Urban Community Development Näsby

The Urban Community Development Näsby project was set up to develop Kristianstad's (SE) Näsby neighbourhood using urban planning and community development activities. The mission is to turn Näsby into a model for sustainable development by transforming local challenges such as segregation, income disparities, and low levels of participation in society, through a participatory development process.  

The project’s planning and implementation is led by an interdisciplinary team of municipal workers, NGOs, businesses and citizens. This facilitates flexible, locally based solutions. Key areas include: creating forums for dialogue and participation; developing public spaces with participatory methods; and social programmes focusing on topics such as integration, gender equality, language development and community activities. 

The Urban Community Development Näsby project was initiated in 2019 as a response to socioeconomic challenges in the Näsby neighbourhood, home to about 9 000 of the municipality’s citizens. The area stands out for its high rates of crime, unemployment and social exclusion. Although located just a few kilometres from the city centre, Näsby’s local community is separated from the rest of the city by barriers that are both mental and physical.  

From the start, the project adopted a participatory and interdisciplinary approach to tackle inequality challenges. The aim is to develop Näsby into a model area for social, economic and environmentally sustainable development by 2037. Early in the project, a meeting place for citizen dialogue was established, offering a drop-in once a week. Over time the meeting place has become a testbed for new project ideas, and a way for existing programmes to apply an outreach-approach by sharing the space. The meeting place has provided space for pop-ups such as the Fritidsbanken library for sports gear, language circles, CV coaching and family outreach programmes. Ideas derived from drop-in dialogues have sparked new local projects and activities.  

When developing public spaces, the local community is involved throughout the process. This participatory method demands a holistic and needs-based approach. 

The project is based on a participatory approach, with the local community actively involved in suggesting changes and taking part in implementing them. Citizens are key stakeholders in the development of the district, together with the municipality, NGOs and businesses. The goal is, together with the local community, to develop the area to become a model for social, economic and environmentally sustainable development. To achieve this, citizens share their perspectives on the kind of initiatives needed in the community. A few examples are: 

• Green mobility, e.g. cycling courses for women, and free rental of electric bikes 

• Public spaces, e.g. new lighting and public art installtions in local parks, and an outdoor stage to serve as a multifunctional meeting place for all ages 

• Circular economy, e.g. a biannual flea market 

• Increased literacy e.g. a reading project, encouraging parents to read to their children at home 
• Local networks for community participation, e.g. a local network for NGOs and a local network for bussinesses
   

The project is based on a participatory approach involving local NGOs, municipal departments, and the local community. All activities are coordinated and managed by a project leader, and the stakeholders are involved in the development and implementation of different activities, based on what they can contribute. Activities are based on a needs-based approach, and the local community play an important role in developing initiatives.  

One of the project’s core activities, for example, is the open space for dialogue operating in the heart of the Näsby neighbourhood. This open space invites members of the community to meet each other, and diverse stakeholders, to learn about different activities in the community, discuss ideas, or get help with contacting authorities. Increasing cooperation, trust and a sense of belonging is key for the project, as well as carrying out operational activities such as coordinating and supporting different types of activities in the area. 

This participatory approach addresses local challenges using collaborative methods to use community resources as part of the transformation process. The Näsby neighbourhood faces many socioeconomic challenges, and the standard of living for most residents is lower than average in Kristianstad. Many people in Näsby face challenges such as low income, high unemployment, overcrowding, poorer health and criminality.  

In response, the project has not only enabled new activities to be implemented, but also reframed how municipal resources can be used more efficiently to meet local needs through collaboration within the municipality and the local community. Residents of Näsby benefit from these efforts to decrease inequalities through social initiatives and more sustainable and inclusive urban planning.   

By involving local stakeholders, the project has become well-known in the community, creating a ripple effect. The meeting space for dialogue has welcomed approximately 200 visitors yearly since it opened in 2021 and has become an important place for bringing people together. The participatory approach and the blend of small-scale and large-scale initiatives in the Näsby neighbourhood makes it difficult to obtain exact data on the overall number of beneficiaries of the project. In small-scale activities, such as courses, each activity reaches 10-40 participants. Large scale-activities, such as flea market or festivals, can attract up to around 3000 visitors. 

Näsby’s Urban Community Development model serves as inspiration for any city wanting to tackle socioeconomic challenges using sustainable development and citizen participation. The participatory approach, and its use in reframing urban planning, can be applied and modified to any urban context.  

Cities may choose to select the initiatives and practices most relevant to them to test the participatory approach in their own contexts. They can gain inspiration from Näsby’s examples of local development initiatives. And above all, look into the changes that make these local initiatives possible.  This involves reframing how resources are organised and mobilised within governments and communities to achieve change, leading to new ways of working toward sustainability. 

This model successfully promotes multi-level governance at local level by connecting local authorities with citizens, NGOs and businesses. By minimising the physical and mental barriers between Näsby and the rest of the city, the goal is to reduce inequality and develop the area by including citizens in the decision-making processes and future of their community.  

This fits well into the Urban Agenda for the EU as well as the EU Territorial Agenda. It is also particularly aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 16. 

The project places particular importance on adhering to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially the right to take part in decisions that impact children (art. 12), as Näsby has more children than any other city district in the region. 

It also helps support national goals, including a new law for crime prevention activities which has made developing socioeconomically challenged districts even more important for Swedish municipalities since 2024. 

So far, the practice has been transferred to other municipalities in the Skåne region, through digital exchanges and site visits. It has also been shared with Kristianstad’s friend city Köge in Denmark.