The flagship concept of the ‘4th urban environment’. Branding and visioning in Malmö, Sweden

Abstract

In the process of turning the post-industrial city of Malmö, Sweden, into a knowledge-based, creative city, new urban planning strategies and visions are being developed. An important component of developing 'the knowledge city' is the spatial conceptualization for renewal of urban life. One such concept introduced in Malmö is 'the 4 th urban environment' [det 4.e stadsrummet]. In this article, based in critical urban studies, the development, branding, and practice of the 4 th urban environment as a strategy to generate a creative economy and knowledge city is critically analysed as part of a neo-liberal planning discourse. The article raises the question: what kind of vision is 'the 4 th urban environment'? What is it an expression of; what does it mean for planning practice and to urban development? Contextualizing and investigating trends of neo-liberal planning ideas are important to understand the social and economic consequences of unequal power relations. The 4th urban environment and its application in Malmö is illustrative of existing neo-liberal planning practices in a Nordic context, and in other similar economies with legacies of redistribution policies and long standing leadership of the Social Democratic party. This article focuses on what is articulated within discourses that represent particular notions of space and place, to gain a better understanding of what neo-liberal planning does to space.

The Implementation of Green Infrastructure: Relating a General Concept to Context and Site

“…From the evolvement of GI benefits/ecosystem services over time it follows that the concept is not only theoretically interdisciplinary, but also professionally cross-sectional, involving municipal administration and management, planning routines, political undertakings and citizen participation. Throughout Europe, neoliberalism has led to more complex (and complicated) management of public resources, and the authorities' power is being replaced by new power groupings, public-private management, business models, and innovative triple-helix (public-private-academic) projects [21]. Theoretical as well as multifunctional aesthetically appealing models for GI remain highly valuable [1].…”

Spatial, Financial and Ideological Trajectories of Public Housing in Malmö, Sweden

“…The city was re-branded as a knowledge city (Mukhtar-Landgren 2005) and a green post-industrial city (Holgersen 2014). This process entailed investments in a new urban landscape through the building of the Öresund bridge, the university, harbour redevelopments, a new sports arena and recently a new concert and conference centre (Dannestam 2009;Baeten 2012;Listerborn 2017). Yet despite the success story of Malmö's revitalization, the city is polarized, for example 17.6 % of its population is at risk of poverty, compared to the national proportion of 9.1 % (Statistics Sweden 2018a).…”

Identifying Context-Specific Categories for Visualizing Livability of Cities—a Case Study of Malmö

“…Under stable political conditions and unchanging leadership between 1994 and 2013, 'work of vision' largely affected city development and planning including, for example, the content of successive updates of the city's Comprehensive Plan [30]. These visions, influenced inter alia by the Swedish economistÅke E. Andersson's 'K-society'-based on knowledge (Kunskap), capital (Kapital), communication (Kommunikation), and cul-ture (Kultur)-set the course toward a more creative and innovative urban fabric [30,31]. Additionally, large-scale public investments including financial support from the national government contributed to the renewal of the city's built environment, from old heavy-industrial buildings to other kinds of structures such as eco districts (for example Augustenborg and Bo01), university buildings, and cultural complexes (for example Malmö Live) [30,31].…”

“…These visions, influenced inter alia by the Swedish economistÅke E. Andersson's 'K-society'-based on knowledge (Kunskap), capital (Kapital), communication (Kommunikation), and cul-ture (Kultur)-set the course toward a more creative and innovative urban fabric [30,31]. Additionally, large-scale public investments including financial support from the national government contributed to the renewal of the city's built environment, from old heavy-industrial buildings to other kinds of structures such as eco districts (for example Augustenborg and Bo01), university buildings, and cultural complexes (for example Malmö Live) [30,31]. As a result, Malmö has become a center for employment in innovative and creative industries and the population has increased rapidly.…”