>> about <<

Urban planner - engaged in research and practice

Hello,

My name is Rosa Danenberg and I am based in Stockholm. I work at the intersection of research, design, and advocacy for more inclusive, human-scale cities. Currently, I am a Postdoc in the Landscape Architecture division at SLU in Uppsala, working on the project “RULES AND TOOLS – safeguarding neighbouring green space for human health and well-being” with Prof. Helena Nordh.

I defended my PhD in urban planning and design at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in December 2023, where my research explored the role of ground floors in shaping vibrant street life. My work “Main Streets as Resilient Public Spaces. Zooming in on ground floors in Stockholm” examined how the physical form of cities interacts with public life, and how planning and design can strengthen the relationship between people and place.

I entered the field of urban planning and design in 2011 with a strong passion for the human scale. My starting point has always been a curiosity about the conditions that make cities liveable. For me, this translates into the question: what are the ingredients of well-functioning public spaces, and how and why do people use them – or avoid them? I am especially interested in the dynamic between urban form and public life, and in the importance of public space as the connective tissue between the two.

Cities today face increasing segregation, privatization, commercialization, and digitalization. The decline in the quality and quantity of public space is not only worrisome, but also costly and unjust. This is why I am committed to working for cities that prioritise and (re)integrate the human scale into planning and design.

For more background, you can find my CV here.