Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Sustainable social development within the field of urban planning in a Swedish contextA casestudy on the creation of a new neighborhood in a midsized Swedish cityBy Axel Ågren
A socially sustainable neighborhood comes to life
Axel Ågren
Master in social and welfare studies, Linköping University, Sweden
Masters thesis on socially sustainable urban development
Research questions How is the term socially
sustainable urban development filled with content?
How is the relation between physical planning and social life viewed upon?
What perceptions constitute the basis for urban renewal?
MethodLitterature, documents and reports
6 interviews, with politicians, social workers, and urban planners
Attended seminars, workshops and conferences with urban planning as the topic
Urban planning and Swedish welfare
1930s, Alva and Gunnar Myrdal ”Folkhemmet”, in English ”The peoples’ home” (1933)
Emphasized the importance of improving homes in Sweden
Better homes, should result in better lifes
”Lort Sverige”, ”Dirt Sweden”, Ludvig Nordstrom(1938)
Prevention of overcrowded houses
Housing and urban planning became a welfare issue
Million programmeLate 1960s the housing standard
was low and population was expected to increase
The idea of building 1 million modern apartments became reality
This political project was named ”miljonprogrammet”
Million programme
These apartments and entire areas were bulit in the outskirts of larger and average sized cities
Spawl is seen as synonymous with million programme where the city is growing apart
Million programme
Million programme
The apartments were built rapily
Little attention was paid to the outside environment and too many apartments were built
These areas were depopulated, and stigmatized by media and politicians.
Segregation in Sweden
The ”miljonprogram” neighborhoods became associated with negative attributes such as criminality, unemployment and poverty
Also associated with a passive inhabitants and lack of unity, or community
Segregation in Sweden
A longing for the ”old society” with active inhabitants with strong feeling of unity within the community
Segregation in Sweden today
Researchers, politicians and media all agree that segregation is increasing and causing an unequal society
How to prevent this through urban planning?
Socially sustainable urban development
Socially sustainable urban development is now promoted by goverments, politicians, reseachers and local authorities
Promoting a mix in housing opportunities, shops and leisure activities within the neighborhood is believed to enable meetings and encourage diversity
Socially sustainable urban development
Improved infrastructure between neighborhoods and increased diversity are believed to prevent segregation and decreasing environmental harm
Socially sustainable urban development
Spawl is seen as very import to prevent and understood as unsustainable
A sustainable neighborhood is everything that the million programme not is
A greater unity within the city and urban life is seen as the solution
Socially sustainable urban development
Mixed, diverse and well connected city is considered to be the solution for problems with democracy, segregation and social exclusion
Underlying ideals
Ideals of meetings, diversity through urban planning are similar to ideals from the New urbanistic movement and the work of Richard Florida: ”Creative class”
These urban areas are thought as attractive and promoting growth
Underlying ideals
The ”creative class”, lives in the city centre, has unregular and highly skilled jobs, and indulge in cultural life
Some positive aspects, however it´s an exclusive perspective with focus on growth rather than equity
Underlying ideals
Ideal that urban life as the motor of growth and future development
Urban life is the norm for social life
Conclusions
Focus on what is happening even outside of the central parts of cities.
Questions of democracy in urban development of great importance
Conclusions
Important issue is to continue raising the question; ”for who we are planning the city?”
Important to understand social life in different parts of the city, not solely dividing cities into ”good” or ”bad” areas
Conclusions
Social dimensions important to consider, rather than finished ”solutions” for how urban life should be
Is planning for growth in the mixed and wellconnected city the solution for a more equal society?
