The Unsustainable Situation:
on the stagnated small towns

Sustainability issues have become the focal point for urban development. Growing regions face constant challenges where social sustainability is the focus. Europe has open borders allowing a free migration in a level never experienced before, while the European growth of economy and population are expected to stay. But there are other issues not discussed as frequently; The competition for the mobile population moving to attractive cities, creates empty place in many regions. More than 140 municipalities in Sweden are confronted with population decline. The same problem is to be found in many parts of Europe. When larger cities become even bigger new challenges are created and new resources. In contrast, stagnant and shrinking areas and small towns are to survive on their own. How should the transition to a sustainable society could be made in shrinking communities? Will the major European cities manage their shift? Can Sweden find ways to lead the way for a changing Europe?
Swedish Federation of Consulting Engineers and Architects invites to a debate with Andreas Gyllenhammar as moderator. Andreas Gyllenhammar is the new sustainability director of Sweden. Panelists are Victoria Walldin, White Architects, Anders Svensson, Case Lab, Yves Chantereau, STD.

ADA on
Architecture Politics

ADA is an organization that creates meeting points for people working in the creative industries in Gothenburg and western Sweden. It focuses on the areas of design, fashion, advertising, communications, art and architecture. ADA arranges a seminar on architectural politics. The policy in this context is about how a city or a country, raising issues of architecture and urban planning. As a starting point in the discussion ADA will use a real ‘case’: The actual sanctuary Christiania in Copenhagen. 

In the autumn of 1971 some hippies took on an old military area of ​​Christianshavn in the middle of Copenhagen. The idea was to create an independent society where people would live in community and freedom. Eventually it was obviously not that simple. The question of bulldozing the 34-acre area of ​​land has been up at the highest political level several times over the past 40 years. And discussions about drugs and alternative lifestyles has been intence. Nevertheless, Christiania has become a tourist attraction that authorities can not ignore. Nowadays is Christiania the second most visited tourist attraction in Copenhagen, after the Tivoli Gardens, largely because of its architecture but also for lifestyle. 
Last spring Denmark’s Finance Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, offered the residents of Christiania to buy the land for 150 million Danish crowns. And they said yes. 

Christiania gives us a starting point to the topic of architecture politics. What happens when citizens take over completely? Grassroots Initiatives are highly considered by some to be the most true form of democracy, but is that so? Who is really in grassroot? And where will the architects get into the picture? Initiatives should be guided or set free? Released, we need neither a planners or architects, just generous citizens. But perhaps it means anarchy if you pull it far? Planned or unplanned city - what gives the best results and what is the model for a good collaboration between architects, politicians and citizens no matter what you choose? 

  

ADA seminar on Tuesday 25 at 11-12.50.

98 speakers are coming 
to the congress!


 

Here is the list of the 98 speakers at our 38 seminars.
Some more are expected.

Agneta Kores (K1:1)

Alice Dietsch (K2:7)

Anders Breitholtz ( )

Anders Svensson (K1:1)

Anders Söderman (K1:7)

Anna Maria Orru (K3:2)

Anne Lacaton (K2:4)

Anneli Hulthén (invigning + VKM:1)

Ann-Louise Holfält (K3:4)

Barthélémy Togou (VKM:1)

Bo Aronsson  (K1:1)

Britta Lindvall (K2:6)

Carole Collet (K3:3)

Carolin A Nilsson (VKM:1)

Carolina Falkholt (K3:4)

Christer Larsson (K1:1)

Christer Ljungberg (VKM:1)

Dag Cavallius (VKM:1)

Dan Ericsson (VKM:1)

David Batchelor (K3:6)

Enrique Sobejano (K2:2)

Eva Haraldsson (K1:4)

Fran Tonkiss (VKM:1)

Fredrik Krohn Andersson (K3:5)

Fredrika Gullfot (K3:2)

Gabriella Ahlström (K1:1)

Gabriella Olofsson (VKM:1)

Gert Wingårdh (K2:1)

Henrik Haglund (K3:4)

Henrik Orrje  (K3:2)

Hugh Broughton (K3:5)

Jacob van Rijs (K2:8)

James Howard Kunstler (K2:1)

Jan Jörnmark (K1:8)

Jenni Reuter (VKM:1)

Joakim Olinder (K1:7)

Johan Lundin (VKM:1)

Johan Zetterqvist (K3:5)

John Worthington (K2:3)

Jonas Ransgård (VKM:1)

Jonathan Josefsson (K3:4)

Joy Mboya (K3:1)

Karin Bruce (K1:6/7)

Katarina Ahlqvist (K3:6)

Ken Hogg (K2:7)

Kim Hereforth Nielsen (K3:1)

Knut Strömberg (K2:3)

Krister Olsson (K3:2)

Lars Davidsen (K3:1)

Lars Reuterswärd (VKM:1)

Lena Andersson (K1:1)

Lennart Larsson (K3:4)

Lisa Ström (K3:4)

Lou Yongqi (VKM:1)

Madeleine Nobs (K1:7)

Malin Olsson (VKM:1)

Malin Zimm (K3:2)

Maria Håkansson (K3:2)

Mark Isitt  (K2:5)

Martin Wannholt (K1:1)

Michael Pawlyn (K3:2)

Moa Tunström (VKM:1)

Monica Fundin Purshahidi (K2:5)

Ola Malm (K1:5)

Owe Nilsson (K1:1)

Peder Alton (K1:7)

Per Ritzler (K2:6)

Per Wirthén (K1:1)

Peter Erséus (VKM:1)

Peter Örn (K3:4)

Pim Bendt (VKM:1)

Pål Castell (VKM:1)

Rachel Wingfield (K3:3)

Rahim Maatoug (K2:5)

Rasmus Wærn (VKM:1)

Rose Molokoane (VKM:1)

Sanjeev Shankar (K2:8)

Sara Westin (K2:5)

Saskia van den Muijsenberg (K3:2)

Simon Goddard (K3:6)

Sonia Cardonigara (VKM:1)

Sou Fujimoto (K2:6)

Suzanne Pluntke (K3:2)

Thomas Martinsson (K3:4)

Thomas Melin (VKM:1)

Tina Saaby (K1:1)

Tomas Hellqvist (K1:1)

Ulrik Stenkula (K3:1)

Vanja Larberg (K2:5)

Veronica Palm (VKM:1)

Yngve Bergqvist (K2:5)

Yves Chantereau (K1:2)

Åsa Kallstenius (K1:1)

Enrique Sobejano:
Abstract memories

Enrique Sobejano, one half of the famous spanish architect duo Nieto/Sobejano will talk on how contemporary interventions in historical context are pervaded by an aspect that is present in every project: the ties of architecture with time. When facing the design of a new building meeting a structure from the past, we become aware of its temporality and its historical reality, in the first case linked to the process of conception, development and construction of the project, and in the second case, to its relationship with the original place and the traces left by subsequent interventions. The main difficulty lies in determining the degree to which our project -temporary in the sense that it addresses current functional and technical needs- blends into a historical time that houses the memory of multiple previous transformations.
That romantic view of the modern architect as the only intellectual author of a given project is blurred when building in a historical context, conceived by others and modified over the centuries. At that moment it becomes evident that our task is willingly limited to researching into the sense of the present and the record of the past, to the pursuit of a difficult balance between memory and invention, where the temporality of the new intervention and its historical reality blend in a work that belongs to us just as much as we belong to it.

The evil architecture…

Is there a connection between architecture, social problems and crime - and in case  - what is the relationship?  This questioned Mark Isitt in a series of articles in Göteborgs-Posten in the spring. Geographical distance and urban planning ideals of modernism creates an outside perspective, so the physical environment  plays has a role, said architect Vanya Larberg. But the criticism of Mark’s articles were immense, particularly for what was perceived as simplification and lack of social perspective. Debater Per Wirtén wondered, for example, why tall buildings are considered as status markers in the wealthy neighborhoods of  the city centers, but as signals of social misery and loneliness in the suburb where the unemployed and the poor live.

For many people, the ‘Million’ housing program symbolizes a failure. Whole areas are often stigmatized, particularly in the media, which affects the residents. Average income is also much lower in the classical Millionsuburbs than in the country as a whole. Monotony, concrete, long distances, poor maintenance and few natural communities tend to give Million suburbs bad reputation. But how important is really urban design and architecture for segregation and social problems? Speakers in this  seminar will be Mark Isitt, architecture journalist, Vanya Larberg, architect, planning leader of National Sustainable Development in 2020, Gothenburg, Rahim Maatoug, Project Tenants Association Region West Sweden, and Sarah Marriott,Ph.D. and researcher at the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University, current with the thesis ’Planned, too planned’. Moderator is Monica Fundin Pourshahidi, project manager at the Museum of Architecture in Stockholm.

How to mimic natures solutions?



 

We are facing a myriad of environmental challenges, and perhaps “sustainability” is not enough anymore. To obtain an organic future that is resilient, rich in resources and contributing to further life, is the knowledge of nature’s elegant solutions grounded in more than 3.8 billion years of development. The new innovative discipline Biomimicry, nature has already found solutions to many of the issues we struggle with on a daily basis as architects and designers. It gives us a new perspective, both in detail and at a distance. By mimicking nature, creating resource-efficient and ecological structures. But how do these solutions fit economically into the running of your business? What is the building owners relationship to this discipline? And is it possible to establish an activity of Biomimicry as a specialty within the built environment?

In this seminar the architect Anna Maria Orru introduces us briefly to the world of Biomimicry which will lead us into an informative discussion from a panel of experts in this multi-disciplinary field including British Architect Michael Pawlyn from Exploration Architecture with the Dutch Biomimicry Institute co-founder Saskia van den Muijsenberg, and biologist Fredrika Gullfot from Simris Alg, about the pros and cons of being pioneers in this discipline and its adoption into a business context. The panel discussion will be moderated and provide a perfect platform for an open dialogue about the future of this innovative field.  

Mind the Gap
- and Bridge it!

MIND THE GAP has one overriding aim: to determine how we can advance from segregation to integration. It is an international seminar lasting a full day. With the help of clearly defined questions a focused dialogue will be conducted about methods for achieving an inclusive and lasting integration. The day is divided into three sections, each of which treats one specific question. Each section begins with an introduction in which the background to the particular question is presented. Architects, urban planers, researchers, policy makers, activists, artists and commercial interests will all participate in the discussion.

Many of us are familiar with the exhortation; mind the gap, a warning to be aware of the distance between train and platform. We hear it daily on our way to and from work. We, that is, who have the privilege of a functioning public transport service. In this seminar the warning will be charged with a broader and deeper connotation. For some while now more than half the world’s population lives in cities with an additional growth of 200,000 daily. One outcome of this is that cities have become increasingly differentiated and segregated. More and more of us have to share a limited space, infrastructure, job market and social service. The magnitude of divergences in living and housing conditions and sharing of urban space varies globally, but common to all is the fact that a dedicated political will and a broad knowledge base are essential for achieving sustainable and equitable change. Sustainable ideas for urban settings demand the involvement of all sections of society.

The seminar will enable fresh voices in urban planning to be heard, permitting the expression of skills and experiences all too often ignored. This ambition rhymes well with Nordic traditions in city planning: sound legislation exists here governing planning and land sharing, based on democratic planning processes. Nevertheless the distance between different groups of inhabitants is widening here too, with marginalised sectors little heard and their knowledge and experience left unregarded. We can no longer ignore this gap, time runs ahead and new routes must be found if we are to build cities providing equitable conditions for all. The foundations for urban fairness ought to have been laid long ago. But it is never too late to start. We have only to learn from each other, from our mistakes and successes, and find new answers to future challenges. Building cities is a continuum shared by all.

Free of charge for students and unemployed. Place: Världskulturmuseet  11-17.15

……

Invited participants are, in alphabetical order:

Anneli Hulthén             Mayor of Gothenburg. Since 2008 Chairman of the City Council. Anneli is a former Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party. She is a board member of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and has been chairman of the Traffic Committee in Gothenburg.

Barthélémy Toguo       Artist, born in Cameroon, lives and works today in Paris and Bandjoun, Cameroon. With humour and sharpness Togou deals with flows, be it of merchandise or human beings, and those who regulate them. Being a migrant himself his work refers to theses issues, to the individuals who apply, or do not apply.

Carolin A Nilsson        Political expert at the Swedish Ministry of Housing, working closely to Housing Minister Stefan Attefall.

Christer Ljungberg     CEO for Trivector AB, working with traffic solutions to create a more efficient, sustainable and safe transport system, with solutions based on knowledge and skills, based on scientific methods and research findings.

Dag Cavallius       Socially and environmentally engaged architect at Nyréns Arkitektkontor. In charge of its Urban Development sector, with focus on the sustainable development process. Engaged in questions regarding future living. Will the future generation appreciate what we are building today?

Dan Ericsson        Swedish Christian Democratic Party politician. 2007-2010 State Secretary for Local Government and Financial Markets Minister Mats Odell.His responsibilities included community, management and housing issues. Now Dan is a communication consultant for political issues.

Fran Tonkiss              Reader in Sociology, and Director of the Cities Programme at London School of Economics. Her research is in the fields of urban and economic sociology. Her interests in urban studies include cities and social theory, urban development and gentrification, urban divisions and public space.

Gabriella Olofsson       has worked with children’s rights in international development cooperation for15 years with a special interest in children’s rights in urban development. She is now a guest teacher at The Academy on the Rights of the Child at Örebro University, responsible for developing and conducting academic courses as well as capacity building programs for professionals on children’s rights.

Jenni Reuter       Finnish Architect and co-founder of Ukumbi a NGO working with development cooperation projects in several African countries, offering architectural planning and design for underprivileged groups. The use of renewable energy sources, recycling, the utilisation of local materials and local skills are among the pillars of Ukumbi’s planning philosophy.

Jonas Ransgård       First Deputy Mayor and vice Chairman of the City Council in Gothenburg. Leader of the Moderate Party in Gothenburg’s City Council. He is also Chairman of the Gothenburg Region Association of Local Authorities. 

Lars Reuterswärd       Former Director of Global Division, UN-HABITAT. Lars is the director of Mistra Urban Futures at Chalmers University of Technology. He is also a member of the Swedish Delegation for Sustainable Cities, Ministry of the Environment.

Malin Olsson              Urban planner/architect, Head of Section at Stockholm City Planning Administration. Responsible for urban planning on programme and detailed level of larger development areas. Especially involved in the project management of Hammarby Sjöstad and Stockholm Royal Seaport, both projects with a sustainable urban development focus. 

Lou Yongqi       Architect, Vice Dean and Professor at College of Design & Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai. He is also a Visiting Professor of Aalto University in Finland, Executive Board Member of Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, and the Coordinator of DESIS-China - Design for Social Innovation Sustainability Network.

Moa Tunström              PhD in Human Geography, is postdoc researcher at the Dept of Urban and Regional Studies, Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and Manchester Architecture Research Centre (MARC), University of Manchester. Her research concerns discursive constructions of the city, the urban and urban planning in a contemporary context.

Peter Erséus   Architect, CEO of Erséus Arkitekter AB. More than thirty years of experience in urban planning and projects regarding all all aspects of human life, such as living, learing, working and recreation.  

Pål Castell       Landscape Architect and PhD in sustainable urban design, researcher at the Centre for Urban Studies in Gothenburg with focus on citizens’ involvement in revitalization of marginalized urban areas. Pål is also Secretary of Architecture Sans Frontiéres Sweden.

Rasmus Wærn              Architect, editor, author and architecture critics, working at Wingårdhs Architects. Rasmus is now writing a book about Ukumbi, the NGO that 
Jenni Reuter (above) is part of.

Rose Molokoane              National Chairperson of the 80,000-member South African Federation of Urban Poor, their national savings coordinator, deputy president of  Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI). A South African veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, she is one of the most internationally recognized grassroots activists involved in land tenure and housing issues.

Sonia Cadonigara              National Coordinator of the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines, and board member of SDI. Sonia is a leader in the fields of savings, enumeration, engaging government, engaging donors and international partners through SDI, and an active representative in different forums and meetings both local and international.

Thomas Melin       Senior Policy Advisor for the Global Division at UN-HABITAT, where he is a coordinator of the Secretariat for United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) and is responsible for the establishment of the global Sustainable Urban Development Network (SUD-Net). Thomas was the Head of the Urban Development Division at Sida until 2009.

Veronica Palm       Social Democrat and Member of Swedish Parliament, where she is vice Chair of the Social Security Committee. Her political heart issues are children’s living conditions and rights, housing issues, gender equality throughout the world and human rights.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pim Bendt        the Moderator for this meeting; Pim is a Research Associate at Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics. Pim is also a Project Coordinator at Tällberg Foundation. Since 1981, the Tällberg Foundation has been deepening our understanding of issues related to leadership and change in society and business. The Foundation’s main focus of activity is to gather leaders from around the world and from a variety of backgrounds for discussions and reflection on HOW the world has changed and WHAT we can do. Over the years, the Tällberg Foundation has through the events that it produces established itself as a leading player in the global arena.

Anna Erlandson        Initiator and coordinator for the Mind the Gap-seminar. Anna is an artist with a MFA from Umeå University. Her artistic focal point is on the urban development. She has a broad experience in initiating projects and building meeting points. At the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm she coordinated the vast project Informal Cities. In cooperation with Slum Dwellers International and Sida/Urban, organized the international symposium and exhibition Informal Cities – The Stockholm Urban Think Tank at Dieselverkstaden in Nacka, Stockholm. 
Anna is a board member of Architecture Sans Frontiéres Sweden.

Architects Without Borders 
will exhibit at the fair

Architecture sans frontières (ASF) is an international organisation for architects, urban planners and anyone concerned about our built environment.  Under the headline of Under Construction, the Swedish Arkitekter Utan Gränser will construct a meeting point for the visitors of the fair and the congress. In the booth there will be dicussions, lectures and information about ASF national and international projects.

10 Emerging Scandinavian Architects

10 Emerging Scandinavian Architects is an exhibition at the Architecture Fair, where ten young architects from all over the Scandinavia shows. The selection is made ​​by Andreas Lycke Fors, who runs an office in Gothenburg. He has a past at Wingårdh, OMA, and Chalmers Architecture. The intention is to give the world an image of the next generation of nordic architects.

”It happens more than you first think at the young Scandinavian architecture scene. It  is really exciting to see that young unestablished architects  are part of major projects. The result is often border crossing and developing for the new Nordic architecture” according to Andreas.

Ecology of Mind by Sanjeev Shankar

Sanjeev Shankar explores the process of creation through his recent works in art and architecture. He proposes a critical, trans-disciplinary and cross-cultural agenda for the 21st century through a compelling case for co-creation. Sanjeev Shankar was born in Nilgiris, South-India. As an artist, architect and designer who explores the edge of reality, Sanjeev uses his training in design, architecture and science to merge traditional crafts-based knowledge with contemporary cultural and technological trends. A recipient of the British Chevening and the DAAD fellowship from Germany, his work has been featured at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London; Centre for Architecture in New York; Doors of Perception in Delhi and the Craft Nouveau session in Brussels. He was recently awarded the Emerging Architecture award at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London and has won the Great Ideas Program at the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai

Rose Molokoane participates
in the Mind the Gap-seminar

Rose Molokoane will participate in Mind the Gap; the international fullday seminar on segregation and integration in the world’s growing cities.

Rose is living in Oukasie outside Pretoria, South Africa. She is the chairman of the South African Federation of Urban Poor, FedUp which organizes more than 80,000 informal dwellers throughout South Africa, and she is the vice president of Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI). FedUp has assisted more than 150,000 shack dwellers, with a majority of women, to start saving schemes. By organizing the informal areas, they have become strong enough to negotiate with the government for a progressive pro-poor housing policy, which until now resulted in 15,000 new homes and more than1,000 hectares of government land for development.
Shack / Slum Dwellers International (SDI) is a network of local organizations in 33 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and serves as a common international platform to influence the global urban development policy. SDI’s mission is mobilization, advocacy, problem solving and strategy development. In many of the world’s cities the poor are outside the economic and political structures. SDI’s global reach makes affiliated federations can work directly with governments and international organizations in order to influence the development of ‘pro-poor’ policies, change policies and laws. All to achieve a socially sustainable and inclusive policy that is based on an understanding of the challenges of urban development in this century is facing.

Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI) is a network of community-based organizations of the urban poor in 33 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. SDI’s mission is to link urban poor communities from cities across the South that have developed successful mobilisation, advocacy, and problem solving strategies. Since SDI is focused on the localized needs of slum dwellers, it has developed the traction to advance the common agenda of creating “pro-poor” cities that address the pervasive exclusion of the poor from the economies and political structures of 21^st century cities. Further, SDI uses its global reach to build a platform for slum dwellers to engage directly with governments and international organizations to try new strategies, change policies, and build understanding about the challenges of urban development.

SDI believes that the only way to manage urban growth and to create inclusive cities is for the urban poor to be at the center of strategies for urban development. Concurrently, there is no government that can hope to stop or ignore the challenges of urbanization. Forward-looking cities prepare for the urban population growth, and work with their citizens to harness the social, technological, and economic benefits of urbanization.

Achieving scale in urban development policy and practice begins at the individual settlement level. When local authorities engage with informal settlement communities, residents become active partners in upgrading their built environment. When communities and authorities learn together and produce developmental outcomes together, they are able to reach many more communities than the top-down initiatives that some countries attempt. Further, when communities own the process of upgrading, they are able to ensure that it is sustainable and continues to grow over time.

Alice Dietsch Changing Cities:
Contextual Design by AL_A

Amanda Levete Architects is an award-winning London architectural studio operating at the intersection of design, technology and materiality. The ethos of the office is rooted in design research and each project is viewed as a unique opportunity to think beyond the built form, challenge conventional wisdom and explore the transformative potential of space.

In this lecture, AL_A Associate Alice Dietsch discusses the office’s compelling responses to designing in the urban context. Projects presented include V&A Museum (London); Musée du Louvre (Paris); Naples Subway Universita and Triano, in collaboration with Anish Kapoor; Central Embassy (Bangkok); Selfridges department store (Birmingham); Spencer Dock Bridge (Dublin); and 10 Hills Place (London).

Alice Dietsch is an Associate at AL_A and is currently lead architect on the V&A Exhibition Road project — an international design competition recently won by the office to design a new gallery, entrance and public square for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Alice moved to the UK after studying and working in Sweden and her native France, and knows well the architectural scene in Scandinavia.

 Chromophobia’s enemy no.1

His book Chromophobia has been translated into eight languages and is a spot-on showdown with the fear of colour which characterises the western world. The Scot David Batchelor is an artist and Senior Tutor in Critical Theory at the Royal College of Art in London. On 25 October he will lecturing at Arkitekturmässan about his relationship to colour, to urban settings and to our way of viewing the ‘urban light’. “In the town we see light and colours in another way than in the natural landscape,” he claims.

David’s art consists of three dimensional works, photos and drawings. This summer he will feature as one of 20 artists showing at the Saatchi Gallery’s major exhibition ‘The Shape of Things to Come: New Sculpture’ (27 May – 16 October).

For David’s presence at the fair we have to thank creative director Jan Rydén and the curator Peder Wennersten, the duo whose task at the Arkitekturmässan has been to select artists with strong relevance for architectural discipline. “Batchelor headed our list,” says Jan. “We are very pleased, and of course eager to hear his views on Scandinavian architecture and urban planning.”

Anne Lacaton on
the evil arcitechture

Anne Lacaton is coming to the Arkitekturmässan in October. The Arkitekturmuseet in Stockholm is responsible for arranging her visit, and the French architect will be talking primarily about the radical renovations she has carried out in problem-laden French suburbs. For Nordic architects this is of course a subject of great interest since many structures from the 1960s 70s are thought to be in need of renovation within ten years or so.

Anne runs the Paris firm Lacaton & VassalLacaton & Vassal with her partner Jean-Philippe Vassal. Apart from the suburban projects the office is perhaps best known for the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, a ramshackle building from the 30s which the two of them have succeeded in restoring to full working order without destroying the structure’s romantic air of decay. 

Växjö to Gothenburg


One of the most important arenas for architecture and urban planning in Sweden is held annually in the small town of Växjö. At the event, called the Växjö Conversation, politicians, practitioners, researchers and students assemble in small groups to discuss topical trends in urban planning. The organisers now want to try out this concept at Arkitekturmässan. “We consider Arkitekturmässan a most welcome initiative,” says Hans Andrén, who – with Erland Ullstad, Växjö’s former town architect – is project leader for the Växjö Conversations. “There are lots of us working on buildings, construction and planning, but we sit in our offices, in tight contact with our immediate colleagues,” they write on their web page. It’s time for them to emerge and meet the public.