Pressurise the Consequences! – Development of lab tools to test urban development proposals in Gothenburg's digital twin based on human diversity, accessibility, usability and universal design

The project "Pressurise the Consequences!" addresses the challenge that urban development projects, despite good intentions, often result in environments that exclude people. The aim is to contribute to ShiftSweden’s mission of attractive and accessible living environments by developing lab tools in Gothenburg's digital twin. These tools will enable civil servants to "stress-test" (simulate and evaluate) proposals based on human diversity, accessibility, usability, and universal design throughout the urban development process.

The project takes its starting point in the Lindholmen Transition Lab. It focuses on bridging the "gaps" and silo effects that arise between the planning of the built environment and mobility. Through an iterative design process and co-design with "extreme users" (people with disabilities, families, and older adults), a new harmonised conceptual model is operationalised directly within the digital twin.

The result will be a technical and methodological capability to visualise the social consequences of various urban planning proposals. This enables cost savings through fewer retrofits and contributes to system innovation by shifting the planning culture from reactive adaptation to proactive design for human diversity. The inter- and transdisciplinary consortium consists of Mid Sweden University, the City of Gothenburg, Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, the Municipality of Lund, as well as the organisations Begripsam and Our Normal Association.