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Biography [eng]

I work in the strategic innovation programme Viable Cities, where I study how to help people feel better about the future and each other.

Through extensive on-the-ground studies in Swedish cities, I have developed an innovative strategic framework for consensus building. Applying science fiction storytelling about the future to urban planning processes enables city planners to present the future in ways that do not feel threatening. The approach reduces political divisions and helps citizens see that there is room for their identity in a climate-neutral future.

Biography [swe]

Jag arbetar inom det strategiska innovationsprogrammet Viable Cities, där jag studerar hur man kan hjälpa människor att känna sig bättre inför framtiden och varandra.

Genom omfattande studier i svenska städer har jag utvecklat ett strategiskt ramverk för att bygga konsensus. Genom att tillämpa berättande om framtiden från science fiction på stadsplaneringsprocesser blir det möjligt för stadsplanerare att presentera framtiden på att sätt som inte känns hotande. Metoden minskar politisk splittring och hjälper medborgare se att det finns plats för deras identitet i en klimatneutral framtid.

Mitt arbete har uppmärksammats i BBC, Süddeutche Zeitung och Bloomberg BusinessWeek, för att nämna några. Jag har bjudits in att föreläsa på ett flertal universitet, internationella konferenser och även till en utfrågning i brittiska parlamentet om mina resultat.

Publications (5 of 5) Show all publications
Grankvist, P. (2025). A tale about telling stories about a climate-neutral future: Presentation by Per Grankvist, City Consensus Builder and Chief Storyteller, Viable Cities. Held at the Mistra Environment Communication Conference in Uppsala on the 13th of March 2025.. Viable Cities
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A tale about telling stories about a climate-neutral future: Presentation by Per Grankvist, City Consensus Builder and Chief Storyteller, Viable Cities. Held at the Mistra Environment Communication Conference in Uppsala on the 13th of March 2025.
2025 (English)Other (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Place, publisher, year, pages
Viable Cities, 2025. p. 6
National Category
Media and Communications Psychology
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Strategies for sustainable development
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-361370 (URN)
Note

QC 20250318

Available from: 2025-03-17 Created: 2025-03-17 Last updated: 2025-03-18Bibliographically approved
Grankvist, P. (2024). A tale about telling stories about a climate-neutral future: Applying an age-old technique in a new setting: urban planning.. Viable Cities
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A tale about telling stories about a climate-neutral future: Applying an age-old technique in a new setting: urban planning.
2024 (English)Other (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Place, publisher, year, pages
Viable Cities, 2024. p. 6
National Category
Media and Communications
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Strategies for sustainable development
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-361371 (URN)
Note

Keynote by Per Grankvist, City Consensus Builder and Chief Storyteller, Viable Cities.Held at the Copenhagen DOX festival in Copenhagen in March 2024

QC 20250318

Available from: 2025-03-17 Created: 2025-03-17 Last updated: 2025-03-18Bibliographically approved
Grankvist, P. (2023). Vad utbölingarna inte fattar: En analys av berättelser om Norrland för de som knappt varit där, för de som är födda där, för de som kan tänka sig att flytta dit och för de som påverkar utan att vara på plats.. Stockholm
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Vad utbölingarna inte fattar: En analys av berättelser om Norrland för de som knappt varit där, för de som är födda där, för de som kan tänka sig att flytta dit och för de som påverkar utan att vara på plats.
2023 (Swedish)Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Alternative title[en]
What the outsiders do not understand : An analysis of narratives about Norrland, the northen part of Sweden, for those who have hardly been there, for those who were born there, for those who can imagine moving there and for those who influence without being there.
Abstract [sv]

För att den gröna omställningen i Sverige ska lyckas krävs att mer än 100 000 personer flyttar till Norrland de närmaste åren för att arbeta i de nya industrierna som etableras där och i snabbt växande samhällena. Vilka berättelser skulle kunna få människor att flytta dit, och vilka är det egentligen som ska höra dessa berättelser?

Det här är en analys av berättelser om Norrland för de som knappt varit där, för de som är födda där, för de som kan tänka sig att flytta dit och för de som påverkar utan att vara på plats. Analysen innehåller ett antal handgripliga rekommendationer för hur man kan beskriva den norra landsändan på ett sätt som kan varieras beroende på vem som är mottagare men som likväl förenas av en berättelse om regionen som helhet.

Abstract [en]

In order for the green transition in Sweden to succeed, more than 100 000 people to move to the northern part of the country in the coming years to work in the new industries being established there and in the rapidly growing communities. What are the stories that could attract people to move there, and who should hear these stories?

This is an analysis of stories about Norrland for those who have barely been there, for those who were born there, for those who might consider moving there, and for those who influence without being there. The analysis provides a number of tangible recommendations on how to describe the North in a way that can be varied depending on the audience, but still united by a narrative of the region as a whole.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: , 2023. p. 33
Series
Viable Cities Rapport 2023:3
Keywords
Norrland, Narrativ, Berättelser, Industrialisering
National Category
Environmental Sciences History Cultural Studies
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Urban and Regional Studies; History of Science, Technology and Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-344427 (URN)978-91-7899-029-0 (ISBN)
Projects
Stöd till innovationsarbete inom hållbar stads- och samhällsutveckling i Norrbotten och Västerbotten
Note

Del av regeringsuppdrag Thriving North, “Stöd till innovationsarbete inom hållbar stads- och samhällsutveckling i Norrbotten och Västerbotten”

QC 20240318

Available from: 2024-03-16 Created: 2024-03-16 Last updated: 2024-03-27Bibliographically approved
Grankvist, P. (2022). From numbers to narratives: A conceptual framework for why facts will not change people's minds about the climate - and what to do about it when planning climate-neutral cities..
Open this publication in new window or tab >>From numbers to narratives: A conceptual framework for why facts will not change people's minds about the climate - and what to do about it when planning climate-neutral cities.
2022 (English)Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Abstract [en]

This report explores why presenting facts and figures may not be the most effective way to change people's minds and behaviours regarding the climate crisis. It argues that stories, not numbers, genuinely resonate with people and drive them to action. 

A transformative practice could be to use narratives in which near-future scenarios are presented, focusing on the quality of life rather than climate- neutrality. We present a transformative practice for achieving it and share insights from on-the-ground research and pilot studies in multiple Swedish cities, where narratives have successfully displayed what a climate-neutral life would feel like. 

A description of the method and its processes are included, examples of narratives, and a workshop format to foster dialogue and discussion.

Publisher
p. 36
Series
Viable Cities Report ; 2025:7
Keywords
storytelling, communication, urban planning
National Category
Environmental Sciences Media and Communication Studies
Research subject
Architecture, Urban Design; Planning and Decision Analysis, Strategies for sustainable development; Planning and Decision Analysis, Urban and Regional Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-360304 (URN)978-91-7899-039-9 (ISBN)
Note

QC 20250225

Available from: 2025-02-24 Created: 2025-02-24 Last updated: 2025-02-25Bibliographically approved
Grankvist, P. (2019). Explaining and exploring our common future: Using the power of storytelling to achieve the ambitious goal of making carbon-neutral cities believable and attractive..
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Explaining and exploring our common future: Using the power of storytelling to achieve the ambitious goal of making carbon-neutral cities believable and attractive.
2019 (English)Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Abstract [en]

This report outlines how a Swedish initiative uses storytelling to achieve the ambitious goal of making carbon-neutral cities believable and attractive.

Publisher
p. 16
Series
Viable Cities ; 2025:6
Keywords
storytelling, communications, framework
National Category
Environmental Studies in Social Sciences Media and Communication Studies
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis; Planning and Decision Analysis, Strategies for sustainable development
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-360303 (URN)978-91-7899-038-2 (ISBN)
Note

QC 20250225

Available from: 2025-02-24 Created: 2025-02-24 Last updated: 2025-02-25Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0009-0005-4977-4132

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