Viable Cities

In partnership with Viable Cities - a network of 9 Swedish municipalities (Enköping, Gothenburg, Järfälla, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala and Växjö) and their partners - Dark Matter Labs is building an explorative methodology on how to create post-carbon municipalities through identifying key areas of intervention along with the strategic risks and opportunities linked to them. Viable Cities have been allocated a budget of €100m over 12 years to invest in identified areas of intervention through research and innovation.

1. Scope of the project
Climate change is a symptom of a structural code failure of our society, and a complex problem deeply entangled with our ways of living and producing which cannot be addressed from one policy field in isolation. This involves stretching the transition landscape and catalysing bold actions to reframe our institutions for equitable and circular economy, responsible and groundbreaking technological development and the cultural/behavioural shifts toward sustainable and entrepreneurial society while building a robust portfolio of options that recognises contextual and cultural factors as cardinal points of reference.

2. The speed required
This great transition will simultaneously drive both an unprecedented reconfiguration in value – both private and public - and the creation of radical new lead markets for innovation (e.g. market for alternative energy sources). With the speed of climate change comes an increasing urgency to act. When 0.5 degree warming translates to 61 million more people experiencing water scarcity, including in Sweden, rapid action is not only required, it is the only way.

3. The place of transition
Cities are crucial places for implementing such a transition. They are the economic engines of our 21st century economy, where the top 600 cities account for 60% of global GDP, and a primary site of democratic deliberation and societal consensus for the changes ahead.