Sustainable social development within the field of urban planning in a Swedish context A casestudy on the creation of a new neighborhood in a midsized Swedish city By 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?

Method Litterature, 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 programme Late 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

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?

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