This paper aims to summarise the experiences of the Swedish 'big city policy' (officially labelled the Metropolitan Development Initiative) and to judge the potential for achieving the MDI's overall goal to 'break segregation'. This state initiative was launched in 1999 with the two aims to promote economic growth and to break socioeconomic, ethnic and discriminatory segregation. The two aims have in practice been weakly connected and the paper will concentrate on describing and analysing the second goal. It draws upon a couple of EUfunded projects, the UGIS and Restate projects, and also makes use of some of the many local and national evaluation reports that have been produced by independent researchers as well as by staff expertise at the Swedish Board of Integration. The paper concludes that the ambitious aim to 'break segregation' has not been reached and attempts to explain why this is the case. It is, however, important to clarify that the initiative has not been a waste of public money and that it contains many positive elements and outcomes.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Andersson, R. (1999) 'Divided cities' as a policy-based notion in Sweden , Housing Studies, 14(5), pp. 601-624.
2.
Andersson, R. (2001) The Swedish area-based urban strategy, in: I. Christofersson (Ed.) Swedish Planning in Times of Diversity, pp. 11-15. Gävle: Plan, The Swedish Society for Town and Country Planning.
3.
Andersson, R. (2004) Områdesbaserade interventioner i utsatta bostadsområden-reflektioner kring ett europeiskt forskningsprogram, UGIS. Bilaga till Rapport Integration 2003. Integrationsverket, Norrkoping .
4.
Andersson, R. and Bråmå, A. (2004) Selective migration in Swedish distressed neighbourhoods: can area-based urban policies counteract segregation processes?, Housing Studies, 19(4), pp. 517-539.
5.
Andersson, R. and Musterd, S. (2005) Social mix and social perspectives in postwar housing estates, in: R. Van Kempen, K. Dekker, S. Hall and I. Tosics (Eds) Restructuring Large Housing Estates in European Cities, pp. 127-147. Bristol: The Policy Press.
6.
Andersson, R., Molina, I., Öresjö, E. ET AL. (2003) Large housing estates in Sweden: overview of developments and problems in Jönköping and Stockholm. Restate Report 2i, Urban and Regional Research Centre, Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht.
7.
Bak, M., Gunnarsson, L., Lassbo, G. and Ljungvall, B. (2004) Samtal pågår. Språkutveckling och skolresultat (http://www.goteborg.se/prod/storstad/dalis2.nsf/vyFilArkiv/samtal_pagar_sprakutv_skolresultat.pdf/$file/samtal_pagar_sprakutv_skolresultat.pdf ; accessed 18 November 2004).
8.
Bevelander, P., Broomé, P., Carlson, B. and Lindberg, G. (2004) Variationer på framtidsmelodi: Storstadssatsningen i Malmö. Utvärdering av lokala arbets- och utvecklingscentra. Malmö stad.
9.
Bråmå, Å. and Andersson, R. (2005) Who leave Sweden's large housing estates?, in: R. Van Kempen, K. Dekker, S. Hall and I. Tosics (Eds) Restructuring Large Housing Estates in European Cities, pp. 169-192. Bristol: The Policy Press.
10.
Bunar, N. (2004) "Det går bra, men det ser fortsatt dåligt ut": Organisationen och tillämpningen av lokala utvecklingsavtal i Stockholms kommun. Utvarderingar av den nya storstadspolitiken: Storstadsarbete/Storstadssatsningen No. 12, Sodertorns hogskola.
11.
Burgers, J. and Vranken, J. (Eds) (2004) How to Make a Successful Urban Development Programme. Experiences from Nine European Countries. Antwerpen-Apeldoorn: Garant.
12.
Decker, P. De, Vranken, J. , Beaumont, J. and Nieuwenhuyze, I. Van (Eds) (2003) On the Origins of Urban Development Programmes in Nine European Countries . Antwerpen-Apeldoorn: Garant.
13.
Elander, I. (1995) Policy networks and housing regeneration in England and Sweden, UrbanStudies, 32(6), pp. 913-934.
14.
Elander, I. (1999) National strategies for urban renewal and housing rehabilitation: the case of Sweden, in: H. S. Andersen and P. Leather (Eds) Housing Renewal in Europe, pp. 25-63. Bristol: The Policy Press.
15.
Hall, S., Lee, P., Murie, A. ET AL. (2003) Large housing estates in the United Kingdom: overview of developments and problems in London and Birmingham. RESTATE Report 2j, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University.
16.
Hosseini-Kaladjahi, H. (2003) Stora fiskar äter fortfarande små fzskar: Helhetsutvärdering av storstadssatsningen i Botkyrka kommun. Botkyrka: Mangkulturellt centrum.
17.
Integrationsverket (2002) På rätt väg? Nationell slututvärdering av Storstadssatsningen. Integrationsverkets Rapport No. 5. Integrationsverket, Norrkoping.
18.
Kemeny, J. (1995) From Public Housing to the Social Market. London: Routledge.
19.
McCrone, G. and Stephens, M. (1995) Housing Policy in Britain and Europe. London: University College London Press.
20.
Millard-Ball, A. (2002) Gentrification in a residential mobility framework: social change, tenure change and chains of moves in Stockholm, Housing Studies, 17(6), pp. 833-856.
21.
Murie, A., Knorr-Siedow, T. and van Kempen, R. (2003) Large housing estates in Europe, general developments and theoretical backgrounds. RESTATE Report 1, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University .
22.
Musterd, S. and Andersson, R. (2005) Housing mix, social mix and social opportunities , Urban Affairs Review, 40(6), pp. 761-790.
23.
Öresjö, E. (1993) Att förnya bostadsförnyelsen. RIO: 1993, Swedish Council for Building Research, Stockholm.
24.
Öresjö, E., Andersson, R., Holmqvist, E. ET AL. (2004) Large housing estates in the Sweden: policies and practices. RESTATE Report 3, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht.
25.
Proposition 1997/98:165. Utveckling och rättvisa—en politik for storstaden pa 2000-talet . Stockholm: The Government's Office.
26.
Sveriges Riksdag (2004) Debatt & beslut/ Rixlex. Snabbprotokoll 2004/05:29. 15 November, Anforande 15 and 31 Samhallsbyggnadsminister Mona Sahlin (s)
27.
Törnqvist, A. (2004) Storstadssatsningen i ett områdesperspektiv Manuscript to be published by the City of Goteborg and the Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg (http://www.goteborg.se/prod/storstad/dalis2.nsf/vyFilArkiv/Slutrapport_anders_tornquist.pdf/$file/Slutrapport_anders_tornquist.pdf; accessed 18 November 2004).
28.
Turner, B. and Whitehead, C. (2002) Reducing housing subsidy: Swedish housing policy in an international context, UrbanStudies, 39(2), pp. 201-217.
