In his podcast Heja Framtiden, Christian von Essen discusses *Stockholm Smart City 2026* and shares his thoughts on the city’s role in the transition to the future. He highlights how issues such as mobility, energy, green spaces and social sustainability are interlinked as parts of the same system, and why collaboration between the public sector, the business community and civil society is crucial to developing more sustainable and resilient cities.
How do we build the cities of the future – for real?
The journalist and podcaster Christian von Essen, creator of ‘Heja Framtiden’, has interviewed over 650 entrepreneurs, researchers and social innovators on the topics of innovation and societal transformation. In his work, he highlights how the cities of the future are taking shape – and why forums such as Stockholm Smart City play a vital role in this development.
We interviewed him about the city’s development and future urban solutions:
What urban challenges do you think more people should be talking about right now?
– Stockholm has developed significantly, but the focus is often on individual solutions rather than the bigger picture. The city needs to be viewed as a system in which mobility, energy, green spaces and social sustainability are all interconnected. At the same time, there are challenges relating to housing, segregation, safety and mobility. A key issue for the future is how cities can become more resilient in an era of climate change, technological shifts and geopolitical uncertainty – which requires greater cooperation between the public sector, the business community and civil society.
From an editorial perspective – what makes Stockholm Smart City relevant right now?
– Many of the major transformations are taking place at city level, where developments often move faster than at national level. Stockholm Smart City will be an important forum where different stakeholders and systems come together, and where concrete solutions and partnerships can emerge.
If you look five years ahead – what role will initiatives such as Stockholm Smart City play?
– They act as key catalysts for collaboration. When local authorities, businesses and researchers come together, ideas can be turned into projects more quickly, and best practice can be shared between towns and cities.
What made you want to become a partner?
– For me, it’s about being where ideas meet reality. Stockholm Smart City is a place where many of the issues I work on at Heja Framtiden actually take physical form. Being there makes it possible to witness the transition in real time.
What message do you want your listeners to take away?
– That the transition is already underway – and that it is largely taking place in cities. Solutions are being trialled locally and developed through collaboration. The important thing is that the future does not simply happen to us, but is shaped by us in our everyday lives.
