In the Nordic countries, migration into cities accelerated in the early 20th century, and the 1930s saw the beginning of a drive to reshape the built environment. By 1970 the majority of the population lived in cities. This shift took place comparatively late in Western European terms, enabling the relevant agencies to take a systematic approach to urban planning. City planning and architectural solutions became instruments of social reform.

The creation of the modern living environment was closely linked to the development of the welfare state. New functionalist architecture reflected Nordic ideals of universality, equality and classlessness. Traditionally, the inhabitant’s social class determined the floor plan of the dwelling: whereas working class families lived in a single room, upper class homes served as status symbols and social spaces.

In the course of the 20th century, dwellings came to follow a standardised floor plan, derived from the basic physical needs of the modern individual, family, and society; it varied only in the number of bedrooms aligned around the kitchen and the living room. At the same time these spatial solutions would make the apartment smaller, and thus available to those with lower incomes.