Social housing and segregation in Sweden : from residential segregation to social integration in public space

• Segregation in the larger cities clearly appears as one of the major social problems of contemporary Swedish society. According to public research it is a problem that concerns its very foundations. Still, many of the actions taken in recent years are criticised for being ineffective. There is reason to believe that a fundamental reason for this is lack of knowledge possible to apply in practical planning. A dimension of the issue that is especially problematic in this regard is the spatial dimension of social segregation. Segregation is obviously an inherently spatial concept. Even so, the issue is often analysed and discussed using quite simple spatial models and weak theories on the relation between spatial and social phenomena. In this paper the aim is therefore to discuss some of the common spatial assumptions that from the point of view of spatial analysis can be devious. Partly it concerns the concept of “areas”, within which urban geography is recognised as a profoundly problematic spatial concept and form of representation. Partly it concerns the assumption that social segregation should be defined from the point of view of “residential constitution” of such areas, where there is reason to ask whether not segregation in public space is a far more urgent issue. Some preliminary analyses will be presented that suggest that such a point of departure can prove fruitful.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Arkitektur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Architecture (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

urban form

space syntax

social segregation

housing

Sweden

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)