Department of People and Society

We work on solving societal challenges. At the intersection of research, teaching and practice, we bring together environmental psychology, business management and advisory services. Our purpose is to create the conditions for sustainable living and working environments in rural and urban areas.

  • Within the subject area of Environmental Psychology, we focus on the function and importance of outdoor environments for well-being, quality of life and health.
  • Within the subject area of Business Management, we engage with entrepreneurship, leadership and governance across urban and rural landscapes.
Subject areas
A meadow

Environmental psychology

The Environmental Psychology Group works with both basic and applied research, with regard to the function of outdoor environments and their importance for well-being, quality of life and health.

Business management

Within the subject area of ​​business management, we develop knowledge and increase awareness of economically, socially and ecologically sustainable operations and systems.

Educations

Undergraduate and postgraduate education

At the department, we teach both undergraduate and master's level programs, as well as courses, both within programs and independent ones.

Sensola

SLU Multisensory Outdoor Laboratory, Sensola, is a laboratory where we develop knowledge about human-environment interaction.

About the Departement

Our activities are focused on health, environment, entrepreneurship and work, where people in their living environment are the focus.

SLU Landscape

A cross-institutional platform for collaboration and joint profiling of the landscape subject within SLU. We are one of the largest environments for research and teaching in landscape architecture in Europe.

Research Seminars

Check out the departement of People and Society's research Seminars.
Research

Research projects

  • 2022-09-25 - 2027-09-24
    2026-02-23

    COREnet - Connecting advisors toward a European network for consumer-producer chains

    Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) or producer-consumer chains are supply chains involving a limited number of intermediaries between farmers and consumers, and are committed to cooperation, local economic development, and maintaining close geographical and social relations.
  • 2025-09-01 - 2028-06-30
    2025-11-03

    Business Boost Agriculture - Beef & Lamb

    Over a period of two years, a new concept for business analysis called Företagslyft Lantbruk – nöt & lamm (Business Boost Agriculture – Beef & Lamb) will be tested, evaluated, and improved in a pilot-project involving collaboration between farmers, advisors, and researchers.
  • 2022-01-01 - 2024-12-31
    2025-08-01

    Sustainable encounters in large preschool playgrounds

    The study examines what the general trend in preschools towards larger two-storey buildings implies for children's social lives, activity and encounters with nature in the preschool playground.
  • 2018-01-01 - 2022-12-31
    2025-08-01

    Sustainable Urban Play Environments

    Studies with groups of children in play environments have been carried out in three municipalities to investigate how children's play is affected when different physical and digital play materials are installed in nature-rich environments.

Research groups

News

News

  • 2026-01-20

    Movium and SLU Urban Futures appoint a joint head of operations

    As of the turn of the year, SLU Movium Think Tank and SLU Urban Futures appointed a joint head of operations, with the aim of gradually integrating the two units and bringing them closer to the core activities of the organisation.
  • 2025-12-08

    Today’s energy choices redraw the landscape of the future

    Sweden’s energy demand could double by 2035, according to forecasts from the Swedish Energy Agency. As fossil sources are replaced by renewables, energy previously extracted underground must now be produced above ground – a transition to leave visible marks on the landscape.
  • 2025-12-08

    Artistic approaches offer new ways to understand Stockholm’s waterscapes

    A forthcoming scientific article – developed with seed funding from SLU Urban Futures to strengthen interdisciplinary writing, communication, and capacity-building across SLU – examines how artistic perspectives are reshaping Stockholm’s waterscapes.
  • 2025-12-05

    Doctoral Education Meets the AI Revolution: How PhD Candidates Are Affected

    How should PhD candidates use AI in their work? Generative AI offers new opportunities for research, yet development is rapid and clear guidelines are lacking. The question is therefore relevant for many doctoral students who want to make use of the technology without compromising research ethics.
  • 2025-11-20

    Securing food in the cities of the future

    New risks, new legislation and new forms of collaboration raise the question: how can municipalities, regions and food system actors act to make Sweden more resilient in times of crisis?

Calendar