Think Tank

Think Tank is a series of nonprofit discussions and co-creation events hosted by Kjellander Sjöberg. The purpose is to build a collaborative platform and to promote a wider cross-disciplinary dialogue and initiative, to engage with urban planning and architectural discourses that transform cities and the built environment. We promote focus on the processes that shape architecture and the design of the public realm – the social, ecological, cultural and lifestyle possibilities of tomorrow.

Participiants consist of the public and a wide array of colleagues, scholars, professionals, policy-makers, urban planners and clients.

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Envisioning better communities

What does the best of urban design and the future of towns & cities mean to us?

Scandinavian urban practice is currently at a high – flourishing both at home and abroad. Recent years have seen a hype around the development of our Nordic cities in relation to urban design, masterplanning, neighbourhood communities, the public good and sustainability. With an increasing demand for this way of thinking more widely – what is it about this approach to urbanism that is growing in influence and gaining international recognition?

We welcome some of the leaders in urban thinking and practice who are driving innovative approaches to the nature and quality of urban places, regenerating our built environments today and visioning the cities of the future. We are happy to host a panel with a broad perspective, bringing together Swedish and international experience.

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Rosengård – a neighbourhood for all

Local initiatives, communities, learning and culture

This edition of the KS Think Tank is a part of the Malmö in the Making initiative taking place during September 2023.

How do we make a neighbourhood for everyone? Focusing on the Rosengård district in Malmö, welcome to an open conversation about opportunities for local initiatives, better communities, learning, culture and entrepreneurship.

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Gjuteriet: industrial heritage reimagined – circular approach, re-use & innovation

Based on the example of Gjuteriet in Varvsstaden in Malmö, we will discuss how to reach the Sustainable Development Goals through minimising resource consumption and impact on the climate caused by the construction sector.

How focusing on sustainable strategies and common goals early in the process is essential for the necessary transition as well as for the built result – architecture. We will explore re-use and the potential of seeing what is already built as an important asset; both from the material and resource perspective as well as from a wider cultural and historical public interest in the growing city.

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Reflective practice & process – shaping inclusive environments

How do we shape future design processes of our shared and physical living environment?
Reflective and responsive architectural practice needs to address current challenges and explore new territories. In a changing social and planetary environment, what is the architect’s role? For this Think Tank, we have invited prominent architects based in Paris to take us through some fundamental aspects of their workshops; their processes, culture and methods. Their thinking.

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Proximity: Nearness, scale & community

How do we establish a sense of community and belonging in the urban context? Can local identity and a sense of kinship have a positive impact on how we use public space? Having the ‘Groupings’ exhibition as the point of departure, the Think Tank 021 will explore the topic of ‘Proximity’ through nearness, scale and community. Is the ‘we experience’ based on geographical closeness or is it a community founded on shared culture and values?

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Urban regeneration; climate and local opportunities.

Shaping 15-minute neighbourhoods
London – Paris – Stockholm

Presentation of the Meridian Water example, a masterplan scheme for the London Borough of Enfield by Kjellander Sjöberg as well as presentations of French examples followed by a panel discussion together with the audience.

This Think Tank, taking place at the Institut Suédois in Paris, will focus on urban regeneration and will discuss climate adaptation and shaping local opportunities within larger metropolitan areas.

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Climate activism – a local, national and international perspective.

What tools and resources do we have to fight against climate change and decrease in biodiversity, two major challenges of our time?

What can we do right here, right now?

This edition of Think Tank will highlight and discuss some of the initiatives and good examples developed in Malmö as well as in Sweden and abroad.

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Sustainable urban meeting spaces – collaboration, content and participation

What are the prerequisites and opportunities for creating social, open meeting places in the city, that are inclusive and inviting? Seen from a commercial, social and civil perspective – where recreational green areas, dialogue and culture thrive? Which new means of collaboration are required, what types of mixed content need to be created, how do we plan and curate attractive urban environments, who participates in the discussion? Where does it happen? How do we allow city life to unfold and evolve over time?

This Think Tank, held in Almedalen, brings together a broad panel of interesting guests, active within urban development, seeking a fruitful dialogue to generate new insights, knowledge and a rewarding debate.

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Commoning Kits – urban commons, meeting spaces and sharing

What creates identity, local involvement and a sense of belonging in an urban district?

As new housing is being planned and developed throughout Sweden, there is a growing insight regarding the lack of various components and approaches needed to offer a viable city with an interesting mixture, democratic urban places and social possibilities – with spaces for meeting, culture, recreation, spontaneity and flourishment.

This Think Tank investigates how new forms of utilization, urban commons and shared economy can be established in existing districts and development areas.

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Fashion meets architecture – how do we claim space in the city?

This Think Tank explores the relation to our surroundings and natural environment – the city – through fashion and architecture.
Both practices have traditionally worked with function, structure, materiality and design. How do they currently relate to innovation, sustainability, integration and equality?

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The Poetics of Wood – solid timber construction & inspiration in wood

This Think Tank sets out to further investigate how wood and solid timber technology could be used as a means of achieving material sustainability in the built environment and urban fabric of our cities

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The Forests of Venice – urbanity, forests, wood and climate

This Think Tank explores themes of the exhibition The Forests of Venice; how the creation of architecture and cities in wood may be in better balance with nature and limited resources in order to meet global climate changes.

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Co-creation – a more democratic way of designing

This Think Tank takes a closer look at collaborative ways of operating in design and planning processes. We would like to investigate how this may be done in distinct but related fields from art and installation to design and urban planning. What kind of new work can arise by including wider user groups and the people closely connected to a place?

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Participation – architecture that makes a difference

This Think Tank focuses on the possibilities of architecture to improve conditions and to find solutions for people and communities in need. We would like to have a closer look at architecture and urban planning as generators for long-term development and as tools in the processes shaping sustainable and adaptable environments.

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The new urban life – better principles, better cities

What type of urban qualities should we allow for while planning new neighborhoods and improving existing urban environments? What should be included in the public space of the city, who should be able to participate and how? This edition of Think Tank in Almedalen is about the city’s communal spaces as a public resource – about its content and interstitial spaces.

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The Street – a functional & social connector

This Think Tank takes it back to the street. The function and new potential for the street is drawing an increasing amount of interest in the contemporary architectural discourse and urban design practice. With the street being the main public space where urban life unfolds, we would like to investigate the current state of the art.

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Urban Space Upcycled – temporary & permanent

This Think Tank edition focused on the theme of upgraded public space and temporary new qualitative usage of urban space, with examples from New York, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm and more.

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