Kristin Malmcrona Friberg

My research background

My academic background and journey is diverse and reaches around the globe: I hold a BSc from Gothenburg University and La UMSA, La Paz, in Global and Development Studies. From there, I moved South and attained my MSc in Sustainable Urban Management from SLU, Alnarp, and Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherland. After having completed my master´s degree, I worked as a research assistant in a collaborative research project with WUR and Exeter University where we investigated possible circular pathways for food systems around Europe.

Within academia, I started looking mainly at the social perspective of sustainability and sustainable urban development. Based on the work of WHO and the report Closing the Gap in One Generation, I looked at how citizens´ life expectancy differed between and within different socio-economical parts of the city of Gothenburg, asking ourselves how health and social justice can be built into our cities.

My research interests

From here I have slowly moved to a less human-centred view of sustainability towards a social-ecological system thinking. This is where I find myself today - in the middle of two understandings of the relationship between human and nature, figuring out how and what my contribution as a researcher could be in favour of a positive social-ecological transformation: How can we humans, and researchers, in particular, have a positive impact on nature and biodiversity, and setting our goals and ambitions higher, leaving the notion of only ´doing less bad´ behind? Can stewardship for the environment be a possible way forward in resetting the balance between humans and nature? 

I am part of the MISTRA Sports and Outdoors research program, where one main focus is on the process of co-creation of knowledge together with academia and societal actors. I am part of the Sustainable use of land and water work package where we look at the ecological effects of sport and outdoor recreation, how spatial planning can help reduce the negative impact, and what impact new forms of use have on soil and water, especially during times of the covid pandemic.

Supervision

I am supervised by Rebecka Milestad (KTH), Sara Borgström (KTH) and Erik Andersson (Stockholm Resilience Centre).

Supervision of master students: I am happy to receive requests for supervision on the topic of human-nature relations, outdoor recreation and green space management, multifunctional landscapes, knowledge co-creation, stewardship for the environment, and social-ecological systems.

I have experience in teaching, coaching and mentoring from previous as well as present work including teaching people with different functional varieties.

I am also coaching TEDx speakers for TEDx events in Gothenburg and Prague.