Projects per year
Organization profile
Organisation profile
Head of Research Group: Kirsten Gram-Hanssen.
Our research
Life in cities and the organization of cities, housing, and everyday practices are crucial to the transition to sustainable. New technical solutions cannot stand alone but must function in the context of social organizations and must be developed in cooperation between citizens, authorities, and companies.
Research focus
- Everyday life and sustainability
- Household consumption patterns
- Residential energy consumption
- Smart home technologies in real life use
- Consumption-production relations and prosumers
- Sustainable urban development
- Local approaches to sustainability
- Sustainable transitions of provision and consumption
Need for new knowledge
Urban design is essential for the quality of everyday life and low resource consumption. Consumption patterns are increasing, and knowledge of the connections between the physical design of cities and the practices of different social groups is essential to understanding and influencing this. The energy system is undergoing change with an increasing share of fluctuating renewable energy, and ‘smart city’ solutions aim to adapt consumption to production. Here, knowledge of the temporality of everyday practices is essential. There is also a need for increased knowledge of the processes underlying urban design and for the development of tools that can be used by local authorities, businesses, and citizens in decision-making on physical development. Differences exist between city and country – and exist internally in cities – in relation to growth and development. Solutions aimed at sustainable change must, therefore, reflect this.
Research efforts
The group works empirically and theoretically with household consumption and everyday practice and with public, private, and civil actor initiatives in the development of cities and residential areas. The empirical work on household consumption focuses on understanding differences in energy consumption, how households respond to measures to manage and move consumption, and how self-production affects attitudes towards consumption. The theoretical work on household consumption is aimed at developing a newer theory of practice to better accommodate analyses in relation to gender and social background and to understand the importance of ethical norms. The empirical work on cities and residential areas investigates local community dynamics, sustainable urban renewal, the revitalization of urban, climate adaptation in cities, and the integration of the energy and housing sector at the area level. Urban transformation and renewal are analysed based on the theory of sustainable social and economic community development and the international literature on new public governance and theories of governance, management, and organizational learning in complex private-public interaction.
Cooperation
The group cooperates with all Danish actors active in the city in housing and supply, such as municipalities, utilities, public and private partnerships, private companies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). In addition, at the national and international levels, we collaborate with Danish and international universities and knowledge institutions to provide the basis for decision-making and the background knowledge for a sustainable transformation of the city and residential area. Group members participate in several academic networks, such as SCORAI, EURA, ECEEE, and the ESA research network on consumption.
Application
Practical research is disseminated through daily press, trade journals, presentations, and direct cooperation with all relevant actors in the development of cities, housing, and supply. In addition, research is disseminated internationally through scientific journals, participation in international conferences, and several study programmes at AAU-CPH.
Fingerprint
Network
Profiles
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Line Kryger Aagaard
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - Post.Doc.
- Department of the Built Environment - Post.Doc.
- Division of Town, Housing and Property - Post.Doc.
- Sustainable Cities and Everyday Practice Research Group - Post.Doc.
- Green Societies
Person: VIP
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Aggeliki Aggeli
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - Post.Doc.
- Department of the Built Environment - Post.Doc.
- Division of Town, Housing and Property - Post.Doc.
- Sustainable Cities and Everyday Practice Research Group - Post.Doc.
Person: VIP
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Anne Sofie Møller Askholm
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - PhD Student
- Department of the Built Environment - PhD Student
- Division of Town, Housing and Property - PhD Student
- Sustainable Cities and Everyday Practice Research Group - PhD Student
Person: External
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Renover eller riv ned? Danskernes beslutningsproces og adgang til rådgivning vedrørende nedrivning eller renovering
Jensen, J. O. & Mechlenborg, M.
01/04/2023 → 30/04/2024
Project: Research
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Pilotprojekt for IGENBO – Potentialer
Jensen, J. O. & Mechlenborg, M.
01/02/2023 → 30/06/2023
Project: Research
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StrongSSH: Advancing Strong Sustainability in the Nordic Social Science and Humanities
02/01/2023 → 31/12/2024
Project: Research
Research output
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Bispehaven 2022. Følgeevaluering – 2. runde
Mechlenborg, M., Bech-Danielsen, C. & Stender, M., 2023Research output: Book/Report › Report › Research
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Changing spatialities of homes in post-COVID-19 working-from-home practices: A Lefebvrean perspective
Mechlenborg, M. & Christensen, T. H. B., 20 Mar 2023, (Submitted) In: Home Cultures.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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Gellerupparken 2022. Følgeevaluering – 2. runde.
Stender, M., Bech-Danielsen, C. & Mechlenborg, M., 2023, 51 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report › Research
Datasets
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eCAPE smart home interviews
Aagaard, L. K. (Creator) & Gram-Hanssen, K. (Creator), Zenodo, 19 Dec 2022
Dataset
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Data for: Assessing energy efficiency improvements and related energy security and climate benefits in Finland: An ex post multi-sectoral decomposition analysis
Trotta, G. (Creator), Mendeley Data, 27 Apr 2021
DOI: 10.17632/kdd4ngt8ry.2, https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/kdd4ngt8ry
Dataset
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How building design and technologies influence heat-related habits
Hansen, A. R. (Creator), Gram-Hanssen, K. (Creator) & Knudsen, H. N. (Creator), Figshare, 13 Jul 2017
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5202802.v1, https://figshare.com/articles/How_building_design_and_technologies_influence_heat-related_habits/5202802/1
Dataset: Supplementary material
Activities
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Transformation of Danish single-family houses. Presentation at DeCarbon-Home Nordic SAB seminar, Helsinki
Jesper Ole Jensen (Lecturer)
16 May 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Talks and presentations in private or public companies
File -
Kick-off seminar: Advancing Strong Sustainability in the Nordic Social Science and Humanities
Line Valdorff Madsen (Participant)
27 Apr 2023 → 28 Apr 2023Activity: Attending an event › Organisation or participation in workshops, courses, or seminars
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Looking Out, taken in. The practices of viewing in new Danish high-rise dwelling
Mette Mechlenborg (Lecturer)
21 Apr 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Talks and presentations in private or public companies
Press/Media
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Forskningens uge rammer Herning i morgen
25/04/2023
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Rekordholderen Roskilde vil udbygge føringen i antallet af bofællesskaber
17/04/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Forsidehenvisning: Kvinder flytter, når deres partnere går bort. Mænd bliver hellere boende
16/04/2023 → 17/04/2023
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
Impacts
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More public transportation and sustainability
Toke Haunstrup Bach Christensen (Participant)
Impact: Cultural impact