Reflow - Visualization of the city's hidden resource flows

Most Swedish municipalities place a lot of effort in their environmental and climate work; it´s challenging as environmental problems are complex. Environmental work has traditionally focused on environmental impact (damage to the environment) and environmental states or conditions (eg levels of pollutants in the environment).

Research indicates that proactive environmental work should instead focus on activities and physical resource flows that give rise to undesirable impacts and conditions. There is an increasing need for municipalities to be able to visualize, discuss and decide on necessary measures; most urgent is to make climate-related data available and actionable.

This innovation idea REFLOW intends to combine and further develop previous research-based models on physical resource flows and their environmental footprint; and adapting them to visualizations that can be used in municipalities as a decision support and planning tool - with a focus on climate change. The innovation idea also includes cooperation between Swedish municipalities; in identifying and making available necessary digital data and adapting the model to suit a variety of municipalities.

This preparatory project aims to further develop the innovation idea using the urban district Stockholm Royal Seaport in Stockholm as a case study; to mobilize additional municipalities and collaboration partners in the continued development; and to prepare for a more comprehensive development project.

The project intends to contribute to the development of more knowledge-based and effective methods and tools for climate and sustainability work in Swedish municipalities; as well as improved requirements regarding the availability of climate-related data.

The project is a collaboration between the C ity of Stockholm's Development Office; KTH Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Technology; the National Research Institutes of Sweden RISE; and Ecoloop AB.