The Conundrum of Planning the Sustainable City
A comparative case study which explores social issues in environmental planning from a Swedish planning context
Abstract
According to the 11th sustainable development goal, cities should be developed in a democratic,
sustainable, and inclusive way. A common planning strategy is the use of densification, which
on one hand can lead to the lowering of a city’s emissions, however on the other hand put
pressure on dealing with social issues. From the perspective of the planner’s triangle and based
on a qualitative content analysis of comprehensive municipal plans in three major cities in
Sweden, this thesis explores how the creation of an environmentally friendly city can be
designed considering social issues as well as inclusive and democratic planning. The findings
show that all the three cities’ comprehensives plans are set to develop an attractive and dense
city, which in turn will increase the cities’ economic growth. This will be done with the
development of high-quality green areas, city districts with environmental profiles, energy
efficient housing, and housing for everyone. The following conclusions have been made; green
areas are used to create a more social and spatial just city as a planning strategy in the studied
cities comprehensive plans. Although when it comes to the development of environmentally
friendly city districts and energy efficient housing, there is a lack of inclusivity and democratic
perspective, which highlights the fact of the importance of including the aspect of social issues
in environmental planning.
Degree
Student essay
View/ Open
Date
2022-11-11Author
Ellysdotter, Felicia
Keywords
The Planner´s Triangle, Eco gentrification, Densification, Critical Urban Theory, The Right to the City, Democratic and Inclusive Planning, Comprehensive Plans,Sweden
Series/Report no.
Masteruppsats i Geografi med kulturgeografisk inriktning 2022:4
Language
eng