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När temperaturen stiger - Hur hanterar Malmö stad ett varmare klimat?

Graneld, Hillevi LU and Friman, Lovisa LU (2026) SGEL36 20261
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
This thesis examines how extreme heat is understood and managed within the urban planning context of Malmö, Sweden. As climate change intensifies, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, while urban heat island effects further increase temperatures in densely built environments. Despite growing health risks associated with extreme heat, the issue remains relatively underexplored in Sweden, where urban planning has historically focused on cold climates and other climate-related hazards. The aim of the study is to investigate how Malmö addresses increasing temperatures as a climate-related risk in future planning strategies, and how heat management relates to issues of social justice. Using a qualitative case study approach, the... (More)
This thesis examines how extreme heat is understood and managed within the urban planning context of Malmö, Sweden. As climate change intensifies, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, while urban heat island effects further increase temperatures in densely built environments. Despite growing health risks associated with extreme heat, the issue remains relatively underexplored in Sweden, where urban planning has historically focused on cold climates and other climate-related hazards. The aim of the study is to investigate how Malmö addresses increasing temperatures as a climate-related risk in future planning strategies, and how heat management relates to issues of social justice. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study combines document analysis with semi-structured interviews to examine how heat is framed as a risk, how heat adaptation is integrated into climate adaptation work, and what challenges are identified in practice. The findings show that green infrastructure plays a central role in local adaptation strategies through shading, vegetation, and blue-green structures. However, implementation is constrained by dense urban structures, underground infrastructure, and fragmented governance processes. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of adapting planning strategies to the local context, as the most suitable solutions may vary. The study also demonstrates that heat exposure is unevenly distributed across the city, with socioeconomically vulnerable areas often experiencing higher temperatures and lower access to cooling environments. Overall, the analysis highlights that urban heat adaptation is not only a technical planning issue, but also a question of governance and environmental justice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Graneld, Hillevi LU and Friman, Lovisa LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGEL36 20261
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
extremvärme, urban värmeö, risk, sårbarhet, resiliens, adaptation, mitigation, environmental justice, governance
language
Swedish
id
9233776
date added to LUP
2026-06-16 12:13:04
date last changed
2026-06-16 12:13:04
@misc{9233776,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines how extreme heat is understood and managed within the urban planning context of Malmö, Sweden. As climate change intensifies, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, while urban heat island effects further increase temperatures in densely built environments. Despite growing health risks associated with extreme heat, the issue remains relatively underexplored in Sweden, where urban planning has historically focused on cold climates and other climate-related hazards. The aim of the study is to investigate how Malmö addresses increasing temperatures as a climate-related risk in future planning strategies, and how heat management relates to issues of social justice. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study combines document analysis with semi-structured interviews to examine how heat is framed as a risk, how heat adaptation is integrated into climate adaptation work, and what challenges are identified in practice. The findings show that green infrastructure plays a central role in local adaptation strategies through shading, vegetation, and blue-green structures. However, implementation is constrained by dense urban structures, underground infrastructure, and fragmented governance processes. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of adapting planning strategies to the local context, as the most suitable solutions may vary. The study also demonstrates that heat exposure is unevenly distributed across the city, with socioeconomically vulnerable areas often experiencing higher temperatures and lower access to cooling environments. Overall, the analysis highlights that urban heat adaptation is not only a technical planning issue, but also a question of governance and environmental justice.}},
  author       = {{Graneld, Hillevi and Friman, Lovisa}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{När temperaturen stiger - Hur hanterar Malmö stad ett varmare klimat?}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}