Image: Lluís J. Liñán
Research project 'God bostad i dag' investigates the quality of residential architecture being produced in Northern Sweden's municipalities within the framework of their housing supply programmes.
How can housing assessment contribute to better residential architecture? In Sweden, as in many other countries, residential architecture is primarily assessed through spatial, dimensional, and typological standards. However, compliance with these requirements alone does not necessarily ensure that an apartment or residential building offers high architectural quality. 'God bostad i dag' examines how contemporary housing projects contribute to residents’ quality of life, reduce the ecological footprint of the built environment, and support broader social objectives in the city.
An assessment method for Övre Norrland’s future housing stock.
'God bostad i dag' is a research project that investigates how contemporary housing architecture in Sweden affects residents, the environment, and society. The project focuses on the information municipalities collect to evaluate housing proposals during planning and development processes.
While municipal assessment tools provide detailed criteria for spatial organisation and dwelling configuration, aspects such as environmental performance and social impact often receive less attention. Drawing on information contained in building permit documentation, 'God bostad i dag' applies assessment parameters that make it possible to examine these dimensions systematically at the municipal scale. The project assesses how current housing projects perform across spatial, environmental, and societal criteria, generating knowledge relevant to future housing policy and assessment practices.
The project builds on the pilot study 'God bostad i Umeå', which examines residential developments planned within Umeå’s current housing supply programme. Through planning documents, architectural drawings, technical descriptions, and related material, the projects are assessed comparatively in relation to their spatial, environmental, and social qualities.
Although grounded in the context of Övre Norrland, 'God bostad i dag' is connected to a broader research network. It builds on Swedish housing research conducted since the 1930s and contributes to a line of municipal housing research developed in cities such as Stockholm and Gothenburg.
