Building for the bigger picture

How can urban developments make life a little better for all of us? 

In the latest episode of the Shaping Sustainable Places podcast, we speak with two experts who are excited about the transformative potential of good urban design. Marius Hauland Næss is Director Acquisition and Business Development Nordics at  renowned international architecture, landscape and design firm Snøhetta, while Ida Granqvist is Managing Director in Gothenburg for Skanska Commercial Development Nordic. 

Building with people 

Marius explains that part of Snøhetta’s central philosophy is designing beautiful spaces with people, not for them. The company developed the designs for buildings such as Oslo’s Opera House and the museum pavilion for New York’s National September 11 Memorial, and it believes architecture is a tool for creating a better society. 

Marius says a hallmark of well-designed buildings and developments is that they are built to stand the test of time: they are capable of surviving many generations and reinventing themselves as new uses are required of them. The challenge is that with so many stakeholders involved in development it can be hard to reach consensus and set ambitious goals. Planning regulations can also lag behind advances in technology, slowing progress. Thankfully, advances are being made, particularly in the Nordics. 

A great example of how design can have positive impacts on society is Snøhetta’s redevelopment of New York’s Times Square. By replacing busy vehicular streets with pedestrian walkways, the development transformed the US’s most visited site to a human-friendly environment, with flow-on effects for surrounding businesses. Marius says an excellent way to ensure that a development is accepted by the community and brings value to it is by undertaking early consultation and then post-occupancy studies. 

A central spine that adds life 

Skanska’s Ida Granqvist says human relationships are the heart and soul of design. For urban development to be successful, designers must fully understand how humans will use the space – not just in theory and on paper but in real life.  

She says in truly good urban transformations, the buildings act as a central spine which influences surrounding spaces, bringing life, movement and human interactions to them. She points to recent Skanska projects in both Denmark and Czechia where this has been achieved. Havneholmen in Copenhagen, for example, is a former industrial harborfront that has been transformed into a mixed-use urban district, combining residential buildings, offices and public waterfront spaces. Its development has helped reconnect the city to the water, and created vibrant, people-focused areas that support everyday life and boost local business activity. 

Ida emphasizes the importance of engaging with tenants early and continuously, using their feedback to shape spaces that genuinely support how people work and interact day to day. She believes offices have the potential to energize their surroundings – acting not just as workplaces, but as hubs that bring movement, activity and vitality to the wider neighborhood. 

In summary, good urban development creates places that support how people live, work and connect. By combining thoughtful design, stakeholder input and real-world insight, projects can energize communities and deliver lasting value. 

For more details and expert insights, tune in to the full episode of Shaping Sustainable Places on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.