Upplevd platslöshet i nybyggda Stadsmiljöer En studie av göteborgares platsupplevelser

Abstract

Newly built urban environments are a prominent feature of contemporary Swedish cities, yet are often experienced as anonymous and difficult to feel belonging to. This study examined which physical and aesthetic characteristics of newly built urban environments in Gothenburg co-vary with experiences of placelessness, how these experiences vary between different types of urban environments, and how they relate to individuals' attachment to the city. The study was based on a quantitative survey of 98 respondents, distributed through Gothenburg-oriented groups on social media. Respondents assessed photographs of four newly built urban environments: Kvillebäcken, Masthuggskajen, Fixfabriken and Götaverken using a placelessness index derived from six statements on a five-point Likert scale. The physical and aesthetic characteristics of each area were coded by the researcher along three dimensions: scale, level of detail, and compositional order. The theoretical framework drew on Edward Relph's concept of placelessness, complemented by Yi-Fu Tuan's sense of place and Relph's distinction between insideness and outsideness. The results show that perceived placelessness varies significantly between the four areas. Fixfabriken exhibits the lowest degree of placelessness and Kvillebäcken the highest, with all six comparisons between areas are statistically significant. Compositional order shows the strongest indicative association with perceived placelessness, followed by level of detail, while scale shows no clear relationship. All four areas score above the midpoint of the placelessness scale. No statistically significant relationship was found between respondents' attachment to Gothenburg and their experience of placelessness. The study contributes a quantitative perspective on perceived placelessness in newly built Swedish urban environments, suggesting that compositional order and architectural detail should play a more central role in urban development. The results should however be interpreted as indicative patterns rather than robust conclusions, given the limited statistical basis.