Speaker: Hilda Wenander (Linköping University)
In person at Niagara C0826 and on Zoom.
Abstract: This presentation draws on the PhD thesis “Politics of Transformative Housing Developments: Planning, Participation and Privilege in Sustainability-Profiled Neighbourhoods in Sweden”.
For many cities, new sustainable housing developments are the solution to both a housing shortage and to a need to advance sustainable urban transformations. While Swedish municipalities hold a central role in urban development, new sustainability-profiled neighbourhoods are shaped at the intersection of various interests related to the market, to welfare state policies and to transformative ambitions. Despite the intentions of such flagship projects to develop transformative housing, they have also been criticised for not meeting the sustainability ambitions. Departing from this critique, the thesis investigates the role of different types of politics in the development of, and living in, sustainable housing, and with what effects for the transformative potential. The thesis analyses politicisation and depoliticisation dynamics on, and across, the arenas of municipal politics, municipal planning and the home. Using qualitative methods, the thesis investigates the neighbourhoods Vallastaden in Linköping and Brunnshög in Lund – both developed as high-profile flagship projects for sustainable housing. The thesis critically demonstrates both politicisation and depoliticisation in the development of sustainable housing, for example, how municipal dependency on private developers and consensus about economic growth as a necessity leads to depoliticisation, impeding the transformative potential. Additionally, the thesis demonstrates how the limited opportunities for active and intentional participation from residents hampers the realisation of sustainability ambitions and obscures alternatives for sustainability shaped in everyday life. While the thesis empirically shows how depoliticisation results in a lack of affordable and transformative housing, it also highlights everyday life as a fertile ground for politicisation and the fostering of sustainable urban transformations.
This seminar is part of the IUR Brown Bag Seminar Series. Bring your lunch! If you have any questions, please contact Defne Kadioglu and Julie Goodrich.