Department of Urban and Rural Development

Sustainable transformations require not only new ideas but also knowledge meeting practice. We combine education, research and collaboration to contribute to the societal change needed to meet challenges such as the biodiversity and climate crises.

  • Our issues range from today’s and tomorrow’s discussions about forests, agriculture, urban and rural areas to climate adaptation from a historical perspective
  • We offer courses that are not available at any other universities in Sweden, and we are responsible for around 90 courses within seven different education programmes
  • We work closely with government agencies, organizations, and other societal actors to develop both knowledge and practice
A herder with cattle.

Resilience among smallholder farmers in rural Africa

How do farmers and pastoralists in Africa deal with change, uncertainty and crisis situations in their daily lives? Linda Engström, researcher in rural development, will investigate this together with colleagues from Tanzania and Canada in a project funded by Formas.

Moving of Kiruna Church.

When gardening became a science – new book depicts cultivation throughout history

Now, Swedish Garden History 1500 to 1800 has been published, the final part in a three-volume work that covers Swedish garden culture from prehistoric times to the present. The new part focuses on the early modern period, a period when the idea of ​​what a garden can be, and how it can be used, was being formed.

Some people are sitting and half-lying in seating furniture at Sergels torg.

Ambiguous messages appear to have paved the way for rapid climate policy change

What role did political rhetoric play in the rapid shift in climate policy after the 2022 election? SLU researchers who have analyzed debates in parliament and the media believe that politicians used ambiguous messages to appeal to multiple ideological groups simultaneously.

News & Events

News

  • 2025-09-23

    From child-friendly places to child-friendly cities

    Research shows that children's physical, psychological, and mental health is affected by the availability and quality of outdoor environments. In Malmö, several projects are underway to create child-friendly street environments and neighborhoods – in collaboration with the children themselves.
  • 2025-08-27

    The children’s city – where play meets urban development and nature

    How do children see the city? At the Malmö Festival, SLU Urban Futures and Botildenborg invited visitors on a playful journey into the world of urban development. By planting, creating, and interacting with a map, the children left their mark on Malmö—both literally and symbolically.
  • 2025-08-14

    How to talk when truth is contested – three strategies for collaborative policy making

    Facilitators of collaborative policy making on sustainability issues often face heated debates and conflicting truths. They are on the front lines when facts are contested and emotions run high. A new study explores their experiences and presents strategies for navigating post-truth situations.
  • 2025-06-24

    SLU highlights critical perspectives on environmental psychology at international conference

    From 15 to 18 June, SLU took part in the International Conference on Environmental Psychology (ICEP 2025). More than 600 participants explored one of the most pressing issues of our time: how people’s experience of place is shaped by climate change, urban development, health, and social change.
  • 2025-06-16

    Ambiguous messages appear to have paved the way for rapid climate policy change

    What role did political rhetoric play in the rapid shift in climate policy after the 2022 election? SLU researchers who have analyzed debates in parliament and the media believe that politicians used ambiguous messages to appeal to multiple ideological groups simultaneously.

Calendar

Research

Research projects

Research groups