RiverCity

Sustainable development in the Göta Älv area of 2050
- presentation of three scenarios-

What could the river area look like in 2050? how do you go to different places, where do you meet your friends, and how do you create your own venture? do we still have enough resources in 2050 to cover our daily needs? or most imporantly, do we have a happy life where we all consume equal opportunities of life while taking best care of our mother nature?

Welcome to the final presentation of the course Project management on sustainable development.

We are students from different academic background who have been working on a project where we are creating scenarios for sustainable development in the river area of Gothenburg for the year 2050. The project is a collaboration between the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers.

The final presentation on this project will take place on-
 
Date: 3rd of June, from 15:00 to 17:00, 
At: School of Global Studies (Annedalsseminariet), 
Room No. SA 302
Address: Campus Linne (Seminariegatan)

Looking forward to see you there!

Samira Heshmatzadeh

Jonas Wilson

Week 6 : Scenario processing

Chairpersons’ report

Monday the 3th of May

The week we had in front of us was kind of hard and packed week since the second reference meeting was included and also the three scenarios should have been finished. As chairpersons, me and Jonas tried to make a schedule for the whole week and give the members their tasks for the entire week. From the morning meeting the reference group gathered together and discussed the structure of the meeting. They decided to have one paper with a short description of each scenario as a handout for the reference meeting. After that the whole idea were discussed in the class and then the scenario groups started their work for the whole day keeping the deadline of 5 pages of PowerPoint and also 15 bullet point for the reference meeting by the end of Tuesday.

My sustainable friends have also surprised me by giving me a very nice purple well-smelling flower for my Birthday ;)

Tuesday the 4th of May

We started our meeting by celebrating Jonas Birthday.

After that we explained the schedule which me and Jonas had made the day before. So by having this schedule everyone was clear with their task for the whole week. All groups started their work direct after eating a very tasty birthday cake which had been made by me J. At the end of the day all groups submitted their part for reference meeting and we decided about what other should do on Wednesday since some of us should have attend the reference meeting the other took the responsibility of revising the project aim, sustainable development definition and background and also we agreed on that each group should prepare some feedback on other scenarios.

Wednesday 5th of May

This Wednesday was kind of busy day for me. I was one of the reference group meeting and also a chairlady which I was responsible for the project and reference meeting simultaneously. The reference meeting group; Samira, Adelina, Rita, Riffat, Nining and Islam, started the work by the first minuets of the day and we didn’t have lunch either. So the reference meeting was started at 13 pm directly.  The stockholders introduced themselves as well as the students. Per joined us as one of the project advisors. The meeting was held perfectly and we got a very nice idea and comments from them.

After meeting we came back to the whole group and we started with Emma’s birthday, celebrating it with another perfect cake baked by me ;)

After the short celebration, we discuss the  feedback from the stockholders as well as the scenario groups. After the school we all went to Jonas place and celebrate his birthday once more.

Thursday 6th of May

As we thought we need to change or kind of restructuring our scenarios putting stockholder’s opinion into it, me and Jonas came 8 am to school and started to brain storm the new structure for our scenarios. Per joined us 8:50 and he gave us some perfect idea which we share it later in the class. Also we discussed the editors’ task and talked about the anthology and how students should participate on that.  So the scenario goal keepers gathered together and brought a good idea, then we started our work and it took the whole day.

Friday 7th of May

From the beginning, me and Jonas decided not to have a fika since we should have finished our 6 pages text by Monday.  So from the start of the day after a very short meeting, all groups started to work hard on their scenarios. Some of them continued during the lunch as well. So by the end of the day all groups submitted their text on Gmail documents and we didn’t have fika which made me a bit sad because I was looking forward for this meeting to get feedback on my work. Any way we had a new version of fika which Jonas bought some cookies and we had kind of working fika.

To begin with the project we compile SWOT analysis of the river area from three source:

1. Ourselves

2. Stakeholders through phone and direct interview

3. Stakeholders through reference meeting.

To these three cluster of source, we pose several question such as;

1. What is your connection to the river area? How do you use it?

2. What is good about the river area today?

3. Do you see any problems in the river area?

4. How would you like the area to develop in the future?

5. What are the challenges you may face in the future?

6. How is the present transport system working for your company?

7. Do you profit from the river, economically?

8.  Do you see any environmental concerns in the river area? Today or in the future? In what way are you or might you be affected?

9.  Are there any social concerns? Education, health, integration…

After getting the data; we compile and summarize the SWOT as below;

Strengths

- The Water

- Harbor

- Exporting industries

- Road resources

- Local competence, knowledge city.

- Tourism

- Gothenburg spirit in terms of society/social attractiveness

Weaknesses

- Inefficient use of land (industries)

- Inaccessibility to the river

- Traffic and transport infrastructure

- governance issues (flexibiliy, participation, lack of coherence with comprehensive and detailed plan)

- Poor connection between the riversides

- Social exclusion

- Water quality

- high per capita footprint (eco, CO2, water)

- badly mixed urban structue (activities, people)

- Pollution

Opportunities

- Space for development

- Developing public transportations/infrastructure and new modes

- Renovate -sustainablizing of million project

- Renewable energy/fuel (local production)

- Urban agriculture

- eco tourism

- Waste management,

- Strengthen the Gothenburg spirit

- Use of Knowledge

Threats

- Climate change (Sea Level Rise)

- Landslides

- segregation

- Risk of industry accidents

- vulnerable fresh water supplies

- Energy dependency (peak oil)

- Loss of biodiversity

Welcome to Friday fiKa!

As a part of the tradition, "Rivercity" family warms its members with "fika" which usually takes place in every Friday around 15:00 before friday catches them! No wonder it is one of moments that members wait for all week, and rejoice themselves by sharing their feelings and exhange ideas & weekly experiences. While mingling with coffee & conversation, it is perhaps more than just a 'fika' covered by following agenda:

> Sum up the week: Review the whole week's activities & performances
> Actions & Plan for next week
> 'Open Your Mind' session: Members share their week experices, evaluate themselves as well as the group as a whole, post new ideas & proposals
> Refreshments: f i k a

However, this page is OUR place where we post our stories, exciting moments, actions & upcoming events. So check it out! We would love to share our weekly 'fika' stories with YOU; and also you are just more than welcome to have a cup of coffee with us :)


(Coming Up) Opera!

May 13, 2010. Rivercity members are going to enjoy the "Böhem" at Gothenburg Opera House on the date around 19:30. You can also join, we will be very happy to have you with us. If you feel so, then please contact us as soon as possible. You can also personally look for members "Rossi" or "Jonas" for details.



Week 4: a fiKa for 'Quy'

April 23, 2010. This Friday was more than fun! It turned out to be one of our member's birthday! What else could have been more fun? We celebrated 'Quy's birthday with sheer joy & choirs; not to mention about the chocolates which was brought for him but unfortunately we digested it before he got any chance! In this bunch of fun, we missed one of our members " Mr. Vasa from Serbia" who was sick (?) & couldn't join us. However, 'fika' was ended by usual discussions & greetings.

Apart from this, for "Jonas" it was a special friday since he had his first football match on Gothenburg Club Football Tournament; we had our best wishes for him (otherwise he would have killed us)! Finally, we, rest of the members ended our day going to after-work. 




Celebrating our first fiKa:

*** details coming soon


Posted by: Saiful Islam Rossi

During our second and third week we were all given two texts to read, one that we present and the other  to prepare questions. Basically the text will be our theoretical or and research departure point so it is important for use to share each other our own understanding of the text and its value for our project. We also point out which part that are interesting and important points of the text we might find useful for the projects.

The presentation was held on 8,9,12,13 April 2010 in the Mark Room, Geovetarcentrum.

Below is the list of literatures we discussed. Furthermore we will post the review of the literature or attach them so you can download them.

Posted by: Aditya Muharam

List of Literature

Climate change, risk and adaptation

1. SMHI (2006). Klimatunderlag för sårbarhetsanalys Göteborgs stad – Etapp 2, sannolikhets och riskbedömningar. SMHI. Rapport Nr. 2006:16.

2. Schneider, S.H., S. Semenov, A. Patwardhan, I. Burton, C.H.D. Magadza, M. Oppenheimer, A.B. Pittock, A. Rahman, J.B. Smith, A. Suarez and F. Yamin (2007). Assessing key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 779-810. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch19.html

3. McLaughlin, P. and Dietz, Thomas. (2008). Structure, Agency and Environment: Toward an Integrated Perspective on Vulnerability. Global Environmental Change 18 (1): 99 – 111.

4. CSIRO, Arizona State University, University of Stockholm (2007). Urban Resilience. Research Prospectus. Resilience Alliance. http://www.resalliance.org/files/1172764197_urbanresilienceresearchprospectusv7feb07.pdf

5. ICE (2010). Facing Up to Rising Sea Levels. Retreat? Defend? Attack? ICE. http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/

Transdisciplinary theory and methodology

1. Geels, F. W. (2010). Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective. Research Policy (Article in Press).

2. Steven Cork et al. (2005). 4 Scenarios. Chapter 8 in Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Scenarios.

http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.332.aspx.pdf

3. Scholz, R. W. & Tietje, O. (2002). Embedded case study methods. Integrating quantitative and qualitattive knowledge. Thousand oaks: Sage. (Especially Chapter 4: The Architecture of Knowledge Integration in Embedded Case Studies, Chapter 9: Formative Scenario Analysis, Chapter 11: Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, and Chapter 12: Integrated Risk Management).

4. Polk, M., Knutsson, P. (2008). Transdisciplinary research for promoting social change towards sustainable development. Environmental Education Research 14 (6): 643 – 653.

5. Halla, F. (2007). A SWOT Analysis of Strategic Urban Development Planning. The Case of Dar Es Salaam City in Tanzania. HABITAT International Vol. 31 (1): 130 – 142.

Sustainable Urban Development

1. Hopwood, B., Mellor, M., O’Brien, G. (2005). Sustainable Development: Mapping Different Approaches. Sustainable Development 13: 38 – 52.

2. Kates, R. W., Parris, T. M., Leiserowitz, A. A. (2005). What is Sustainable Development: Goals, Indicators, Values and Practice. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 47 (3): 8 – 21.

3. Rockström, J. et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature 461 (24): 472 – 475.

4. HUR 2050. (2005). Framtidsbilder av en Långsiktigt Hållbar Göteborgsregion omkring år 2050. HUR 2050.

5. Andersson, R., Bråmå, Å., Hogdal, J. (2009). Fattiga och Rika – Segregerad Stad. Flyttningar och segregationens dynamik i Göteborg 1990 – 2006. Göteborgs stad.

6. Andrea Colantonio. (2007). Measuring Social Sustainability: Best Practice from Urban Renewal in the EU. The European Investment bank. http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/be/oisd/sustainable_communities/resources/SocialSustainability_Metrics_and_Tools.pdf

Environment, Energy and Transport

1. Regeringskansliet (2000). The Swedish Environmental Objectives. Interim Targets and Action Strategies. Summary of Gov. Bill 2000 / 01:130. Regeringskansliet. http://www.sweden.gov.se/content/1/c6/02/00/34/d7a3cf4f.pdf

2. Yan Zhang, Zhifeng Yang, Xiangyi Yu (2009). Evaluation of urban metabolism based on emergy synthesis: A case study for Beijing (China). Ecological Modelling Vol. 220 (13 - 14): 1690 – 1696.

3. Göteborgs Stad (2009). Miljörapport 2008. En beskrivning av miljötillståndet I Göteborg. R 2009:11. Miljöförvaltningen, Göteborgs Stad. http://www5.goteborg.se/prod/Miljo/Miljohandboken/dalis2.nsf/vyFilArkiv/N800_R2009_11.pdf/$file/N800_R2009_11.pdf

4. Folke, C. (2006). The Emergence of a Perspective for Social-Ecological Systems Analyses. Global Environmental Change 16: 253 – 267.

5. Åkerman J et al. (2007). Två gradersmålet i sikte? Scenarier för svenska energi- och transportsystmet till år 2050. Rapport 5754 Naturvårdsverket. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/Documents/publikationer/620-5754-1.pdf

Hej,

We are the member of Project Management for Sustainable Development 2010.

This year we have 17 students and 4 advisors(teachers) from diverse academic fields in University of Gothenburg and Chalmers.

Students (A to Z)

1.       Adelina Lundell

4.       Aditya Muharam

2.       Almina Isberg

*detail coming soon

3.       Anders Smith

*detail coming soon

5.       ASM Mujahidul Islam (Shaheen)

6.       Bui Trang Phuong Nam

7.       Emma Josefson

*photo coming soon

8.       Hannes Sonnsjö

9.       Jonas Per Eric Wilson

10.   Mai Dinh Quy

11.   Nining Widiyati

12.   Riffat Zahra

13.   Rita Martha Wanjiku

14.   Saiful Islam Rossi

15.   Samira Heshmatzadeh

16.   Tohori Tsuchiya

17.   Vasa Peric

Advisors(Teachers)

·         Elisabeth Undén

·         Ingrid Johansson

*detail coming soon

·         Lena Viktorsson

·         Per Knutsson

*detail coming soon

·         Ulf Ernstson

Posted by Tohori Tsuchiya

By: Samira Heshmatzadeh

Many people are considered to be variable knowledge about the state of affairs in a DISTINCT or geographic socio-cultural area. Whenever something of Importance that happens upon their concerns domain, they are to be likely be called upon to explain or interpret the events publicly. In this term they start to find the issues and objectives by observing the area, as we did in our project.

The fact is that all projects log in research, observation, and collection of materials. Excursion as one way suggested data collecting and getting familiar with problem area by observing the problem area. Direct way commands as another way is information gathering, Sequence of Operations That Enabler the user to learn the commands Which change his data sets. The Distinction between the excursion and the direct way is because of the distinction between there plan and performance, or between knowing and doing. So the best way of doing comprehensive research is to combine different type of data gathering.

On the 30 ^th March 2010, as the first step of starting our project, we start to observe the area of our study in five diffferent groups, EACH were responsible for part of area specified by documenting the day with photo and prepare a presentation.

So the first group's points of interest was:

· Angered bridge

· Area Planned for new tunnel

· Marieholm bridge.

For the second group was:

· Backaplan (Development Area)

· Ringön and Trains chunting yard close by

· DHL terminal and Gullbergsvass kay area.

Third group were Responsible for:

· Älvrummet (exhibition about the River City)

· Biskopsgården

· wharf.

Forth Group to observed:

· Rock - Älvsnabben

· Färjenäs

· Sannegårdshamnen

· Stena terminal.

Finally the load group observed:

· Amf4 military area - as a potential area for new development

· Risholmen / Heart Holmen

· Kungsten / Älvsborgsbron bridge.

By observing the area, the strengths and weakness as well as potential and future possibilities of the area could be understandable more tangibly. After That observation EACH groups presented their own understanding of that area of the whole members. For example the first group started by their observation at Angered, passing the bridge, taking photos and discussing the strengths and weakness of that area, try to draw reason for them, like the inaccessibility to the river side, no social meeting place, non residential friendly and so on. They also "mentioned thats the linkage between both sides of the river was so weak and there was a new project of building a new tunnel completely close to the old one which seem questionable. They also "found thats the density of the area from the east side was so diffused and as you go more along the river up to center it was sensed both for residential and industrial area with these objectives. They came to this conclusion, that what would be the benefits as well as loss of Sustainable Development on that area.

An old Swedish saying holds that a child that is loved has many names. Göteborg, Gothenburg, Gotemburgo, Gautaborg … I am counting. Well, this child is loved by many. Therefore it is our way to express a love to a child by preparing future sustainable development.

But first a bit of very short introduction taken from several sites:

Greater Gothenburg, is a metropolitan area surrounding the city of Gothenburg in Sweden. The metropolitan region is located in Västra Götaland County, except for the municipalities of Kungsbacka, which is located to the south in Halland County. As of 2005, the municipality of  Alingsås and Lilla Edet were added to the region. With the current population of nearly one million individuals it is the second largest metropolitan area in Sweden after Metropolitan Stockholm.

Meanwhile the City of Gothenburg (Swedish:Göteborg), is the second-largest city in Sweden (after Stockholm) and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the south-west coast of Sweden, the city has a population of around half million people. The city was founded in 1621 by King Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. It is situated by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv-the river running through the city-and is the largest sea port of the Nordic countries.

Our focus of interest in this project will be the the future Gothenburg sustainable development of around the Göta Älv (Göta River).

The Göta älv is a river that drains lake Vänern into Kattegat at the city of Gothenburg on the western coas Kattegat at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. It is located in Götaland, with the river itself being a site of early Geatish settlement. The length is 93 km. Often the combination of Göta älv and Klarälven (a river ending at Vänern) is mentioned. This combination is the longest river in the Nordic countries, 750 km. The Bohus Fortress is located by the river at Kungälv. Here the river splits into two, with the northern part being the Nordre älv and the southern part keeping the name Göta älv.

Meanwhile for this project the preliminary limitation of the river area is between Angered Bridge down to the mouth of the river in the western part of Gothenburg.

At a glance the area has a complex and different landscape; housing, industries, transportation infrastructures; mixed with different interests and values. Therefore it is fair to say, it will be an interesting and challenging project to nurture the child we love into a better future.

Aditya Muharam

Source: Wikipedia, Googlemaps, Goteborg.com