The 1940s and early 1950s was one of the most important formative periods in Swedish urban and architectural history, especially concerning housing. At this time political and administrative tools were created for the building of modern dwellings on a very large scale with public support. In a concrete sense the task was to shape the good dwelling for a large spectrum of the population. It involved all aspects of housing from town planning to interior details of the individual units. The role of Swedish architects in this process was central. The profession had experienced a radical change in the early 1930s, inspired by international avant-gardism. With the 1940s a period of practical work started, when architects worked in a field of tension between tradition and modernity. The first modern department stores were established in Swedish cities and the effects of a growing use of private cars were perceptible. At the same time the creation of modern housing required both social concern and a certain amount of traditional housing qualities. The current research project will study the modernisation process and its consequences for architecture and urban structure in Swedish towns, with the focus on housing. Two thematic threads run through the project: the dualism between modernity and tradition and the dualism between utopia and pragmatism. The project involves international outlooks, with special concern for influences from the USA and contacts with other Nordic countries.