GULLBERGSKAJ – PARADIS? En exposé över drömmarnas kaj

Abstract

The purpose of this graduate thesis is to illustrate what could be the effects of urban renewal carried out in a too hasty manner, the point being that there could be features which have (yet) not been identified and therefore are lost if the planning of the city is not given the adequate amount of time and resources. Through a case study located at the wharf of Gullberg (Gullbergskaj) the significance of urban fringes and areas without too strict of a planning are highlighted. Some guidelines to successful and considerate city development are somewhat suggested. The survey is mainly based on two types of sources: contemporary photography and interviews with a number of people who are all residents or tenants at the Gullbergskaj. Their testimonies regarding Gullbergskaj and their use of this particular environment are used to draw conclusions of the qualities, which are not the typical cultural-historical qualities but rather a quality defined by the user (of the quay), held by this section of the Göta älv shoreline. This thesis is also concerned with the potential impact on the qualities of Gullbergskaj, was it to be the object of city renewal. The results of the study are compared to debating articles published in the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten for a wider understanding of Gothenburg as a trademark, and the public opinion regarding the city planning related to Centrala älvstaden.