Till förortens försvar. Utveckling och organisering i de tre stadsdelarna Hjällbo, Hammarkullen, Eriksbo 1970-1995

Abstract

In this thesis the empirical basis is the development in three exposed suburbs, Hjällbo, Hammarkullen and Eriksbo, during the period 1970-1995. Based on an assessment of the development in the districts, the thesis tries to answer three questions: (1) What is the importance of a social organisation in a district? (2) How do the inhabitants in the district shape this organisation? (3) How is the local social organisation influenced by the conditions in the physical environment, the socioeconomic profile, the mobility and other environmental factors? There is substantial evidence found to support the importance of a commitment to the district. When no commitment has been detected, the exposed district has been even more exposed. During negative periods there has been no local community or else it has been weakened by the non-participation of important actors such as the housing enterprises or employees in the local government. External and to the district unimpressionable environmental factors are in many ways decisive to the exposed districts, they are highly vulnerable to national economy and housing and labour markets. – this is why they are called exposed. And sometimes the problems have been too important and/or of an origin extraneous to the district. Media exposes the suburbs the picture there is seldom balanced. The local social organisation has been one of the conditions behind the positive periods. The positive processes have been the result from the fact that important actors have joined forces around joint problems. The local communities in Eriksbo and Hammarkullen emphasises different solutions, they also treat different issues and they find themselves in different ends on the variable small-scale vs. large-scale. They have different visions and local community strategies and these are linked to the conditions and active parties in these districts. In Hjällbo there have been difficulties in detecting a local community. The local community has a number of functions: it gives identity to an area,. it defends a district and the liveability there. it takes a responsibility for the norms, it interacts with the surrounding society and it takes care of existing resources. Civic community is vital to the local communities and the basis for civic community seems to be the little neighbourhood – the closest living environment. Physical conditions such as size, scale, differentiation and clarity are crucial facts to the to the development the organising. The same goes for socio-economic composition and mobility – here the staying on seems to be the most important.