaves. If the neighbours get to know each other, the hope is that they will get the courage to tell their neighbour if they misbehave according to the standard of care.
A plan is also being drawn up to increase the knowledge within the district concerning what happens if you report a concern about children or youths to the social services department.
The social services, the housing company, the municipal schools, and other local actors will continue to cooperate and make important contributions.
The Family academy is a programme for pupils in the fourth grade and their families to receive extra support in various ways. The staff involved in the project are currently working on developing the frameworks for the programme that needs to be implemented long-term which will increase parental participation.
Søndre Nordstrand, Oslo, Norway
Investing in a safe and inclusive community
Rudshøgda lies within Bjørnerud and is part of the Søndre Nordstrand district in the south of Oslo. Small houses, apartment blocks and green areas characterise the area where about 3800 inhabitants live.
A site analysis of Bjørnerud (conducted by AFI in 2018) and dialogue with the residents reflect wicked problems: low general attractiveness and low score on a number of variables representing the quality of living conditions.
Many residents here rent the apartment they live in, despite the fact that the norm in Norway is to own your own apartment/house. Almost 8 out of 10 Norwegians own their own home at any given time. Buildings, common areas and meeting places suffer from a lack of maintenance and care.
The site analysis shows that the area stands out by having more challenges than the other areas in the district like low education and high unemployment rate.
The occupational participation at Rudshøgda is only at 62%, and it is lower for women and declining for young men. The area is perceived as closed, and there is limited contact between neighbours and use of the local area. The site analysis also points to concerns among the residents related to safety and crime.
Challange
Rudshøgda has challenges relating to the living environment and socioeconomic conditions. The whole of the Bjørnerud district is part of an area improvement program that aims to create better and more inclusive local environments by combining physical and social projects. Therefore, in GROW we particularly explored how municipal and housing actors can foster more trust, resident engagement, and participation in the local community of Rudshøgda.
Imagine if
By 2026 the project has created trust and a strong collaboration with residents enabling local engagement and participation to grow. Imagine if there is a strong sense of identity and a feeling of pride in being from the Søndre Nordstrand district. More inhabitants have meaningful work and activities, and they trust the local services and authorities.
Imagine if the dialogue between the inhabitants and the local authorities grows out from and is nourished by projects established in the early project phase. Imagine if the residents are proud of and feel safe in their neighbourhood, and families choose to enrol at the local public school and participate in the local after-school activities.
Next steps to grow
The next steps of the GROW project in Søndre Nordstrand centres around a prioritisation of creating strong, substantial social and physical bonds in the neighbourhood which further nurtures the residents’ positive interaction with each other and the municipality. In 2026 the local community office, the circus, and the outdoor kitchen created from the project will continue to grow opportunities and integrate in the local communities in the district. They are crucial meeting spots where the project in Søndre Nordstrand can collect experiences from residents representing a great range of age, backgrounds and nationalities.