Increasing shares of elderly in European populations have initiated debates about where and how they will reside. Our main hypothesis is that when moving in this phase of life the most common move would be a move from a suburban location in owner occupation to a more centrally located apartment. This would be in line with the discussion that older people when they retire or the children have moved out want to take part in the culture of city living, such as concerts, theatres and museums in addition to enjoying a more convenient type of housing. This we argue, is the assumed residential pattern during the third age and a possible part of a mobility cycle as described by Rossi (1955). There are qualitative and survey studies pointing to such a residential mobility trend among seniors and increased mobility rates among young seniors have been shown statistically. However, quantitative tests showing a central or suburban destination and type of tenure chosen by the movers are still lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the local geographical mobility and tenure choice of older people. The analysis was made using a register database, Geoswede, comprising the total Swedish population. Moves of the cohorts born in the 1920s, 1930s and the 1940s were followed between 2001 and 2006. Using five distances to the municipal’s population core we concluded that a centralized mobility pattern could be observed among elderly movers in Sweden. The two older cohorts made such moves whereas the majority of the young cohort moved to more peripheral destinations. Also, movers from owner occupation in the cohort born in the 1940s to a larger extent move within owner occupation and make short distance moves. This is further analysed through the use of three case municipalities. Increased knowledge about the mobility rates and residential patterns of the studied cohorts, that constitute two out of nine million people in Sweden, will have an impact on planning issues.

Planning for the housing situation of an ageing population is one of the challenges of many countries. To increase our understanding of the needs of the ageing population, a nationwide survey stratified on age and municipality type was conducted. Research questions referred to the current housing situation and plans. The aim was to investigate how preferences, location, and/or the type of housing preferred changes with age and if they are housing market dependent. Results of 10-year cohorts show that the most marked change is between the cohort 75–84 years old and the oldest cohort 85+. There is a gradual change over time of moves from large to small housing, from owner-occupation to rented housing. Respondents in the major cities and in the rural or tourism-dependent municipalities are less inclined to move compared to those from other types of municipalities. The study predicts a shortage of rented apartments.

Planning for the housing situation of an ageing population is one of the challenges of many countries today. In Sweden housing provision is mainly a matter at the municipal level and although the municipalities do not provide housing themselves, they can facilitate for the actors to realise their housing plans and influence the situation in the housing market. In or-der to do this successfully, knowledge about the housing preferences of the different actors is crucial. Most people today remain in ordinary housing all through life. In Sweden only 5 per cent of the population aged 65 and above move to assisted living. This results in greater de-mands on the housing that is available in the ordinary housing market and on the municipali-ties in ascertaining that suitable housing is being provided. In order to increase our under-tanding of the needs and wants of the ageing population, a survey was conducted in 2013 in which the respondents answered questions about their current housing situation and their housing plans for the future. The research questions raised regarded the choice of housing location in relation to the respondents’ current housing, similarly the choice of tenure and housing size and if there are differences in the choices made depending of the age of the indi-vidual and in the type of municipality in which they live. The survey was sent out nation-wide, to 4000 people aged 55 years and older resulting in a response rate at 60,7 per cent (2400 individual), the oldest respondent being 103 years old.

In this study the housing plans as regard location and housing type were in focus. The aim was to distinguish if there is a time in life when the locations and/or the type of housing the respondents would prefer changes, a tipping point. Preliminary results of 10 year cohorts show that the most frequent the movers are those aged 55-65 and 85 and older, the former mainly moving within the same tenure whereas the latter are more likely to change tenure, into rental housing which is more often located in central areas in the municipality.

Planning for the housing situation of an ageing population is one of the challenges of many countries today. In Sweden housing provision is mainly a matter at the municipal level where the municipalities take on the responsibility for facilitating for the different actors to realise their housing plans and for influencing the situation in the housing market. In order to do this successfully, knowledge about the housing preferences of the different actors is crucial. Most people today remain in ordinary housing all through life. In Sweden only 5 per cent of the population aged 65 and above move to assisted living. This results in greater demands on the housing that is available in the ordinary housing market and on the municipalities in ascertaining that suitable housing is being provided. In order to increase our understanding of the needs and wants of the ageing population, a survey named SHIELD, Survey of Housing Intentions among the ELDerly, was conducted in 2013 in which the respondents answered questions about their current housing situation and their housing plans for the future. The research questions raised regarded the choice of tenure and housing size and were stratified on age and municipality type to certify analyses of these variables. The SHIELD-survey was sent out nation-wide, to 4000 people aged 55 years and older resulting in a response rate at 60,7 per cent (2400 individual). In this study the housing preferences as regard housing, housing location and housing type were in focus in relation to age. The aim was to distinguish if there is a time in life when the preferences, locations and/or the type of housing the respondents would prefer changes, a tipping point. Preliminary results of 10 year cohorts show that the most marked change in preferences and behaviour is between the cohort 75-84 years old and the oldest cohort 85+ but it is also evident from the study that there is a gradual change over time, such as moves from large to small housing, from owner occupation to rental housing that begin already between the first two cohorts, 55–64 and 65–74 years old. The survey shows that in general respondents in the major cities and in the rural or tourism-dependent municipalities are less inclined to move compared to respondents from other types of municipalities.

The increasing proportion of elderly in European populations has prompted debate about where and how they will reside. Our main hypothesis is that when moving in this phase of life the most common move would be one from a suburban location in owner occupation to a more central location. This would be in line with the popular belief that older people, when they retire or when the children have moved out, want to take part in the culture of city living, such as concerts, theatres and museums in addition to enjoying a more convenient type of housing. This, we argue, is the assumed residential pattern during the third age and a possible part of a mobility cycle as described by Rossi (1955). The aim of this study was to examine the local geographical mobility and tenure of older people. The analysis was made using a register database, Geoswede, comprising the total Swedish population. Moves of the cohorts born in the 1920s, 1930s and the 1940s were followed between 2001 and 2006. Using five distances to the municipal population core a centralized mobility pattern could be observed. The two older cohorts made such moves, whereas the majority of the youngest cohort moved to peripheral destinations. From analysis of three case municipalities, it was shown that movers from owner occupation in the cohort born in the 1940s moved within owner occupation to a greater extent and made short distance moves. This type of knowledge will have an impact on planning issues.

A number of smaller municipalities have decreasing population rates. Generally, the young move out, increasing the proportion of older people. To increase our understanding of the living conditions of an ageing population in small municipalities, a postal survey was conducted in three small, semi-rural municipalities in southern Sweden. In the survey the respondents answered questions about their living situation and their housing plans. The aim of this study was to investigate the housing situation and housing plans of the very old in semi-rural areas and research questions analysed for this study concerned the current housing situation and plans for future housing. A total of 1386 surveys were sent out in March 2014, to all inhabitants aged 80 years or more, residing in the ordinary housing market in the three municipalities, the response rate was 60%. The results show that most of the respondents were firmly rooted in the area as most of them had lived in the municipality for more than 20 years and 60% had lived in their current dwelling for more than 20 years. Ageing in place was the dominating plan, although one quarter of the respondents answered that they did not know what would happen in the future. Those who planned to move wanted to move to housing that required less maintenance and to a more central location. Residential mobility is at play also in old age as 27% of the respondents had moved at some point during the last 10 years, i.e., after the age of 70.

Man's impact on nature has created major problems that threaten our own existence as well asall life on earth. This thesis is based on the nature conservation method rewilding, which isabout recreating something that once was. With this essay, we want to draw attention to man'splace in nature and thus give rewilding a broader definition. An interview with the projectmanager for the nature restoration project LIFE - Bridging the Gap has been carried out and amedia analysis of the project's information films. The collected material has been compiled tothen perform a discourse analysis of how natural values are presented in the project. Theidentified discourses are put in a cultural theoretical perspective. The results show thatrewilding is presented as something disconnected from humans, but the definition according toprevious research can still be applied to the project. The oak landscape acquires cultural andhuman values. We found that the re-creation of nature also means the re-creation of culture.Which led to the conclusion that rewilding also means re-creating culture. 

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development.

With a growing world population, changing climate, and a greater reliance on electricity, global energy consumption is expected to continue to increase. Solar and wind energy are good options as they are renewable, safe and do not contribute to a lot of emissions as other energy sources. As both energy sources are growing in capacity, it is necessary that they are properly integrated in the planning processes, which should be reflected in the planning documents of municipalities.

The aim of this thesis was to examine and compare how the municipalities of Linköping and Örebro integrate wind and solar energy into their planning documents. Additionally, to study the role of external actors and identify possible obstacles for the expansion of renewable energy production in the municipalities.

The documents from both municipalities revealed that both municipalities integrate renewable energy through specific goals and plans for wind and solar energy. Linköping focuses on becoming a leader in solar energy production, while Örebro faces fewer obstacles in expanding both wind and solar energy. Both municipalities also work with energy companies and collaborate with various actors to achieve renewable energy goals, as the companies contribute with knowledge, finances, and innovation. The main challenges identified include prohibited areas designated by the armed forces, possible opposition from local communities, and long application processes.

Although the research questions were responded to, the potential outcome of this thesis is recognised to have been enhanced and produced more substantial results and contributions, if a more comprehensive method approach was taken.

For the last 15 years Västra hamnen (Western Harbor) in Malmö, and Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm have been the major flagships of Swedish international eco-city ambitions. These city development projects are presented both as leading examples of the conversion of former industrial harbor areas and of environmental adaptation of densely built urban environments. Western Harbor is a centrally located former shipyard area which, since the end of the 1990s, has developed into a mixed city area for housing, schools, offices, shops and other workplaces as well as for recreational areas with beaches, parks and yacht harbors. Since its first phase, part of a housing expo in 2001, it has attracted international interest for its dense architecture, bold energy goals based on varied local renewable energy production, household waste systems, green and blue structures, and dialogue processes. By 2031, when the area is completed, it is expected to be the home for 25,000 people and 25,000 workplaces. In 2014, there were 7,300 inhabitants and more than 12,000 work places in Western Harbor, already twice of the work force of the former shipyard at its height.

Skellefteå is in an expansive urban development phase that causes higher demands on the traffic system. The study aims to investigate the local planning of public transport and how it relates to a Bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Transit-oriented development (TOD), which involves a co-planning of public transport and settlements, forms the theoretical framework of the study and is closely linked to BRT. The method consisted of semi-structured interviews and document analysis of policy documents from Skellefteå municipality. The study show that the traffic network in the central urban area consists of poor accessibility, which the municipality wants to solve by developing the public transport. In this development there are aspects that are similar to BRT, but some parts that deviate from it. It is possible to distinguish signs of TOD in the local planning, which also facilitates a BRT implementation. There are thus tendencies and approaches for a BRT development, but where other similar alternatives are considered.

Interest has grown over recent years in policy programs targeting a green, bio-based economy. In the European Union, the European Commission promotes the development of bioeconomy policy and encourages the use of biomass and waste for industrial purposes. Alongside these technical dimensions, European bioeconomy policy also promotes knowledge sharing, learning from others, and so-called ‘best practice’. Consequently, many European places and policymakers that have committed to developing a bio-based economy are now sharing their positive policy experiences. However, sharing ‘best practice’ for green economy policy programs has sometimes been described as producing oversimplified views of complex climate issues. Despite such criticisms, policymakers continue to search for and share bioeconomy policy ‘best practice’. This paper explores the development of bioeconomy policy with a focus on shareability and dissemination of ‘best practice’ in two Swedish regions, Värmland and Västerbotten. Herein, we adopt the conceptual underpinnings of urban policy mobilities to explain green policymaking, and more specifically bioeconomy policy development on a regional scale. So far, policy mobilities research has had a primarily urban focus, whereas this paper provides valuable insights into how these processes take place within regional and more peripheral settings. Thus, we seek to understand the role of ‘best practice’ in the development of regional bioeconomy policies and which elements of these policies are promoted as transferable elsewhere.

I Stormän, bönder och landbor undersöks jordägofördelningen under 1500-talets första hälft i Kalmar län och på Öland. Utifrån kamerala förteckningar från denna tid studeras och beskrivs fördelningen mellan jordnaturerna: skattejord, frälsejord, kronojord, kyrkojord och arv och eget-jord.

Med detta som utgångspunkt och syfte genomförs uppsatsens undersökning, vilken är tudelad i en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ del. I den första kvantitativa delen undersöks Kalmar län och Ölands härader och socknar beträffande jordägofördelningen under undersökningsperioden. I den andra mer kvalitativa undersökningsdelen presenteras olika förklaringsmodeller till de mönster som framträtt i den första delen.

Tidigare forskning inom området fungerar som en teoretisk utgångspunkt eller ram för uppsatsen, och då kanske främst för den kvalitativa undersökningsdelen. Resultatet i den kvantitativa, första delen presenteras i 6 olika geografiska områden utifrån de mönster i jordägofördelningen som framträtt. Dessa tolkas därefter med hjälp av de teoretiska utgångspunkterna som inledningsvis redogjorts för. Även lokala faktorer med relevans för sammanhanget vägs in, exempelvis topografi och tidig bebyggelsestruktur i området. Därigenom framkommer uppsatsens kvalitativa resultat i form av ovan nämnda förklaringsmodeller, en för var och ett av de 6 områdena.

I uppsatsens avslutande del presenteras resultaten från uppsatsen tematiskt utifrån de olika jordnaturerna. Samtidigt ställs uppsatsens resultat i relation med de teoretiska utgångspunkter och den tidigare forskning som finns inom området i en avslutande diskussion. Uppsatsens resultat både bekräftar vissa tidigare formulerade teorier, samtidigt som det motsäger andra teorier. Därför skulle studien kunna fungera som exempel eller på annat sätt styrka eller bestrida den tidigare, men även kommande forskning inom jordägofördelningen under medeltid eller tidigmodern tid.

Denna uppsats är fokuserad på Vrinneviskogens kulturlämningar och kulturmiljöer. Den omfattar även en kulturgeografisk studie över Vrinneviskogen. Det innebär att det geografiska rummet är koncentrerat till en geografisk yta som omfattar hela nuvarande Vrinneviskogen. Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att inventera och dokumentera  kulturlämningar och kulturmiljöer i undersökningsområdet. Jag att har undersökt områdets kulturmiljöer och orsaken till varför kulturgeografiska värden fortfarande är jämförelsevis okända i utredningar och i skötselplaner. Jag har utfört i undersökningsområdet utfört en fältinventering med både nutida och historiska kartor och med en GPS. Resultatet har sedan blivit digitaliserat till ett GIS-skikt i ett dataprogram.

Kulturlämningarna och kulturmiljöerna i Vrinneviskogens naturreservat förekommer endast begränsat i skötselplanen över naturreservatet. Det saknades ett tillräckligt underlag och information om områdets kulturmiljöer och kulturlämningar i skötselplanen. Kulturlämningarna och kulturmiljöerna i Vrinneviskogens naturreservat är inte integrerade i skötselplanen, vilket innebär att det historiska landskapet till stora delar förblir okänt och ställt vid sidan av värden för natur och friluftsliv. Fornlämningsregistret innehöll utförlig information om fornlämningar från  bronsåldern och järnåldern i undersökningsområdet. Men fornlämningarna var mest isolerade punkter i landskapet och på kartan. Vrinneviskogens senare historia och kulturmiljöer saknas i till stora delar fornminnesregistret. Det som återstår är ett fragmentariskt kulturlandskap, utan koppling mellan de olika tidperioderna som format 2000-talets landskap i Vrinneviskogen. Vid min fältundersökning hösten och vintern 2009-2010 upptäcktes och registrerades 122 st. nya kulturlämningar. Det historiska kartmaterialet innehöll värdefull information om äldre kulturmiljöer i undersökningsområdet. Genom att studera informationen på häradskartan, de äldre och de yngre ekonomiska kartorna och jämföra den i fält kunde drygt 80 % av ruiner efter torp och backstugor återfinnas i fält.

Många av de upptäckta kulturlämningarna hade inte registrerats vid tidigare inventeringar, särskilt de många stenbrotten, torplämningarna, stenmurarna och de fossila åkrarna. Fältinventeringen innebar en avsevärd förändrad bild av kulturlämningarna i undersökningsområdet. Min undersökning visa att Vrinneiskogen utgör ett i värdefullt och intressant landskap i centrala Norrköping. Men det finns samtidigt goda förutsättningar att lyfta fram Vrinneviskogens kulturgeografi och kulturmiljöer för olika målgrupper. Något som positivt skulle bidra med detta är att synliggöra kulturhistorien och dess människor som levt i Vrinneviskogen till nya generationer genom särskilda informationstavlor och skyltar i landskapet samt broschyrer och kartor.

The issue of residential segregation has been on the Swedish political agenda since the early 1970s. This paper analyses the background for this interest, presents some basic features of socio-economic and ethnic residential segregation, and discusses some fundamental contextual properties regarding the Swedish welfare state, its institutional set-up and changes in housing and other policies that have affected the conditions for segregation processes. Three more specific anti-segregation policies are also identified and analysed: housing and social mix policy (first initiated in the 1970s); the refugee dispersal policy (initiated in the 1980s); and the area-based urban policy (initiated in the 1990s). Of these three, the last two have a clear ethnic focus while mix policies primarily aim for socio-economic and demographic mix. The analysis shows that none of the policies have managed to affect levels of segregation more than marginally, the reasons being ineffective implementation (the mix policy), failures in the design (the refugee dispersal policy) or conflicting aims inherent in the policy (area-based interventions).

Motivation The Solidarity Economy movement emerged in Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s as an alternative mode of production led by mutual principles, such as co-operative work, self-management, and consensual distribution of economic gains. Much has been developed on its potential to include groups marginalized by capitalism in new development schemes, but to date there has been no work regarding immigrants participation specifically. This research aims to fill this gap. Purpose The article investigates the importance of the partnership between institutions in the host country and immigrants to their insertion in the Solidarity Economy Fairs in Florianopolis. It questions to what extent it has furthered income generation, the formation of social identity, and the construction of community ties. Methods and approach The approach is anchored in intervention-research, proposing a socio-analytical intervention (Aguiar & Rocha, 2007). To pursue qualitative research, an online form was distributed to participants at the Immigrant Fair. The form comprised semi-structured interviews, with the possibility of giving free answers. Findings The data analysis reveals the nuances of the life trajectory of recent immigrants in Brazil: people, mostly of Latin American origin, over 30 years of age, seeking economic insertion in another country. For them, the Solidarity Economy has offered a possibility for social and economic insertion in Brazil. The opportunity for marginalized populations to engage with the Solidarity Economy offers an effective tool against systemic competition. The Fair operates as an alternative to the insertion into the capitalist market for outsider groups, enabling new ways to conduct economic life within the capitalist economy. Policy implications Our findings suggest that the Fair has provided immigrants both the means to obtain a weekly (although unstable) financial income and their social integration-it requires interaction with other immigrants, state agents, tourists, and the local community. The social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized both outcomes. In order to consolidate solidarity ventures and immigrants enterprises, there is an urgent need to implement a public policy regarding immigrants social and economic rights in Santa Catarina State.

An argument within the wider theory of postpolitics that has gained traction over the last decade is that environmental concerns in general, and climate policy in particular, are especially conducive to depoliticization. In this paper, we take issue with this notion by presenting an empirical case study of the repoliticization of Swedish mining and then, on the basis of this analysis, offer theoretical reflections on how to better understand depoliticization and repoliticization of the environment. We argue for the use of a narrow definition of 'depoliticization', and that sufficient attention must be paid to temporal and scalar differentiation of continuous processes of de- and repoliticization, and that normative assumptions of what constitutes the genuinely political should be abandoned. We argue that environmental concerns harbour large potential for effective politicization, and that this politicization occurs as a response to depoliticization, through concurrent, cross-fertilizing and intertwined processes of repoliticization across scales both inside and outside of formal channels of government, whereby previously depoliticized state agencies may become crucial.

Den svenska gruvpolitiken under 2000-talet kan i stora drag sammanfattas som präglad av ett pånyttfött intresse från statligt håll för framförallt de exploateringsmässiga förutsättningarna för gruvindustrin, och en social mobilisering på lokal såväl som nationell nivå mot den förda politiken. Denna utveckling har ägt rum i kontexten av en internationell så kallad »boom and bust« – konjunkturuppgång-följt av nedgång – vilken på avgörande vis har bestämt förutsättningarna för det statliga intresset för gruvindustrin liksom för lokala intressegruppers förhoppningar och farhågor gällande gruvindustriell expansion. Sådana konjunkturcykler är en naturlig del av all form av gruvverksamhet. Det kan därför finnas anledning att från dagens utsiktspunkt, med ett visst retrospektivt avstånd till den turbulenta tiden kring Northland Resources konkurs och vid en tid då världsmarknadspriser såväl som produktionssiffror verkar ha börjat klättra uppåt igen, ställa oss frågan vilka lärdomar vi har möjlighet att dra av just denna boom och bust.

I detta kapitel försöker vi förklara hur förhoppningar, idéer och löften tillsammans skapade stora förväntningar på ett gruvprojekt i Pajala, ett demografiskt och ekonomiskt stagnerande samhälle ovanför polcirkeln, något som ledde till etableringen av en gruva som lades ned efter bara två års produktion. Syftet är att skapa en förståelse av hur de centrala aktörernas förväntningshorisonter formades av specifika intressen i förening med historiska föreställningar knutna till platsen. Särskilt intresse ägnas åt att analysera hur dessa förväntningar under en period förenades i en för de berörda aktörerna gemensam förväntningshorisont som drev projektet framåt. Vi visar också hur den gemensamma förväntningshorisonten upplöstes efter en likviditetskris i bolaget, vilket blottlade de avsevärda skillnaderna mellan de berörda aktörernas ståndpunkter, i samband med att de olika aktörerna återvände till sina utgångspositioner. Med andra ord undersöker kapitlet hur förväntningshorisonter formas kring storskalig, långsiktig och råvarubaserad industriproduktion i avfolkningsbygder, inom ramen för en ekonomi som i övrigt är inriktad på kortsiktig ekonomisk tillväxt, globala kapitalflöden och konsumtion.

Under 1900-talet försåg Norrland den svenska staten med råvaror som lade grunden för Sveriges utveckling till välfärdssamhälle. Den svenska ekonomin har dock efterhand alltmer inriktats på att skapa ekonomiska värden på andra sätt än genom råvaruutvinning och varuproduktion. Sverige har med andra ord omvandlats till det som ofta benämns som en post-fordistisk ekonomi,460 vilket ger upphov till frågor om vilket socialt ansvar staten ska ta på sig för platser som fortfarande är beroende av tung industri och varuproduktion för att upprätthålla sin lokala ekonomi och sysselsättning. Samtidigt har emellertid betydelsen av svensk gruvindustri understrukits i EUs råvaruinitiativ från 2008. Där bedöms självförsörjningen av råvaror inom EU som avgörande för framtiden.461 Sverige står för omkring 91 % av Europas järnmalmsproduktion och är en inom EU ledande producent av en rad andra strategiskt viktiga metaller.462 Den svenska regeringen har också i linje med EUs råvaruinitiativ understrukit sina ambitioner att skapa incitament för en intensifierad gruvverksamhet i landet.463 Som ett svar på såväl EUs initiativ som den parlamentariska oppositionens krav på reformering av gruvpolitiken lanserade alliansregeringen 2013 en Mineralstrategi, som syftade till att stödja och stimulera gruvverksamheten i landet, huvudsakligen genom nyliberalt färgad avreglering och undanröjande av potentiella hinder för gruvetableringar.464 Relationen mellan den svenska staten och lokalsamhällen som är beroende av utvinning och produktion av mineraler präglas således av utvecklingstendenser som kan antas motverka varandra, vilket gör dessa lokalsamhällens roll i statens industripolitik som helhet mycket oviss.

Historiskt sett så kan relationen mellan det liberalt kapitalistiska systemet och miljön beskrivas som en dubbel rörelse mellan ett kontinuerligt ökande resursuttag och statens ökade befogenheter att administrera miljöförstörande verksamheter.148 En viktig faktor för ett förbättrat skydd av miljön har parallellt med den liberala kapitalismens framväxt varit allmänhetens miljömedvetenhet, som har satt press på staten att införa miljömässigt motiverade regleringar. Givet hur ett nyliberalt beslutsfattande ofta verkar avpolitiserande, dvs. det strävar efter samstämmighet mellan grupper och en ökad grad av formalisering av sakfrågorna, har det blivit allt svårare för civilsamhället att påverka politiken. Detta beror också på att miljölagstiftningen anpassas för att gynna det privata kapitalets intressen, samtidigt som besluten ofta förläggs till teknokratiska processer i vilka ansvaret för miljön blir diffust.149 Trots detta utmanas avpolitiseringen av kontinuerliga försök till återpolitisering. Kraven höjs på att ansvar utkrävs av de politiker vars beslut påverkar livsbetingelserna för lokalsamhällen och deras omgivningar, och på att andra intressen än dem som gynnas och skyddas av ett avpolitiserat beslutsfattande också beaktas och tillåts påverka den politiska dagordningen....

Under 2000-talet har svensk gruvpolitik tagit plats som en av de mest omdebatterade och omstridda inhemska miljöfrågorna. Den har engagerat människor över hela landet och över institutionella gränser, från lokala aktionsgrupper, genom nybildade protestnätverk till statliga myndigheter och riksdagen. Kanske inte trots utan just på grund av gruvindustrins långa historia i Sverige har den visat sig kunna alstra politiska energier gällande frågor som i allra högsta grad har relevans för dagens och morgondagens samhälle. Det är frågor som gäller vårt samhälles relation till naturen, statens relation till samhället, och minoritetsgruppers och enskildas rättigheter i relation till staten.

Denna bok belyser genom fallstudier ett antal av de skärningspunkter där den statliga regleringen, den globala finans- och mineralmarknaden, samt lokala intressen, praktiker, förväntningar och farhågor har mötts och satt sin prägel på den svenska gruvpolitiken under 2000-talet. Tillsammans kan studierna läsas som ett vittnesmål om förnyade krav på statligt ansvarstagande för miljö, regional utveckling och ursprungsbefolkningsrättigheter i den långt drivna avregleringspolitikens tid.

Theories of urban scaling have demonstrated remarkable predictive accuracy at aggregate levels. However, they have overlooked the stark inequalities that exist within cities. Human networking and productivity exhibit heavy-tailed distributions, with some individuals contributing disproportionately to city totals. Here we use micro-level data from Europe and the United States on interconnectivity, productivity and innovation in cities. We find that the tails of within-city distributions and their growth by city size account for 36–80% of previously reported scaling effects, and 56–87% of the variance in scaling between indicators of varying economic complexity. Providing explanatory depth to these findings, we identify a mechanism—city size-dependent cumulative advantage—that constitutes an important channel through which differences in the size of tails emerge. Our findings demonstrate that urban scaling is in large part a story about inequality in cities, implying that the causal processes underlying the heavier tails in larger cities must be considered in explanations of urban scaling. This result also shows that agglomeration effects benefit urban elites the most, with the majority of city dwellers partially excluded from the socio-economic benefits of growing cities.

The preservation of agricultural land in locations close to the city has for a long time been de-prioritized in physical planning. Circumstances such as pandemic, war and climate change have meant that issues affecting agricultural land have once again been raised to the surface. The purpose of this study is therefore to, based on a contemporary context, contribute to an increased understanding of the driving forces underlying land use changes on agricultural land in Linköping municipality. This is because agricultural land that is used for development and exploitation can be seen as problematic from both a national and international food supply perspective. The study's empirical evidence was collected through qualitative interviews and then analyzed using theory regarding driving forces and land use changes and thematic analysis. The result of our essay, based on previous research, demonstrates a problem in how agricultural land is managed today within physical planning. This is because a number of different factors point to shortcomings when it comes to responsibility and management of agricultural land.

Med denna bok vill vi vidga perspektiven och visa på möjligheter att se kommunal ekonomi i ett bredare perspektiv och söka en annan kommunal ekonomi. Vi vill visa att det i en landsbygdskommun och dess bygder finns och används mer resurser för att skapa välfärd och ett gott liv än det som i dag räknas och därmed syns i den kommunala ekonomin där man räknar kronor och ören. Genom att vända och utveckla perspektiven kring ekonomi vill vi peka på behovet av att se och synliggöra fler resurser som gör att resurshushållning utifrån lokala förutsättningar bidrar till en integrerad och hållbar utveckling för landsbygden.

Utrikes födda akademiker accepterar yrken som de är överkvalificerade för. Detta innebär att utrikes födda akademikers kompetens och erfarenhet inte utnyttjas på den svenska arbetsmarknaden. Syftet med denna studie är att studera hur utrikes födda akademiker upplever deras arbetssituation. Fokusfrågorna är varför utrikes födda akademiker accepterar yrken de är överkvalificerade för, om språket och kulturen har påverkat akademikernas chanser till att integreras på arbetsmarknaden samt hur utrikes födda akademiker upplever den institutionella diskrimineringen. För att uppnå syftet har jag utfört en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning. Jag utförde sex intervjuer med personer som är födda och utbildade i Mellanöstern i länder så som Irak, Syrien, Palestina och Jordanien. Mina informanter immigrerade till Sverige mellan 1994-2009. Resultatet visar att det finns ett antal faktorer som bidrar till att utrikes födda akademiker inte lyckas integrerar på arbetsmarknaden. De faktorerna är till exempel brister i det svenska språket, få arbetsmarknadsrelaterade nätverk samt den institutionella diskrimineringen som utrikes födda akademiker stöter på ute på arbetsmarknaden.

The following essay aims to illuminate how buildings and areas carrying uncomfortable heritage are managed in the planning of our communities. The study is based on three different examples: Sankta Gertruds sjukhus in Västervik municipality, Söderby sjukhus in Salem municipality, and Säters Fasta Paviljong in Säters municipality. Parts of the history of these places encompass human suffering and death, constituting the uncomfortable heritage. The management of uncomfortable heritage and how it affects and is affected by society were analyzed through document analysis and interviews with four different stakeholders. Our results show that the interviewees have a positive view of these places despite being aware of their uncomfortable heritage. This is because history coexists with new parts and is partially mitigated through adaptive reuse. The study indicates that buildings with uncomfortable heritage can be places contributing to the continued development of communities and ultimately to mankind remembering and taking responsibility for their historical mistakes.

Residential segregation is a major challenge facing Swedish cities today, with its consequences putting a significant toll on society as a whole. Gothenburg Municipality has named segregation the municipality ́s biggest challenge and one of the main focuses for the municipality to handle going forward. With this increased focus on segregation in the municipality of Gothenburg, this thesis is set out to study the municipality ́s view and interpretation of residential segregation as a problem and, through that, the municipality’s ambitions and policies to tackle segregation. This has been done through semi-structured interviews with officials within the municipal organisation, spanning multiple departments and document analysis of the main municipal documents laying out Gothenburg municipality ́s work on residential segregation. The results of this thesis show a multi-faceted approach to the municipality ́s ambitions to tackle segregation, with different approaches being favoured among the municipal departments. With the growing concern for the problems with residential segregation, new policies taking a different approach on its view of the foundational problem with segregation.

Since the 1990s and the headways of neoliberalism, the city is seen as the agent of creativity and innovation. In Sweden, the devolution of state power to the regional and city-level has implied enhanced focus on the city as the ideal entity for planning. These neoliberal policies have also led to increased urban and rural gentrification, and as a result widening gaps both within and between cities, regions and rural areas. At the same time wider neoliberal discourses and urban as well as regional policies promote city-regions, leading to the marginalization of rural areas in both policy and planning. Within policy circles, the countryside is seen mainly as an arena and resource for leisure and tourism, reinforcing images of rural areas as incidental or ancillary spaces. However we argue that humans are not passive receivers of policies about what constitutes the good life. Humans are landscapers in both an individual and collective sense. We experience and shape the world through the embodiment of practices and meanings constituted relationally with both other humans as well as the more-than-human world. The article discusses the gaps between current ideals of city and regional planning and the more-than-representational landscapes in the life and dwelling of human beings. We argue that regional and national Swedish polices are contested, especially in relation to notions of what constitutes the good life in rural areas.

The term socken – comparable to the English term parish – refers to a historical geographical entity found in rural areas of Scandinavia. This entity presents a multi-layered understanding of the local rural area and is in this essay conceptualized as a place. The concept of place is central to geographic work but it is also a contested term – discourses within the field of geography present different perspectives on place as a geographical concept and our understanding of it.

The history of parishes goes centuries back. The parish has throughout this period of time become an essential part of the local rural geography, in the 20th century however, the parish – as an autonomous rural entity – has been abandoned for larger administrative areas resulting in changes in the local geography in rural spaces. The concept of the parish is however not easily made rid of: it is still viewed as a relevant part of the conceptualization of the local and the man-land relationship.

The understanding of what makes out the local area and its significance is a relevant inquiry. This essay explores the parish as a geographical place considering the multi-layered aspects of the concept and the different understandings of place represented by diverse geographical discourses. A field study carried out in the rural municipality of Ydre in east Sweden explores the construction of the local area by understanding the parish as place.

Natural resource-based livelihoods in mountainous regions are subject to new types of development as well as climate related pressures and vulnerabilities. On one hand, the integrity of the mountainous landscape is under pressure from the melting of glaciers, changes in water availability, rainfall patterns, and soil degradation. On the other hand, as mountainous environments become increasingly more important in national growth strategies and development priorities, new avenues for livelihoods and vulnerabilities become more pronounced. Climate change effects are expected to be disproportionately higher in mountainous regions. There is therefore a critical urgency to better comprehend these changes shaping mountainous environments and to better assess future direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services and livelihoods. This article presents the results of an analysis of ecosystem services and livelihoods in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. The region was selected for its particular trans-Himalayan location, development diversity, and climatic changes that have placed increasing pressure on local ecosystem services. We examine the central role of ecosystem services for remote mountain regions, particularly for the poor, the existing pressures on the key ecosystem services and local ways of adapting to climate-induced effect to ecosystem services and, cogeneration of the knowledge gaps and co-production of knowledge with communities to support local adaptation strategies. We adopted a combination of qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches. We found significant implications for local livelihoods and adaptation strategies with reference to water for farming, pasture productivity and livestock rearing, as well as tourism development. Additionally, we highlight knowledge gaps in assessing ecosystem services and opportunities for local monitoring that may close in on the gaps with an end goal of overcoming poverty.

In this article, we study how Sweden’s transition to a fossil free society is interpreted and experienced by communities whose livelihoods and cultural identities are entangled with carbon-intensive industries. The study draws upon interviews with citizen groups in the coastal city of Lysekil, located next to Scandinavia’s largest oil refinery. Our analysis speaks to a growing scholarly literature on just transitions where we argue that a better understanding of place attachment as an active and operating force in local transition processes, can provide important information for just transition policy design. Based on our research on place attachment in Lysekil, we suggest that inclusivity in just transitions, implies acknowledging and addressing more than material aspects of loss, involving loss of direction, loss of identities and loss of imagined futures. Moreover, we argue that the vision of an inclusive transition requires a more nuanced approach to the concept of “community” which recognises different stories, voices, and perspectives and challenges taken for granted assumptions about local people's priorities in debates on just transitions. Finally, based on our experiences from Lysekil we contend that inclusivity requires communicative spaces where citizens can meet to listen, speak, and discuss future pathways towards a fossil free society. The visions of just and inclusive transitions, we argue, can only be realised if driven by a place-based dialogue on future pathways and if agendas for a fossil free transformation are locally anchored.

A large number of studies have demonstrated that the proportion of home-owners in a region tend to be positively associated with the unemployment levels in that region. In this paper, we introduce a missing piece of explaining this commonly found pattern. By analysing individual-level population register data on Sweden, we jointly examine the effects of micro- and macro-level home-ownership on individuals’ unemployment. The findings indicate that even though home-owners have a lower probability of being unemployed, there is a penalty for both renters and home-owners on unemployment in regions with high home-ownership rates. Differences in mobility patterns cannot explain this pattern. However, when labour market size is considered, the higher probability of unemployment in high home-owning regions is drastically reduced. This suggests that high home-ownership regions tend to coincide with small labour markets, affecting the job matching process negatively.

Increased housing inequalities in Sweden have been on the rise since the 1990s. This fact places demands on Swedish municipalities to address the negative development and work towards sustainable housing provision. Municipal policy documents in the form of housing supply plans and guidelines for land allocation serve as tools for municipalities to impose social demands in the construction and planning of housing. There is a lack of information regarding the extent to which municipalities impose social demands during land allocation with the aim of promoting sustainable housing provision and creating social justice. The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze the extent to which municipalities within the Stockholm Region impose demands for social sustainability in their guidelines for land allocation and housing supply programs, as well as to investigate the correlation between how high and low median income influence social demands in policy documents. The empirical data consists of guidelines for land allocation and housing supply programs from 26 municipalities, which are analyzed through content analysis based on Fainstein's theory of spatial and social justice. By studying the municipalities in the Stockholm Region, the study has brought attention to the inadequate presence of social demands in many cases.

Although the migration of couples and families is well examined, the migration that occurs at the start of co-residence has only been minimally studied. This study examines (1) whether women move more often and move over longer distances at the start of co-residence and (2) whether gender differences (if any) stem from compositional differences between women and men, such as gender differences in ties, or if they are the consequence of the within-couple distribution of bargaining power. The analyses are performed on Swedish population register data from 1991 to 2008, including longitudinal information on the residence of all couples who either married or had a child as cohabitants in 2008, backtracking them to the year of union formation. The results indicate that women are more prone to move for the sake of their male partner in the process of union formation than vice versa. If partners lived in close proximity prior to co-residence, the woman’s increased likelihood of moving and longer distance moved is nearly completely explained by power imbalances in the couple. Gender differences in ties only have minor importance in explaining gender differences in these types of migration patterns. If partners lived far apart prior to co-residence, gender differences are particularly pronounced. These differences remain after adjusting for the two partners’ relative resources. We contribute to the family migration literature by suggesting that women’s higher propensity to move and their longer distance moved are indications that even couples’ decisions at the start of co-residence are made in favour of the man’s career.

Most people with dementia remain living at home as long as possible after being diagnosed, and hence their lives also include activities in the public space. The aim of this study was to illuminate experiences of accessibility in public space in people with Alzheimer’s disease. A qualitative grounded theory approach with repeated in-depth interviews was used. The core category, accessibility as a constantly changing experience, was characterized by changes in the relationship between informants and public space. Changes in the relationship took place in activities and use of place and related to familiarity and comfort, individual motives and interests, and planning and protecting. Other changes occurred in places and problematic situations related to everyday technologies, crowded places with high tempo and noise, and change of landmarks. These changes reduced feelings of accessibility and increased difficulties in carrying out activities in public space. These findings may be helpful when providing support, and supporting community living.

Swedish cities are not only segregated but also segmented along ethnic lines, i.e. different ethnic groups are unevenly distributed across the different tenure segments in the housing market. Immigrants are generally overrepresented in rental housing and underrepresented in home ownership and tenant owner cooperative housing. In this paper, an attempt is made to evaluate the importance of socioeconomic resources in explaining this segmentation, using the Uppsala housing market as a case. By means of binary logistic regression an evaluation is made of the relative importance of socioeconomic resources and ethnic background, while controlling for demographic factors,  in explaining whether a person leaves rental housing for home ownership or cooperative housing or remains in the rental segment. The results show that the socioeconomic situation of the individual is indeed very important. A high income and a stable position in the labour market seem to be crucial in order to advance in the housing market. Demographic and socioeconomic factors cannot, however, fully account for the differences found between Swedes and immigrant groups such as Africans and Eastern Europeans. The results imply that ethnic discrimination cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the underrepresentation of immigrants in the cooperative and owner-occupied segments.

In this article, we investigate the nexus of green city branding and municipal climate networks. In recent decades, a number of formal transnational municipal climate networks have emerged and their membership continues to increase. In parallel, city branding that is based on green policies, has gained importance. Based on quantitative and qualitative data, we assess how and to what extent German cities use their membership in transnational municipal climate networks to communicate green city brands. In contrast to our expectations, we encountered very few indications of green city branding efforts by German cities. Our analysis shows that in general, branding considerations only play a negligible role in the involvement of cities in transnational municipal climate networks or climate policies. Instead, it seems that German cities use their membership in climate networks, to genuinely improve local climate change strategies. We therefore suggest that research on green city branding should be more sensitive to the particular context of cities and efforts should be made to unveil theunderlying motives for the communication of green policies.

Air pollution and quality is one of the major problems in Örebro. Much research has been done to understand the impact of air pollution in urban societies and much more needs to be done in order to understand the implications of air quality impact on the region. Social structures in terms of environmental based planning for good air quality should focus on economic social costs need for new technologies and attainable health costs.

Society can't survive without a healthy environment therefore understanding air quality and how new structures evolve for a practical human environmental interaction, is an absolute necessity for the well being and growth of Örebro region. The paper therefore, is an investigation into air quality impact on the existing structures in Örebro with air pollution as the major subject. It is based on critical evaluation of air pollution as derivative of a symbiotic human interaction with her environment and how contemporary planning structures should be attained. The paper throws light on the strategies being undertaken in Örebro region, in order to attain good health and cheap habitable environment in terms of technological, social and economic development.

Over the years, science parks have developed and improved their processes to offer better support to their tenants and promote the growth of the region in which they are located. Since regional growth is closely associated with groups of talented people, science parks carry out various activities at the company or individual level to attract and recruit talent. In order to understand how such activities have been and are being performed at Mja¨rdevi Science Park in Sweden, the authors highlight and analyse four talent-related cases. Their aim is to identify how talent can be attracted or recruited and to consider the stakeholders, their relationships and their motivations. The results confirm the importance to a science park of being close to a student community and of being connected to an international network with a well-recognized brand.

Urban areas play an important role in attaining the sustainability and energy goals set by municipalities. Despite the often ambitious sustainability visions and goals for new urban areas, there is limited understanding of how these aspirations are integrated into the planning and development process. This paper aims to provide insights into how energy-related visions and goals, in a new district in Sweden, are formulated and further translated into instruments employed by the municipality. Brunnshög, a new sustainability-profiled district in Lund envisioned to become a leading example of sustainable urban development, is used as a case study. The district’s long-term energy goal is to generate more energy than what is used, emphasizing a strong focus on energy efficiency and local renewable energy generation. Key to Brunnshög’s energy strategy is the implementation of the world’s largest low-temperature district heating network supplied with excess heat from two high-tech research facilities. The planning process for Brunnshög began in 2006 and the district is expected to be completed in 2055, accommodating an estimated 40,000 residents and workers.

Adopting a municipal planning perspective, this paper combines analysis of planning documents with interviews conducted with developers and the municipality’s project manager for Brunnshög. The results provide an overview of how the energy-related visions and goals for Brunnshög have been included in the planning documents for the district and describe the utilization of three instruments used by the municipality to achieve these visions and goals: (1) collaboration contract with the local energy company, (2) land allocation competitions, and (3) sustainability agreements with the developers.

The formulation of visions and goals for Brunnshög, divided into long-term visionary goals and more immediate operational goals, allows for adjustments of specific aspects based on changing circumstances while still maintaining a commitment to broader visions and goals. The translation of energy goals into commitments is an evolving process, with the level of ambition influenced by factors such as the demand for housing and office space, competition among developers, and prevailing sustainability trends. This paper concludes that the integration of sustainability criteria into land allocation competitions is a powerful instrument for driving ambitious building projects. However, in contexts where the municipality lacks ownership of the land or faces subdued market conditions, there is a need for additional tools to be developed. Furthermore, sustainability agreements with developers serve as an important tool to track the sustainability commitments made in land allocation competitions. However, implementing a more systematic review and evaluation of these agreements, including long-term assessments, is necessary to learn from the experiences and hold the actors accountable. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of how energy goals can be sustained throughout lengthy urban development processes. Insights gained from development processes such as Brunnshög are essential for implementing the necessary changes to decrease the climate impact of new urban development projects and to mainstream the practices of sustainable urban development.

Genom att vi upplever hästen som en förlåtande vän, som lyssnar utan att värdera, inte skvallrar utan accepterar oss för den vi är, ges vi utrymme att vara autentiska istället för att projicera eller gå i försvar. Vår inre kritiker tystnar genom den medkänsla som vi upplever att hästen erbjuder. Vi blir ödmjuka då vi inte säkert vet vem eller vad som orsakar hästens respons och vi kan endast ställa upp potentiella hypoteser som kan behöva omprövas. Hästen uppfattas som genuint nyfiken, en form av generositet nog så viktigt för att skapa förutsättningar för medkänsla inte bara för hästen utan för oss själva och andra. Genom emotionell empati för hästen, då vi vill undvika lidande för hästen, reglerar vi våra känslor vilket skapar utrymme för tillit, viktiga byggstenar för medkänsla. Det handlar om att uppnå en känslighet för lidande hos såväl hästen som hos sig själv och andra med en önskan om att lindra eller förebygga lidandet. Dessutom behöver vi vara förlåtande, generösa, lugna, tålmodiga, toleranta, genuint nyfikna, ärliga, öppna för nya perspektiv och tydliga med våra intentioner, andra ingredienser för medkänsla. Att öppna sitt hjärta och våga vara sårbar med acceptans för den genuina upplevelsen i stunden utan att vara reaktiv eller ha förutfattade meningar. Med andra ord mindfulness som är en del av vår väg till medkänsla. Vi behöver dessutom tillåta oss att ha en subjektiv uppfattning och förstå att vi är ömsesidigt beroende för att uppnå medkänsla. Det förutsätter att vi får den inre kritikern att tystna som gör att vi inte går i försvar eller projicerar våra behov och känslor på någon annan. Istället ges vi utrymme att vara genuint nyfikna på våra känslor och behov samt önskemål. Något som filosofin non-violent communication kan bidra med på ett verbalt plan precis som hästen gör på ett icke-verbalt sätt och båda vägarna leder till utrymme för medkänsla.

One of the most present challenges within today's society is the growing residential segregation and how it can be mitigated and prevented. Increased residential segregation implicates social differences between individuals and unequal accessibility to resources and opportunities. Citizens are in many cases divided into geographical areas based on their socioeconomic level, and in a Swedish context the million housing program that emerged during the 1960s, have had a big effect on society in terms of segregation. This study has an approach based on Susan S. Fainstein's theory of the just city and her guidelines on how to promote justice within urban planning. The three core values that she means are necessary to achieve a just city, are equity, diversity and democracy, and will be permeated throughout the whole thesis. The theory is applied and compared to a case study of Motala municipality, to provide an understanding of how just planning practices are used within a municipality's work on residential segregation. By conducting document analysis and interviews, it appears that even though the just city theory is made for bigger cities, it can be applied in smaller contexts as well. In the end, all the criteria that aim for a just city could in one way or another be achieved.

In rural areas, where schools are more distant, families daily time-space arrangements are organised around the schools. When local schools are closed, the management of these daily arrangements is stretched even further as families face longer distances to services and new challenges in organising their daily lives. This article focuses on how the closure of rural schools impacts on the everyday lives of families and how a local school serves as a hub for children, parents, and others in the community. This case study was conducted over the course of several years, through field studies and interviews with families (parents and children) and policy-makers before and after two schools were closed. Specifically, the study examines how school closures affect everyday life in rural communities using a time-geographical approach to account for the complex patterns of daily activities, which are determined by local daily practices and social, economic, and geographical structures. By focusing on the rural school as a time-space hub, the analysis reveals that everyday life is organised around the school, which serves as the hub of activities where social networks are created and strengthened. The time-spatial analysis showed that school closures were seen very differently in the local community. The municipal council considered the school closures to be beneficial to the community, but families expressed a loss of life quality when they had to travel longer distances. The families also pointed towards the loss of social networks, thus given them less meaning and flexibility in their everyday lives. The analysis also highlights the potential of adding a time geographical analysis to local policy-making, in particular in rural areas.