About Aalborg Kommune:
Every year the municipality of Aalborg grows with more than 1.000 inhabitants. People who wish to live in a diverse municipality, that has it all, but without having too much. People who wish to become part of a tolerant and dynamic community that has created significant development the last decades. A development that has combined industry with knowledge. That has created thousands of new employment- and study opportunities, a rich cultural and leisure life and also welfare. Together this has contributed to the election of Aalborg’s citizens as the happiest in Europe.
It is probably not wrong to say that the inhabitants of Aalborg Municipality are proud. Not just of the development but as much of the solidarity and cooperation that creates the municipality – and which is always stronger when everyone is on board.
Even though the municipality reaches over more than 1.000 sq. km including the Limfjord, which cuts beautifully through land and city, there is still only a short distance between people and from word to action. This is why we in Aalborg Municipality say: We grow together!
The municipality and the megaprojects
The municipality of Aalborg has been a collaborator on AAU Megaprojects since the early beginning. As such the municipality has been part of developing the first two megaprojects: Simplifying Sustainable Living and The Circular Region.
Simplifying sustainable living:
With the new climate law's target of 70% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2030, it is essential that we change our consumption habits and production methods.
We need to transition from a linear economy (buy and throw away culture) to a circular economy where resources are recycled.
Efforts must be made to increase waste prevention and ensure proper waste treatment and the greatest possible recycling, so that resources are utilized based on the circular economy thinking.
According to the Danish climate think tank Concito, every Dane annually emits 19 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere and by far the largest proportion is due to the consumption of goods and services.
To reduce that part of the burden, all citizens must have access to sustainable and smart solutions that promote sustainable choices. And it is important to involve the citizens of the municipality in the development of the solutions and through i.e. campaigns to work on sustainable behavior.
This and more is the focus of Aalborg Municipality in the collaboration on the megaproject Simplifying Sustainable Living.
The circular region:
The Circular Region is a concept that is already going on in real life. The Circular Region is an ongoing collaboration between the municipalities, the university, and the private businesses. The Circular Region megaproject gives the students the opportunity to join the struggle for a better and more sustainable community governance and business development through partnerships. This megaproject is part of an ongoing regional action plan that focuses on the private sector and private-public partnerships.
The background for the project is:
Network for Sustainable Business Development operates The Circular Region and the regional concept can be divided into two tracks. 1. track focuses on making resource loops that redirect the material flows away from incineration and towards reuse or recycle (making resource loops in practice). 2. track is a collaboration between all the recycling stations in the region and with a focus on collecting the public waste in a way that makes it easier for the private sector to collect it as a resource. 1. track create new resource loops while the 2. track feeds into these loops. The student’s megaprojects can contribute to both tracks.
The scope and expectations for the megaproject are:
We want to give the students the opportunity to solve problems that takes place in an ongoing movement. By joining The Circular Region, it is more likely that the student projects will be initiated in real life and not just an academic drill. The private sector and the municipalities need the most updated knowledge and the students can gain access to a regional test centre through the megaprojects, where they can put their knowledge and ideas into play.