Placemaking is a collaborative approach to redesigning spaces into places that improve their community value. Placemaking practices claim to be quick and easy to implement which is true in comparison to government level plans and policies but do not appear quick at an individual level. Tactical urbanism tackles the problem of slow change with a bottom up process that allows for fast changes to urban environments that can be conducted at an individual level. The spaces addressed by tactical urbanism are spaces that do not work to their intended use; they are underused, empty, or unmaintained. These spaces can vary in size and type. They can exist within a timeframe that is shorter than a change can occur from a quick placemaking practice hence why tactical urbanism becomes the appropriate response. Many of these places require responsive and swift action if they are sought to be improved. The spaces and designs that are tandem often have lasting positive effects in their communities. Concepts from cosmopolitics will be tied with placemaking principles to see if they are able to enhance and bring another element to tactical urbanism. The combination of these elements will aim to create care in relationships between humans and place. This report will explore how placemaking principles, cosmopolitics and tactical urbanismcan be used to create meaning and sustainabilityin spaces making them great places. Experimental interventions are used to put these concepts into practice. The interventions are focused at several locations around Linnaeus University campus.

Bikes and cycling infrastructure have a relationship with social justice. As a transportation mode they are often viewed as democratic due to their relatively low cost and barrier of entry. However, other factors such as family size, socio-economic disparities, and cultural barriers also exist. These often-overlooked social factors disproportionately affect immigrants. In Sweden there is no official responsibility placed on governing bodies or schools to provide cycling lessons which leaves it up to individuals themselves or the civil sector to do so. In the rational planning ideal ‘soft’ interventions have been deprioritised by Malmö municipality (Malmö stad) even though they previously excelled at such social measures. This thesis has triangulated multiple sources of information/data using several methods: a document study, a semi-structured interview study, a GIS study, and a field study. From the gathered data and reference literature we analysed our findings through a social justice perspective. Though many definitions of social justice exist, we operated from a geographic lens, placing an emphasis on who has access to what and where, while also focusing on the removal of obstacles for people to reach their full potential (Mayhew, 2015). Our findings show that the rational planning ideal in its goal to avoid racism by a ‘colour blind’ approach instead manages to render certain disadvantaged groups invisible, namely foreign-born residents of low socio-economic status.

Historically, citizen dialogue primarily took place through face-to-face meetings with a limited representation of the target group. However, societal changes have sparked interest in exploring alternative forms of citizen involvement. This study highlights the presence of barriers to inclusion and transparency in citizen engagement and identifies challenges in ensuring social sustainability within Swedish municipalities' efforts to engage citizens, particularly in the context of detailed planning processes. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for improving the relationship and collaboration among politicians, civil servants, and citizens.   The aim of this study is to investigate how Swedish municipalities can enhance citizen involvement in planning processes, with the goal of reducing appeals, minimizing time consumption, and fostering transparency and understanding. To achieve this aim, the study employed semi-structured interviews, with case selection guided by the growing political pressure on Swedish municipalities to enhance citizen involvement. The study's theoretical framework is built upon an extensive literature review, while empirical evidence is derived from 16 interviews. Through qualitative analysis and discussion, the study explores how local authorities can develop their practices regarding citizen involvement.  The study sheds light on the current practices and working methods employed by the interviewed local authorities, revealing the need to address existing barriers, such as digital exclusion, communication gaps, and empowerment issues. Previous research emphasizes the necessity for innovative and revised approaches to citizen involvement. Increasing the participation of citizens is crucial for ensuring representative democracy and leveraging digitalization can be a means to enhance involvement.

Many people in Sweden live in displacement, from refugees, migrants, unemployed, homeless, lonely elderly or other socially vulnerable groups. The current built environment in Sweden, especially the rural environment, is segregating different social classes including people of different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. On top of that there is a lack of social meeting points where these different types of people can meet for interaction. A vicious circle of segregation with invisible borders is created. This obstacle makes social sustainability weak. There should be more places like Folkets hus where people are naturally interacting with people of other backgrounds during an activity. This would strengthen Swedish integration and social sustainability. However today most of the Folkets hus are “sleepy” due to the results of Swedish individualism and the aftermath of the pandemic. A new post-pandemic Folkets hus is needed. The question is “how can Folkets hus work as an architectural social meeting point within rural Swedish contexts and contribute to improved integration and help displaced people?” and “what is the future of the post pandemic Folkets hus in Swedish small towns?” Today’s Folkets hus still represents the previous interests from the second epoch of Folkets hus with buildings adjusted for activities based on culture and art through dances, concerts and parties. A change is needed. Folkets hus should reflect the interests of today’s population, not the interests of the people livingin the past. More current interests are nature based due to the results of the pandemic but also health and work-out based due to the Swedish individualism which is representedin the Inglehart- Welzel cultural map. We are currently living in an important tipping point to soon go into the fourth epoch of Folkets hus, the post-pandemic version Folkets hus.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child has become law in Sweden, entailing municipalities to adapt to the pillars of the convention, one of them being children’s right to participate. Due to the Swedish planning process, the convention is overruled by other planning- and building laws, meaning that municipal practitioners are free to adapt the convention on their own terms. This thesis aims to explore through qualitative comparative analysis how children are included in planning processes in an urban, municipal and regional context. By interviewing practitioners from eight municipalities in Skåne, this thesis identifies what enables or challenges practitioners to purposefully initiate and perform urban transformation with children as active participants in decision-making in urban development projects. The results show that evaluation and feedback-loops are important to acknowledge throughout projects, not only as a final subsequential step. Municipal practitioners have to identify strong intentions early on in projects and have to decide upon what role children should have in projects. Children can either have consulting roles for specific projects, or the approach could have a more soft-value focus, highlighting the democratic learning process for children and empowering them to become future community-builders as they grow up. The results also show that networks are a crucial component to working towards more participatory activities and projects with children as active stakeholders. This embraces collaborative planning ideals and strengthens the case of including more stakeholders and agents in planning processes.

Drexel University, a private university in Philadelphia, is expanding its campus to attract more students, faculty, and researchers. The current President, John Fry, envisions transforming West Philadelphia into an innovation district. The university is working with real estate developers on a $3.5 billion real estate project at Schuylkill Yards, in addition to mixed-use student housing and projects. The development goals of the university will impact the social conditions of the long-term residents of the two neighboring communities, Mantua and Powelton Village. In addition to the larger developers who are working with Drexel, numerous small-scale developers are developing market-rate student housing around the periphery of the two communities. In the process, the developers are disrupting the character of the neighborhoods and changing the racial demographics of the Mantua community from a predominantly African American community into one that reflects predominantly White and Asian demographics of the university. The combination of Drexel University and the developers is threatening to “studentify” the Mantua community. In the process Mantua, is at risk of losing the cultural elements that have defined the neighborhood for decades, in addition to their sense of belonging in the neighborhoods where the residents have lived for generations. This research is a qualitative assessment of the social changes to the two communities as a result of Drexel’s expansion activities. A social sustainability framework was developed based on the results of a cultural landscape assessment and structured and semistructured interviews of long-term residents, business owners, community leaders, and university officials. / Geography

Understanding the financialization of rental housing across space becomes increasingly important as residential listed real estate operating companies (REOCs) like Heimstaden expand their investments beyond their national borders. Especially as this comes at a time when there is a growing shortage of affordable housing in several European cities. Despite Heimstaden's growing portfolio in several European countries and its emphasis on a socially sustainable investment strategy, there has been insufficient research on its investment trajectories in practice. This study, therefore, examines Heimstaden's investment narratives and the impact of its practices on tenants in Berlin against the backdrop of a tense socio-political climate, i.e., a shortage of affordable housing, a strong tenant base, and regulatory pressure on rents. Multiple methods of data collection, including document analysis, interviews, and a tenant survey sent to the critical mass of Heimstaden's tenants, enabled the study to explore tenants' experiences with Heimstaden in Berlin, as well as how the local political context influenced Heimstaden's investment trajectories. The results of the study show how Heimstaden found a gap in Berlin’s rental market by securing financial gains through extensive marketing, an investment approach based on more affordable rent setting, and increasingly bowing to local socio-political pressure. Although, Heimstaden does not fully live up to its claims, a more tenant-centred approach helps Heimstaden to maintain positive legitimacy and reputation with stakeholders and shareholders to avoid becoming a target of criticism. In other words, the study suggests that after intense criticism of the aggressive practices of previous financial landlords, Heimstaden is adapting to a higher level of social sustainability in their investment narratives and practices to ensure continued and long-term accumulation of financial assets in the Berlin rental market.

Abstract In my study I have investigated how a constructed outdoor green environment can be used, managed and how it works. The study also investigates the concept of social sustainability, where, for example, civil dialogue is a method to promote this. This investigation mainly gives account for the inhabitants viewpoint but also a gardeners perspective. The study focuses on the planning process of the study object, what the outcome has been and how the users of the green environment, think about the result. In the process there has been a strong concern of involving the residents and others using the area. I also discuss the results concerning plantation problems, which I can see may influence the site identity and the quality of green areas, which in turn also can affects the residents relationship to it. The result also suggests that there still are possibilities for improvements in the dialogue and the participation of the residents of the area under the concept that’s been named "Dynamic habitat". The outdoor green environment can also further provide life quality for the inhabitants and other users, while it hopefully at the same time, promote the knowledge of ecosystem services. / Sammanfattning I min studie har jag undersökt hur en grön utemiljö kan planeras samt hur den kan användas, fungera och förvaltas. Studien undersöker även hur medborgardialog kan genomföras i ett projekt. Egen inventering av områdets gröna ytor samt intervjuer med brukare och personer som har varit med i planering och genomförande av platsen, ligger till grund för arbetet. Resultatet visar att de områden och funktioner som planerats och gestaltats; nya stigar, grillplatser, lekytor och sittplatser, används och uppskattas av de boende. Resultatet visar även att det finns möjlighet för de boende att påverka och engagera sig i utemiljön men att uppkomsten av växtrelaterade problem påverkar de boendes upplevelse av platsen. Här kan eventuellt förvaltningsformen vara av betydelse, där personliga relationer med den som sköter platsen kan bidra till ökad förståelse och kommunikation. En slutsats är att utökat deltagande och engagemang hos de boende gällande de gröna ytorna i området, kan både främja platsens identitet, social inkludering och ge kunskap och förståelse om olika ekosystemtjänster.

The purpose of this study is to research how residential segregation is described within a municipalities municipal planning document. Furthermore, proposed strategies to prevent and work against residential segregation will also be researched in the same documents. The chosen area for the research is Malmö municipality, Hyllie and Rosengård which are neighborhoods within Malmö municipality.  The research represents how residential municipality is described in the chosen areas of the studies. In addition, the research also represents the suggested approaches to prevent residential segregation. The informational for the research has been collected by examining relevant documents provided by the Malmö municipality. The result of the study shows that there are several keywords that are used to describe the phenomenon residential segregation. With the help of previous research, it was not difficult to determine such keywords. Social sustainability, mixed housing, integration, equality are examples of terms used to describe residential segregation.

This study aimed to investigate, analyze, and illuminate the perception and experiences of elite male handball players on toxic leadership in sports. The sport handball was chosen as a study object with a phenomenological approach. 9 individual interviews were conducted with 9 different elite male handball players who play in 9 different clubs in Handbollsligan, the top male division in Sweden. The chosen leadership theory was the toxic triangle theory, which entails that there need to be three different dimensions to toxic leadership: the destructive leader, the susceptible followers, and the conducive environment.  The results show that players have experienced toxic leadership. Three different aspects of toxic leadership were found and analyzed in this study. Firstly, destructive leaders exhibit abusive behavior, striving for personal power and manipulating other people within the organization. Secondly, players/followers who obey and conform to the leaders’ actions, experience negative emotions like anxiety, worry, and loss of self-esteem. Thirdly, the conducive environment that enables the leader’s destructive behavior has been discovered to be isolated, had a lack of communication, and was under the total rule of the destructive leader. In summary, this foretells the experiences of elite male handball players with toxic leadership.