Can We Plan for Social Sustainability? a Study of Stora Sköndal, Stockholm
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EXAMENSARBETE INOM SAMHÄLLSBYGGNAD, AVANCERAD NIVÅ, 30 HP STOCKHOLM, SVERIGE 2020 Can We Plan for Social Sustainability? A Study of Stora Sköndal, Stockholm ERIKA SVENSSON KTH SKOLAN FÖR ARKITEKTUR OCH SAMHÄLLSBYGGNAD Abstract The foundation Stora Sköndal is currently planning a city development programme with a focus on creation of a modern, socially sustainable urban district. The programme is called “Framtidens Stora Sköndal”. With close collaboration with the city planning office in Stockholm and with the aim to contribute to the goals that the City of Stockholm has set for a development of a coherent and socially sustainable city, the foundation aims to build “an inclusive area, characterized by empathy and an open-minded attitude” where people from different backgrounds, different origins, with different economical, physical, and psychological abilities can meet and live together. The programme plan encompasses new housing for approximately 10,000 additional dwellers and thousands of new workplaces. It also includes for example, six character areas and six principles for urban planning that have been developed for the programme to support the goals of creating a socially sustainable urban district of Sköndal. The programme is planned to be implemented by 2035 hence, within this study it will not be possible to draw any conclusions on the final result. Rather, this study is a descriptive study that discusses theory, visions, programme documents and the process behind the programme and the different actors involved. The study has showed that the programme for Framtidens Stora Sköndal has a potential to deliver at least some part of the visions and goals they aiming at. However, the process and the implantation of a socially sustainable district can meet challenges along the way. The individuals have been shown to play an important role in the development and implementation of the programme. Furthermore, the steering effects of economy seems to trump even strong ideas and visions. Politics are other factors that have been showed being a game changer. Key Words: social sustainability, Stora Sköndal, social capital, urban planning, knowledge transfer, process, cohesion, community stability, safety, place identity, accessibility, well-being Sammanfattning Kan vi planera för social hållbarhet?: En studie om Stora Sköndal, Stockholm. Stiftelsen Stora Sköndal planerar och utvecklar för närvarande ett program för urban stadsutveckling med fokus på att skapa en modern, socialt hållbart stadsdel. Programmet heter ’Framtidens Stora Sköndal’. Med nära samarbete med stadsplaneringskontoret i Stockholm och med målet att bidra till Stockholms stads mål för att skapa en enad stad som är socialt hållbar, vill stiftelsen bygga ”ett inkluderande område som kännetecknas av empati och en öppensinnad attityd ”där människor med olika bakgrund, olika ursprung, med olika ekonomiska, fysiska och psykologiska förmågor kan mötas och leva tillsammans. Programplanen omfattar nya bostäder för cirka 10 000 ytterligare invånare och tusentals nya arbetsplatser. Den inkluderar till exempel sex karaktärområden och sex principer för stadsplanering som har utvecklats inom programmet för att stödja målen med att göra Sköndal till en socialt hållbart stadsdel. Programmet är planerat att vara klart år 2035, varför det inom ramarna för denna studie inte kommer vara möjligt att dra några slutsatser om det slutgiltiga resultatet. Snarare är denna studie en beskrivande studie som diskuterar teori, visioner, programdokument och processen bakom programmet och de olika inblandade aktörerna. Studien har visat att programmet för Framtidens Stora Sköndal har potential att leverera åtminstone en del av de visioner och mål de har för avsikt att leverera inom programmet. Individerna som 1 representerar de olika aktörerna involverade i planprocessen och implementeringen har visat sig spela en avgörande roll i utvecklingen och genomförandet av programmet. Processen och implementeringen av det socialt hållbart distriktet pågår under en väldigt lång period och det finns många utmaningar längs med vägen. Ekonomins förutsättningar och styrande effekter trumfar även starka idéer och visioner. Politik är en annan faktor som har visat sig påverka betydande delar av programmet utifrån hur det initialt beslutades utformas. Nyckelord: social hållbarhet, Stora Sköndal, socialt kapital, stadsplanering, kunskapsöverföring, process, samanhållning, lokalsamhällets stabilitet, säkerhet, plats identitet, tillgänglighet, välmående 2 Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to all who, in different ways, have supported me during this period of research and writing. First, I would sincerely like to thank my supervisor Maria Håkansson, who has been an amazing supervisor that throughout the hole working process have supported me in my work. She has been a constructive and supporting discussion partner, always contributing with interesting feedback, insights and guidance. Many thanks to the interviewees who been so helpful and generous with their time answering my questions and sharing their views and understandings. Their knowledge and insights have been of great value for my work. Also many thanks to dear Andrea Saleh and James Fenske, I am so thankful for their valuable support and contribution to my degree project. Finally, I would like to thank my husband Mattias, who so many times and with curiosity have engaged in discussions about my research project and encourages me in my work. This process should not have been the same without him. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Social sustainability and urban planning..................................................................................................... 8 1.2 The Commission for a Socially Sustainable Stockholm and the vision set for year 2040. ........ 9 1.3 Framtidens Stora Sköndal - a vision for a socially sustainable urban district ............................... 9 1.4 The Foundation Stora Sköndal ...................................................................................................................... 12 1.5 Research aim and questions .......................................................................................................................... 13 1.6 Delimitations ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 2. Social sustainability and planning ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.1 The global perspective on social sustainability ....................................................................................... 14 2.2 Social sustainability and its different dimensions in the urban context. ....................................... 14 2.3 Social Sustainability and the role of Social Capital ................................................................................ 16 2.4 Social sustainability in urban planning practices in a Swedish context: From theoretical framework to practical politics and implementation ......................................................................................... 17 2.5 Social sustainability in Stockholm ................................................................................................................ 19 2.5.1 Suggestions for the living and urban environment of Stockholm ......................................... 19 2.5.2 Stockholm - a mosaic of success and failures ................................................................................ 20 3. Theoretical framework. .............................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1.1 The theme of Social Cohesion ............................................................................................................. 23 3.1.2 The theme of Community stability ..................................................................................................... 24 3.1.3 The theme of Place identity. ................................................................................................................. 25 3.1.4 The theme of Accessibility ..................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.5 The process.................................................................................................................................................. 26 4. Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................ 26 4.1 Research approach and purpose .................................................................................................................. 27 4.2 Data collection ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.1 Desk research.............................................................................................................................................. 28 4.2.2 Semi-structured interviews ...................................................................................................................