Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Urban densification as a planning strategy is of interest in the planning context of today. It is also seen as a part of the sustainable development. Urban densification as a concept is commonly used in the discussion of a sustainable development. Thus, the question about urban densification is an important challenge in the current planning context. A deeper understanding of the process which urban densification has developed from is necessary, since planners then will be more able to manage this challenge. It is also important to highlight the effects of urban densification from different perspectives.
The purpose of this study is to highlight the concept of urban densification and the discussion of the social consequences of this strategy. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to analyze planning documents on different levels (state, municipality and district) with a focus on social arguments.
According to previous research a social perspective is important in the process of urban planning; in spite of this it is a perspective which is rarely raised. This can be explained as a lack of experience to take account of social questions among the profession of architects and planners. Another explanation is poor collaboration between different establishments in the community.
The examination of three Swedish planning document shows that the attitude towards urban densification in general is positive. In these documents, it is a common understanding that densification is something good and of necessity in the effort to achieve a sustainable urban development. To sum up the investigated documents, the social arguments which occurred in the discussion of urban densification were mainly focused on three factors: competitive cities, integration of functions and meetings between citizens. It is in these areas that the phenomenon urban densification are mentioned and related to a social perspective. The study shows that a social perspective is paid less attention in the discussion of urban densification and an imbalance between ecological, economical and social factors. According to this study the dominating aspect which is brought up in the discussion of urban densification is the economical, in comparison to the social perspective.