Geographica 6 Living in the calm and safe part of the city The socio-spatial reproduction of upper- middle class neighbourhoods in Malmö Ann Rodenstedt Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Universitetshuset sal IX, Biskopsgatan 3, Friday, 6 February 2015 at 13:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Professor Rowland Atkinson (the University of Sheffield, Department of Town and Regional Planning). Abstract Rodenstedt, A. 2014. Living in the calm and safe part of the city. The socio-spatial reproduction of upper-middle class neighbourhoods in Malmö. Geographica 6. 270 pp. Uppsala: Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University. ISBN 978- 91-506-2437-3. When residential segregation is mentioned in news coverage and when it is talked about in everyday discourse in Sweden, it is very often associated with immigration and minority groups living in the poorer areas of the city. A common assumption is that “immigrants” actively withdraw from society and that they choose to live together rather than integrating with the majority population. This study, however, argues that discussions about segregation cannot be limited to the areas where minorities and poorer-income groups live, but must understand segregation as a process occurring in the whole system of urban neighbourhoods. In order to reach a more complete understanding of the ways in which segregation processes are at work in contemporary Swedish cities, knowledge is needed about the inhabitants with greater resources and power to choose their dwellings and residential areas. The neighbourhood choices of more privileged groups, and the socio-spatial reproduction of the areas of the upper-middle class, are investigated by applying a qualitative ethnographic framework. The thesis studies two neighbourhoods located in the post-industrial city of Malmö: Victoria Park, a US-inspired “lifestyle community” which is the first of its kind in Sweden, and Bellevue, older but still one of the most exclusive and high-status neighbourhoods in the city. In order to understand self-segregation among privileged groups, the study especially scrutinises the concepts of class and security as well as the impacts of neoliberalisation on the Swedish housing market. The main argument of the study is that the self-segregation by members of the upper- middle class demonstrates a rift which runs through the urban fabric of Malmö, splintering the city up into perceived separate worlds. The existence of physical, symbolic and social boundaries in Victoria Park and Bellevue reproduces these neighbourhoods as exclusive, private and tranquil spaces of the upper-middle class. By locating themselves in the calm and safe part of the city, the upper-middle class can buy security as a commodity, rather than relying on the welfare state to provide it for them. Keywords: Self-segregation, gated communities, security, upper-middle class, neoliberalisation, post-industrialism, housing, lifestyle, status, exclusivity, exclusion, community, neighbourhood choice, stigmatisation, spatial representations, socio-spatial reproduction, avoidance behaviours, Malmö, Victoria Park, Bellevue, Sweden Ann Rodenstedt, Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Box 514, Uppsala University, SE- 75120 Uppsala, Sweden. © Ann Rodenstedt 2014 ISSN 0431-2023 ISBN 978-91-506-2437-3 urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-237883 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-237883) Printed in Sweden by Elanders Sverige AB, 2014. Cover layout: Charlotte Rodenstedt Acknowledgements I started the PhD programme at the Department of Social and Eco- nomic Geography in September 2009, right after completing my Master’s degree at the same department. As I am now about to send this thesis to print and I look back at all these years, I feel humble and a tad nostalgic as this period of my life has encompassed a whole palette of emotions. There are many people I feel so grateful to and who have aided my work and stood by me during both the good and the bad times. Unfortunately, I cannot mention all of you by name here, but I hope you know who you are and how im- portant you have been to me. First, I wish to thank everyone who participated in this study, es- pecially those who invited me into their residential areas and private homes. Thank you for your contribution and for sharing your stories and opinions, and for constantly reminding me of why I enjoy doing research. Writing this thesis would not have been possible without my ex- cellent supervisors. Irene Molina and Brett Christophers: you have given me the confidence and freedom to design this study, while still keeping me on the right track and giving me invaluable advice. Irene, I cannot thank you enough for all your support, for you be- lieving in me and for the inspiration you have provided over the years. And Brett, your encouraging words and your careful reading of the manuscript have been much appreciated, together with your superpower of helping me find what I am actually trying to say when I have lost focus. Writing a thesis can be a lonesome job, but I have never felt lonely working on this project thanks to the two of you. I also feel much gratitude towards Roger Andersson, who was my supervisor during the first years, for taking an interest in my re- search and for encouraging me a lot along the way. Additionally, I would like to thank Mats Franzén who has not only lent me many of his brilliant thoughts throughout the years, but also several books from his impressive library. Tom Mels, Carina Listerborn and Sara Westin, members of the reading group, contributed with very helpful comments on the manuscript towards the end which greatly improved the thesis. Thank you! I am also indebted to Zara Bergsten who kindly and patiently helped me understand the statistics as well as teaching me how to present the maps in the text. Melissa Kelly, John Perrem, Taylor Brydges, Brian Cloughley and Helen Robertson provided much needed help with proofreading, which was greatly appreciat- ed! I would also like to thank Karin Grundström at the department of Urban Studies, Malmö University, for exchanging ideas and carry- ing out one of the focus groups in Victoria Park with me. I have been fortunate enough to receive several scholarships while writing this thesis. Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse provided much needed funding for the last phase of writing, and Anna Maria Lundins Stipendienämnd as well as Stiftelsen Margit Althins Sti- pendiefond rendered it possible to travel to New York and South Africa in 2012 and 2013. These trips gave me the opportunity to visit two gated communities, and thus catch a glimpse of this urban phenomenon in two quite different international contexts. This provided me with a certain perspective which helped me contextu- alise the Swedish housing market better. During the PhD programme I have had the privilege of working in two research environments together with brilliant and friendly colleagues. At the Institute for Housing and Urban Research (IBF) I would like to thank Kerstin Larsson, Christina Kjerrman Meyer, Ingalill Halvarsson and Lars Lundin who have patiently helped me through many tricky situations. An important part of my everyday life has been the “late night crew” consisting of Tove Eliasson, Helen Ekstam and Kati Kadarik. You were with me during the crazy last phase of writing up: thank you for sharing all those feelings of hope and despair over many boxes of steaming hot Golden China dump- lings. At the department of Social and Economic Geography I especial- ly want to thank Aida Aragao-Lagergren, Susanne Stenbacka, Kerstin Edlund, Karin Beckman and Kjell Haraldsson for all the help throughout the years. I am also grateful to the late Jan Öhman for spurring me to apply to the PhD programme in the first place. The department of Social and Economic Geography has a fantas- tic group of PhD students which I have enjoyed being a part of! Special thanks to Melissa Kelly, my first office-mate whose energy and friendship at work is missed every day since she left the de- partment, and to my PhD student cohort: Sara Johansson, Jon Loit, Jasna Sersic, Pepijn Olders and Jörgen Lindell. Sara, thank you for starting this journey together and thank you, Jon, for also ending it with me! I would also like to mention Tina Mathisen, Sofie Joosse, Gabriela Barruylle Voglio, Magdalena Cedering, Chiara Valli, Sara Lång, Lina Hedman, Brian Hracs and Anna-Klara Lindeborg. Last, but not least, I wish to thank all those people in my person- al life who have stood by my side throughout my studies, and espe- cially my family and my extended family, for all the love and sup- port. Mamma, Pappa, Hanna and Charlotte: I love you! Special thanks to Charlotte for helping me out with matters of design, you are awesome! And to all you amazing friends dispersed here and there, but who are mainly located in Stockholm: thanks for being there, for always making me laugh and for your patience; all work and no play sometimes makes Ann a dull girl. Julia Davidsson, Dan- iel Tagerud, Tina Mathisen, Kati Kadarik, Catrin Arnelind and Christian Lehnert: you have especially brightened up this last chal- lenging period of writing the thesis. Christian, thank you for being my rock during these last couple of months, for all the little things you do every day, for being there and for keeping me sane. All of you have made this chapter of my life memorable. For that I am very grateful. A dark and foggy evening in December Uppsala, 2014 Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................ 13 Research aims ............................................................................ 16 Disposition of the thesis ........................................................ 17 Areas of the upper-middle class in the entrepreneurial Knowledge City ........................................................................