Retrofitting suburban areas for sustainability and self-sufficiency
Welcome to the first EHL Brown Bag Seminar this fall semester 2026, with Max Whitman, postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University and founder of Ultuna Permakultur in Uppsala. He will be talking about the evolution of the "egnahem" (self-sufficiency) movement and its current and potential impact on food security in Sweden. In his talk he will be sharing how principles of retro-fitting and self-sufficiency can contribute to a more beautiful, secure and resilient future.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Swedish egnahem movement emerged as a transformative social movement in response to overlapping crises, including widespread food insecurity. At its heart was the idea of småbruk, smallholdings or gardens designed to provide families with food and greater self-sufficiency. Following the Second World War and the Great Acceleration, the movement gradually faded. Yet while the social movement itself ebbed away, its physical legacy remains, and its underlying ideas are more relevant than ever in an era defined by overlapping social and environmental challenges. This seminar explores what a modern equivalent of the egnahem movement might look like through the concept of retrofitting. It introduces practical approaches to retrofitting suburban landscapes and explains why this matters in the pursuit of sustainability and resilience. Join us to explore the principles of designing for self-sufficiency and discover how they can help us create a more beautiful, secure, and resilient future.
Max Whitman is a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University specializing in action research and sustainability science. He also founded and leads the non-profit organization Ultuna Permakultur, which develops and promotes models for increasing self-sufficiency in urban environments. Bringing together research and hands-on practice, Max developed the concept of
Det Goda Hemmet
in collaboration with his brother, an agronomist with extensive experience in regenerative agriculture. The concept eventually evolved into a book—a practical guide and source of inspiration exploring how existing infrastructure and residential landscapes can be adapted to produce abundant food in small spaces with minimal time and effort.
