The coherent academic environment Urban Business and Development (UBD) at the Department of Urban Studies aims to contribute to sustainable urban development through research and education in collaboration with actors from the public and private sector and civil society. The focus is on private and public companies, collaboration and business development. Urban development is an important part of regional development as cities are not isolated phenomena but part of a larger context.

Research

Most people will live in a city during their lifetime. Urbanisation is a global phenomenon, and despite digitalisation, urbanisation has accelerated in recent decades. Cities have proven to be important actors in finding sustainable solutions for how we organise our societies.

To succeed, a wide range of actors must be involved, including private actors such as real estate companies. By conducting research with an economic perspective, we contribute to the development of the field of urban studies.

Changing cities create both opportunities and challenges for society. A focus area of our research is to understand the interaction between entrepreneurs and the urban context in which they operate, and how they can achieve economic, environmental and social sustainability in their operations.

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Ongoing research projects

Education

The Department of Urban Studies offers bachelor's programmes in real estate management, real estate brokerage and transport management from a business perspective. These three bachelor's programmes are the result of a close dialogue and collaboration with actors from the industry.

At master's level, UBD is involved in the international master's programme Urban Business and Development: Real Estate and Transport, which focuses on economic and business perspectives in urban development.

UBD also provides education at doctoral level through the research school ASSURE (Adaptation of Urban Space through Sustainable Regeneration), which is funded by Formas and is a collaboration with RISE, LTH and Uppsala University Campus Gotland.

Programmes in English

Programme
Programme, master’s level | 120 credits

Urban Studies: Urban Business and Development - Real Estate and Transport,...

Working together

Because the challenges we face are complex, such as climate change and social marginalisation, there are no simple solutions. It is important to understand the roles and drivers of different actors and how, together, we can create new knowledge to understand the change processes we are part of.

Real estate and transport companies play a central role in the sustainable development of urban environments. Other important actors include municipalities, universities, non-governmental organisations and associations. It is important to include actors working in these sectors in the journey towards more sustainable urban environments.

Collaboration partners

Bird view of buildings in Malmö.

The Centre's vision is to create a new and interdisciplinary approach to research and development in real estate management in the Öresund region. In collaboration with the real estate industry, Malmö University and Lund University of Technology, the aim is to create a dynamic environment where different sciences, experiences and perspectives meet in a developing environment.

The Buildings Malmö Live and Niagara in Malmö.

The Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (ISU) is a meeting place and an arena for knowledge exchange. The institute is a collaborative platform owned equally by the City of Malmö and Malmö University to develop Malmö into a leading knowledge city in sustainable urban development — ecologically, socially and culturally.

Exterior of modern housing in Malmö.

UBD has established a close partnership with Groupe ESPI, a French business school focusing on real estate, which is undergoing powerful developments in research and internationalisation. Through ESPI's industry partnerships, we get not only academic input but also access to professionals in the field.

Staff members

UBD is home to researchers and teachers in business administration, economics, economic geography, real estate science as well as sustainable real estate and area development, real estate entrepreneurship and real estate brokerage.

Malmö Real Estate Research Conference

Every year, the Unit for Real Estate Studies organises an international conference, the Malmö Real Estate Research Conference, on important issues in real estate research and education. The conference takes the form of a two-day workshop.

The conference started in 2012 with the aim to raise the quality and status of the research field of real estate, to provide an opportunity for researchers to expand their networks and create new collaborations, and to be a forum for addressing challenges at regional as well as international level.

The conference is usually held in May and welcomes researchers of real estate science, but also of related research fields. 

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