As space is becoming more scarce in cities worldwide, as well as concerns regarding sustainability and exploitation of nature, redevelopment and regeneration of existing sites is becoming a more sought after approach. At the same time, urban planners are raising concerns regarding the increasing homogeneity and segregation in cities calling for more mixed use and having cities reflect the complex web of interactions between people, industry and other actors.  Ulvsunda Industrial area is located to the west of Stockholm city, only five kilometers from the city center. It is one of many industrial areas in Stockholm that is being threatened by, or has already been subjected to major reconstructions. Existing buildings in Ulvsunda are in need of some work but generally in good shape and activity and entrepreneurship are highly alive here, qualities that deserve working with rather than against. By exploring movements and actions that recognize that our way of living, building, developing, moving and more, needs to change, Ulvsunda can also change and grow sustainably. This presents an interesting opportunity in which to create an experimental ground for sustainable development over time, and for officials to engage in a transitioning town to avoid past mistakes made in post-industrial cities. The goal here is to achieve a heterogeneous environment that emphasizes sustainable mobility and construction.

No description available.

No description available.

The primary purposes of this dissertation were to (i) assess and identify post-industrial urban neighborhoods with food-insecure and vulnerable populations, and (ii) explore and analyze the role of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in addressing place-based food insecurity. The study used mixed-methods, including qualitative GIS, statistical tests, surveys, interviews, and field observations. A food justice theoretical framework was used to develop a Place-Based Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Index (PFIVI), which factored together 33 variables to measure six indicators. The study applied this index in the City of Philadelphia and then examined three types of interventions that NPOs embark on - providing hunger relief, providing healthy and affordable food through the alternative food movement, and offering food-based programs and events tied with community capacity building efforts. Statistical relationships between PFIVI scores and NPO-driven programs showed spatial mismatch issues between the programs and community needs in some neighborhoods. This research also highlighted other limitations of these programs and the challenges that NPOs face both on- and above-the-ground. While the NPOs are trying hard to promote food justice through their mission statements, advocacy, outreach, and on-the-ground programs, the city may have only partially achieved this goal. A lot more needs to be done by strengthening organizational networks, strengthening social networks with community residents, and offering healthy but affordable food in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and NPOs alone should not bear these responsibilities. / Geography

yes / This report is a summary of the views of a range of practitioners working in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham on the challenges of building community interaction in these three northern `cities¿ which experienced disturbances in 2001. Practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds from each of the locations met in Burnley on January 12th 2007 to reflect together on the key challenges that they had faced since 2001 and the progress, or lack thereof, that has been made. Their observations were recorded and form the basis of this report. Despite the significant differences between the `cities¿ in their size, location and demographics, practitioners from the three locations seemed to broadly share the analysis of the progress made and of the threats to progress since the disturbances in 2001. Information-sharing between organizations in the `cities¿ has improved. Some organizations are able to move more quickly to reduce/prevent tensions building. More young women, particularly young Muslim women, are becoming involved at a community level bringing new perspectives and ways of thinking. Yet practitioners also identified a variety of conditions which continued to make the `cities¿ vulnerable to fresh disturbances in the future. Perhaps chief among these was the concern over the high levels of discontent expressed by young people in each of the locations. The relatively low levels of educational attainment and engagement, high levels of crime which young people can get `sucked into¿ and the low level of mixing between young people from different ethnic groupings were all seen as underlying factors which could lead to fresh disturbances. Added to this were serious concerns about the levels of racism in each of the `cities¿, a lack of equal opportunities and the pressures on particular communities from the press and the police. One participant articulated the basic question running throughout the practitioners¿ discussions, ¿We are probably ready to deal with the 2001 disturbances now, but are we ready for 2007?"

Socially (un)sustainable urban planning – concerning social sustainability as ideology in the discourse of urban planning. This thesis deals with the subject of social sustainability within the context of urban planning. The study is based on interviews with several participants that consist of public officials and politicians in the municipality of Norrköping, Sweden. The purpose of the study is to analyze and problematize social sustainability as a concept in relation to the modern post-industrial city and its role as a feature on the urban planning agenda. The analysis takes the methodological approach of Critical discourse analysis (CDA) in order to frame the ideas and opinions of the participants as parts of a discourse of urban planning, and how the discursive synthesis can be conceived in terms of ideology. The results describe a picture of Norrköping, with its industrial history and contemporary challenges, as a city in need of a new basis for economic growth in order to pave the way for the social dimension of sustainable development. This predicament serves as the discursive motive for the planning’s increased focus on place branding and urban attractiveness. Another discursive element emphasizes mixed forms of tenure on the housing market, as well as public spaces and venues as essential features in the socially sustainable city. The thesis concludes in highlighting the discourse’s role in reproducing a neoliberal ideology on the area of urban planning.

No description available.

Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate how local company web sites can contribute towards the value and characteristics of city brands online, particularly where post-industrial cities are concerned, and to establish a predictive model for this. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of how post-industrial city brands can be influenced by local companies, leading to the notion of a 'constructed' city brand. An overarching brand model was developed based on the works of Christodoulides et al. and Merrilees and Fry and a survey of company web sites conducted. Structural equation modelling was then fitted to these data. Findings: Trustworthiness, responsiveness, online experience and emotional connection were confirmed as dimensions of company online brand value. It was further shown that company brand and constructed city brand are influenced by customer perceptions of brand value. Company brand was not, however, related to constructed city brand for the case study of Bradford, UK, which has a pervading negative reputation. Originality/value: A model incorporating company brand and city brand has been developed and validated for a typical post-industrial city that is in decline. The influence that local companies can exert on these brands via their web sites and behaviours was established. It is further demonstrated that company brands become disassociated from a city if it has a negative brand image.