<p>In Sweden according to the planning and building Act municipalities have planning monopoly. The question about shopping centres in the outskirts of cities is a regional issue, because they attract customers from a large area. Municipalities often find it hard to assert themselves against large commercial companies when it comes to their establishing new retail outlets on the outskirts of cities. Without a regional co-operation there is a risk that municipalities can be played up against one another, so that more and more companies are given permits without the municipalities having taken the strategic consideration necessary for a long term sustainable development. The focus in this work is on four municipalities in the Södertörn region (Södertälje, Botkyrka, Huddinge and Nynäshamn). Today there are some out-of-town retail outlets in the first three municipalities. The main aim of this thesis is to explain why there is no co-operation between municipalities in Södertörn concerning out-of-town retailing. The aim is also to connect sustainable city development with the problems of out-of-town retails as well as the municipalities commercial policy. The study uses a hermeneutic approach and a qualitative method with one case-study. The interviews are partly based on standard procedures.</p><p>Out-of-town retail outlets entail private car use and this is a problem from a city development perspective. To reach a sustainable city development it is important to expand transport options such as walking, biking and public transport. The project Sustainable Travel (Hållbart resande) at Södertörn supports this development. Some of the municipalities in Södertörn are trying to revitalise their local centres and this is positive from a social and ecological perspective. The four municipalities however do not co-operate concerning out-of-town retailing, and this reverts the issue back to a lack of regional planning, and their competing for purchasing power.</p>

In Sweden according to the planning and building Act municipalities have planning monopoly. The question about shopping centres in the outskirts of cities is a regional issue, because they attract customers from a large area. Municipalities often find it hard to assert themselves against large commercial companies when it comes to their establishing new retail outlets on the outskirts of cities. Without a regional co-operation there is a risk that municipalities can be played up against one another, so that more and more companies are given permits without the municipalities having taken the strategic consideration necessary for a long term sustainable development. The focus in this work is on four municipalities in the Södertörn region (Södertälje, Botkyrka, Huddinge and Nynäshamn). Today there are some out-of-town retail outlets in the first three municipalities. The main aim of this thesis is to explain why there is no co-operation between municipalities in Södertörn concerning out-of-town retailing. The aim is also to connect sustainable city development with the problems of out-of-town retails as well as the municipalities commercial policy. The study uses a hermeneutic approach and a qualitative method with one case-study. The interviews are partly based on standard procedures. Out-of-town retail outlets entail private car use and this is a problem from a city development perspective. To reach a sustainable city development it is important to expand transport options such as walking, biking and public transport. The project Sustainable Travel (Hållbart resande) at Södertörn supports this development. Some of the municipalities in Södertörn are trying to revitalise their local centres and this is positive from a social and ecological perspective. The four municipalities however do not co-operate concerning out-of-town retailing, and this reverts the issue back to a lack of regional planning, and their competing for purchasing power.