Lina Berglund-Snodgrass Political Spatial Planning Practice That Formulates Argues That a Hegemonic Instrumental Emphasis and Debates Alternatives
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DEMANDING CERTAINTY ABSTRACT Spatial planning for safety rests on a number dualised conduct is coupled with the fostering of of assumptions about the desired order of the active subjects, which encompasses being enga- world. These assumptions appear as given and un- ged in the local residential areas as well as in one DEMANDING CERTAINTY problematic, making the formulation of alternati- another. Such substantial content of ‘planning for A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF SWEDISH ves appear unnecessary. This dissertation provi- safety’ brings about tensions in terms of its ideo- des an account of how, and on what basis a spatial logical legitimating basis, by moving from princip- SPATIAL PLANNING FOR SAFETY planning problem such as ‘fear and insecurity’ is les of ‘rights’, where the individual constitutes the formulated and acted upon. It is an account of first ethical planning subject, to unitary principles how and what conceptions of knowledge operate of ‘collective values’, in which the ‘community’ to legitimise ideological representations of spatial constitutes the first ethical planning subject. planning problems. And furthermore, what the- These presuppositions are further enabled se ideological representations of spatial planning through the ways in which knowledge is con- problems substantially entail, so as to allow for a ceptualised in spatial planning. This dissertation Lina Berglund-Snodgrass political spatial planning practice that formulates argues that a hegemonic instrumental emphasis and debates alternatives. This is carried out by on knowledge in spatial planning prevails. Having analysing assumptions of public life and knowled- such a hegemonic emphasis on knowledge has ge within Swedish spatial planning for safety. the implication that even though spatial planning This dissertation finds that Swedish spatial plan- adopts different assumptions, or moves between ning for safety constitutes ‘certainty’ as a hegemo- alternative assumptions of knowledge, the know- nic criterion for participating in public life, which ledge becomes meaningful only in its instrumental operates to limit the articulation of alternative implementation. The instrumental emphasis on discourses in spatial planning for safety. The desi- knowledge should be regarded in light of the ra- red for safe public life is organised based on visual tional and goal-oriented nature of project-based certainty, where the urban fabric should be con- planning, which constitutes a logic that constrains figured in such ways as to allow for stereotypical the emphasis on knowledge in spatial planning. visual identifications of one another. Such a public This dissertation argues further that if spatial life reflects an individualised practice, where per- planning should be considered a political practice ceptions of fear should be governed by individuals that debates its goals and values, a politicisation themselves, by independently assessing situations of the emphasis on knowledge in spatial planning is imperative. and environments in terms of risks. This indivi- Lina Berglund-Snodgrass Blekinge Institute of Technology 2016:02 Doctoral Dissertation Series No. 2016:02 ISSN 1653-2090 2016:02 ISBN: 978-91-7295-322-2 Department of Spatial Planning Demanding Certainty A Critical Examination of Swedish Spatial Planning for Safety Lina Berglund-Snodgrass Blekinge Institute of Technology Doctoral Dissertation Series No 2016:02 Demanding Certainty A Critical Examination of Swedish Spatial Planning for Safety Lina Berglund-Snodgrass Doctoral Dissertation in Spatial Planning Department of Spatial Planning Blekinge Institute of Technology SWEDEN 2016 Lina Berglund Snodgrass Department of Spatial Planning Publisher: Blekinge Institute of Technology 371 79 Karlskrona Printed by Lenanders Grafiska, Kalmar, 2016 ISBN: 978-91-7295-322-2 ISSN 1653-2090 urn:nbn:se:bth-11439 Abstract Berglund Snodgrass, L. Demanding Certainty. A Critical Examination of Swedish Spatial Planning for Safety. Blekinge Institute of Technology, Department of Spatial Planning, Karlskrona Sweden. 2016 Spatial planning for safety rests on a number of assumptions about the desired order of the world. These assumptions appear as given and unproblematic, making the formulation of alternatives appear unnecessary. This dissertation provides an account of how, and on what basis a spatial planning problem such as ‘fear and insecurity’ is formulated and acted upon. It is an account of how and what conceptions of knowledge operate to legitimise ideological representations of spatial planning problems. And furthermore, what these ideological representations of spatial planning problems substantially entail, so as to allow for a political spatial planning practice that formulates and deliberates alternatives. This is carried out by analysing assumptions of public life and knowledge within Swedish spatial planning for safety. This dissertation finds that Swedish spatial planning for safety constitutes ‘certainty’ as a hegemonic criterion for participating in public life, which operates to limit the articulation of alternative discourses in spatial planning for safety. The desired for safe public life is organised based on visual certainty, where the urban fabric should be configured in such ways as to allow for stereotypical visual identifications of one another. Such a public life reflects an individualised practice, where perceptions of fear should be governed by individuals themselves, by independently assessing situations and environments in terms of risks. This individualised conduct is coupled with the fostering of active subjects, which encompasses being engaged in the local residential areas as well as in one another. Such substantial content of ‘planning for safety’ brings about tensions in terms of its ideological legitimating basis, by moving from principles of ‘rights’, where the individual constitutes the first ethical planning subject, to unitary principles of ‘collective values’, in which the ‘community’ constitutes the first ethical planning subject. These presuppositions are further enabled through the ways in which knowledge is conceptualised in spatial planning. This dissertation argues that a hegemonic instrumental emphasis on knowledge in spatial planning prevails. Having such a hegemonic emphasis on knowledge has the implication that even though spatial planning adopts different assumptions, or moves between alternative assumptions of knowledge, the knowledge becomes meaningful only in its instrumental implementation. The instrumental emphasis on knowledge should be regarded in light of the rational and goal-oriented nature of project-based planning, which constitutes a logic that constrains the emphasis on knowledge in spatial planning. This dissertation argues further that if spatial planning should be considered a political practice that debates its goals and values, a politicisation of the emphasis on knowledge in spatial planning is imperative. !2 Acknowledgements Upon completion of this doctoral dissertation, I realise how many I am indebted to. First of all, a massive thank you goes to to my incredible supervisors Karl Bergman and Ylva Stubbergaard for making this PhD journey into such a constructive learning process, for always surprising me with perspectives and knowledge that helped the process to continuously moving forward. Thank you Kalle for always being only a phone call away, for being immensely open minded and for always having identified something ‘relevant’ within one’s messiness of thoughts. You are already missed, retirement is rubbish for those left behind! Abdellah Abarkan, thank you for giving me the opportunity to pursue a PhD in Spatial Planning at the Department for Spatial Planning at BTH, it has been such a great experience. Dalia Mukhtar Landgren, thank you for giving me invaluable comments at the mid seminar in early 2014, and for forcing me to make crucial decisions in terms of what this dissertation ‘really’ is about. Thank you Kristina Grange for giving constructive comments at the final seminar in the fall 2015, and for forcing me to better position the research. Thank you Christer Persson for helpful comments on the mid seminar draft manuscript, and for being an important senior mentor when it comes to organising teaching activities. Ebba Högström, thank you for being a fantastic colleague and friend, and for always being up for intriguing discussions and the joining up in pushing forward the studio based part of the discipline, working at BTH would simply not be the same without you. Thank you Simin Davoudi for invaluable comments on draft chapters in the seminar series at BTH, and thank you for inviting me as a guest researcher for a month at the school of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, UK. Thank you Carl Axling for continuous invaluable comments on various drafts and thank you Jimmie Andersén for engaging discussions and for always being ready to challenge status quo. Thank you both for being great PhD colleagues. Thank you Charles Snodgrass for proof reading the English in earlier versions of this dissertation, and for, together with Catharina Malmberg Snodgrass, unconditionally having helped with the family commitments at crucial points in the dissertation process - I am forever grateful. Thank you Eric Markus for letting me occupy your wonderful living room in Nättraby a couple of months a year! Thank you Ola Melin for making space for me at Malmö City Parks department for six months in 2013. Thank you Maria Kyllin for initially