PÅ REKORDTID – FRÅN STATIONSSAMHÄLLE TILL CENTRALORT Fallstudie Kil, bebyggelseutveckling 1960 - 1975

Abstract

This essay applies three societal changes past World War II as a foundation of changes of the built environment. The societal changes applied are; the municipality reforms, the transport revolution including the use of a private car, and the consumption transformation from small specialized shops to large self-service units. The essay questions; how societal changes within the transport revolution, the consumption transformation and municipality reforms affected the built environment in a defined area in the case study municipality during the time period between 1960 and 1975, how the built environment in the defined area, defined time period relates to urbanity from a perspective of Jane Jacobs, attractiveness and culture-historical value, and the valuation of the built environment in the defined area, defined time period based on the municipality documents review. Based on archive documents, literature, articles, interview and photographic material, the historic context discusses the changes as a basis to be applied on a case study. The essay uses three perspectives in a theoretical discussion with a focus on urbanism; the perspective of Jane Jacobs’ The Life and Death of Great American Cities, released in the early 1960’s, still used as a reference in urban planning, the perspective of attractiveness and the perspective of cultural-historical value. The case study focuses on a municipality in Värmland; Kils kommun, and the changes on the built environment by societal changes. The focus objects are the municipality center, the main street and a fuel station, two consumption orientated building complexes originally included self-service food halls, hotel and restaurant, and banking and postal offices. The case study explains the historical development of a society built around the railway in late 19th century. A review of present municipality documents explores the cultural heritage focus, discussed with a panel of representatives of the case study municipality. The summarized discussion concludes the importance of a cultural-historical overview and understanding. An understanding of history as something longer and larger as an understanding of what is old and what is important as the municipality soul.