Electricity markets may become more sensitive to weather conditions because of higher penetration of renewable energy sources and climatic changes. Albania is 100% reliant on hydropower for its domestic energy generation, making this country compelling to investigate as it is highly sensitive to changing weather conditions. We use an ARMA-GARCH model to investigate whether weather and economic factors had a relationship with monthly hydroelectricity prices in the Albanian Energy Market in the period 2013-2018. We find that electricity price is affected by variations in weather and is not utterly robust to extreme hydrological changes. Generally, our dependent variable appears to be particularly influenced by air pressure followed by temperature and rainfall. We also perceive that there is a relationship between economic factors and hydroelectricity prices, where residual supply appears to have a significant negative relationship with our dependent variable. However, we were originally anticipating a higher dependency of electricity prices on weather conditions, due to the inflated hydro-power reliance for electricity production in the Albanian Energy Market. This effect is offset by several factors, where the state monopolized behaviour of the energy sector occupies a predominant influence on our results.

Providing high-quality health care to everyone who needs it is a central objective for theSwedish health care system. One way in which this goal is broadly pursued is by allocatingresources that maximize the geographical coverage of ambulances, aiming at reducingambulance response times as much as possible, for as many as possible. However, in reality,emergencies tend to be concentrated in space and time. They are more likely to occur atparticular places and times, following people’s routine activities. Likewise, some groups aremore likely to require acute health care, implying that supply needs to be tailored to patientdemand. This thesis investigates the nature of emergency health care (EHC) services byassessing the temporal and the geographical distribution of ambulance services from a supplyand demand perspective using southern Sweden as a study area. Geographical informationsystem (GIS), spatial analysis and regression models underpin the methodology of the study.Findings indicate that there currently exist disparities in access to EHC services in Sweden,both between urban and rural areas and between sociodemographic groups. Depending on howaccessibility is measured, different spatial patterns emerge, suggesting that the current practiceof measuring response times should be complemented by alternative measures of accessibilityin an attempt to reduce inequities in access to ambulances between groups and places. Resultsalso indicate that the demand for EHC services varies both spatially and temporally, and thatdemographic and land use differences can be helpful in explaining such variations. The thesishighlights that currently employed EHC policy goals may entail unexpected inequities in theaccess to and supply of ambulances and, consequently, of EHC. As such, the study opens upfor a discussion on how useful quantitative measures can be in revealing group inequities inaccess to EHC. / Att erbjuda god tillgång till vård för hela befolkningen är ett centralt mål för det svenskavårdsystemet. Detta eftersträvas genom att resurser fördelas på ett sätt som maximerar dengeografiska täckningen av ambulanser, där målet är att minska ambulansers responstider såmycket som möjligt, för så många som möjligt. I verkligheten är akuta situationerkoncentrerade i både tid och rum. De uppstår på specifika platser, vid specifika tidpunkter ochreflekterar till viss del människors rutinmässiga rörelsemönster. Samtidigt löper vissa grupperstörre risk att drabbas av akuta sjukdomar eller skador, vilket insinuerar att tillhandahållandetav resurser behöver skräddarsys efter behov, snarare än populationsmängd. Den härlicentiatavhandlingen undersöker akutvården genom att analysera temporala och geografiskafördelningen av ambulansresurser utifrån ett tillgång- och efterfrågan-perspektiv i södraSverige. Metoderna som studierna baserades på innefattade användandet av geografiskainformationssystem (GIS), rumslig analys och regressionsmodeller. Resultaten indikerar attdet finns skillnader i tillgång till akutvård i Sverige, både mellan stad och landsbygd ochmellan sociodemografiska grupper. Beroende på hur tillgång mäts uppstår olika rumsligamönster av skillnader i tillgång, vilket pekar på att nuvarande sätt att mäta responstid bordekompletteras med alternativa mått. Detta skulle kunna bidra till att minska ojämlikheter itillgång till ambulansvård. Resultaten indikerar också att behov för akutvård varierar över tidoch rum, och att både demografiska variabler och olika typer av markanvändning kan bidratill att förklara sådana variationer. Den här avhandlingen visar på att nuvarande policymålinom akutvård kan leda till oväntad ojämlikhet vad gäller tillgång och efterfrågan tillambulans och, som en konsekvens, till akutvård generellt. Studierna öppnar således upp fören diskussion om hur användbara kvantitativa mått kan vara vad gäller att belysa ojämlikheteri tillgång till akutvård. / <p>QC220420</p>

School is compulsory for all children aged between 6 and 16 in Sweden. It is a second home for all children. School segregation is essentially a question of importance in today's society. School segregation shows that the crucial factors leading to school being divided is due to factors such as family background (ethnicity) and socio-economic situation. Therefore, it contradicts the social cohesion and quality that schools strive for. Thus, possibly resulting in schools not maintaining an equally consistent quality because in some school’s children perform better than others. Hence, in the teaching profession, we believe that the school's social cohesion and working methods have very important functions for creating quality in the presentation of the right knowledge and good community. Consequently, this is the reason why we chose to investigate further what research says about school segregation. School segregation is a relevant societal topic to raise in the teaching profession. In order to be able to counteract and know the conditions of the schools, one must have sufficient underlying knowledge about what it is that affects the school's quality. Thus, in this study we want to furthermore explain what school segregation research reports in Sweden. This research overview has managed to collect from search engines like Swepub, Libris and governmental websites as IFAU and Skolverket ten scientific reports on school segregation that have later been discussed further, and a conclusion has been drawn on the project work. The conclusion that we can draw from this research overview work is that there is a rich amount of information sources about school segregation which one can take part in. They are very similar in the form of the presentation about the causes of school segregation, as well as consequences that a larger project work can be very useful from.

In the UK, the unprecedented cuts to local budgets, implemented by the national governments from 2010 to the present day, have pushed local authorities to reconsider their scope, their role and their action. The ever decreasing budgets have de facto transformed local councils from service providers to territorial entrepreneurs, as the pressing pursuit of revenues has placed the economic profit at the core of the local policy-making. Urban planning plays a central role in this shift in mindset. The British planning system has been remodelled so to facilitate the implementation of development processes, as these grant revenues from planning obligations, uplifts in land values and higher income from taxes. The reform of the planning system has however conceded free rein to developers, especially through the introduction of the Development Viability Appraisal, a document which they use to reduce the provision of affordable housing, in favour of luxury housing tenures. Therefore, in London the mechanisms that rule the territorial transformations exacerbate the existing housing crisis and force local communities to face displacement. Austerity has thus initiated a cascade-effect whose negative externalities are tangible at the very local level. The emerged topics find their concretization in the description of the Heygate Estate regeneration.

Economic downturns and the subsequent trends of privatization and marketization that follow have prompted the development and expansion of urban commons as the commoner searches for more participatory forms of governance. Modern member-driven and non-profit organizations, like makerspaces, are utilizing the digital commons to provide more accessibility and autonomy, reducing the need for external funding and providing a means to crowdsource information and manage shared resources. This research investigates how combining digital and physical forms of governance, communication and learning can enable urban commons to sustain themselves and eventually compete with the mainstream market. In this research the case study of the Stockholm Makerspace is analyzed through two theoretical lenses, firstly Ostrom’s eight design principles and secondly the community capitals framework. The research methodology involved an open-ended survey, desktop study, and a digital ethnography. I found that digital commons provide an accessible arena for conflict resolution, community planning, and informal education by facilitating interpersonal relations for urban dwellers with weak social ties. The digital infrastructure also provides a platform for group monitoring and community awareness that I think is vital to maintaining a satisfied body of members.

Urbanization and population growth have posed intricate challenges in urban planning. Two of the most impactful issues are social segregation and gentrification. This study aims to investigate the effects of densification strategies on these phenomena, with a focus on the Amiralsstaden-project in Rosengård, Malmö. Through qualitative methodology, the study explores how densification strategies can influence the housing market, population structure, and social relationships. The findings can contribute to guiding urban planning and strategic decisions regarding these challenges in the future. We have found that the proposals and strategies outlined in the policy document (Amiralsstaden - Mål &amp; Värden) and the planning program (Planprogram, 6051) have the potential to lead to gentrification, but also that Malmö city's primary aspirations are to develop and enhance the area. / Urbanisering och befolkningstillväxt har skapat komplexa utmaningar inom stadsplanering. Två av de mest påverkande problemen är social segregation och gentrifiering. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka effekterna av förtätningsstrategier på dessa fenomen, med fokus på Amiralsstaden-projektet i Rosengård, Malmö. Genom kvalitativ metodik utforskar studien hur förtätningsstrategier kan påverka bostadsmarknaden, befolkningsstrukturen och sociala relationer. Resultatet kan bidra till att vägleda stadsplanering och strategiska beslut kring dessa utmaningar i framtiden. Vi har funnit att de förslag och strategier som föreslås i styrdokumentet (Amiralsstaden - Mål &amp; Värden) och planprogrammet (Planprogram, 6051) kan potentiellt leda till gentrifiering, men även att Malmö stads främsta förhoppningar är att utveckla och förbättra området.

This paper is a study upon a global vision of a sustainable future, to local implementation of environmentally effective solutions, in contemporary urban planning projects. The purpose was to illuminate a gap between the global rationality of sustainability and local rationality of sustainability and to identify the effect it has on sustainable outcomes. To do so, I did qualitative research on the Lynetteholm development project and analyzed the data using document – and critical discourse analysis. My research was guided by the theory of ecological modernization, their perspectives upon sustainable solutions within the capitalist-liberal democratic society, and urban regime theory, which provided an insight into the concept of scale in environmental politics. Through an in-depth analysis of the presented motivation and prime drivers behind the Lynetteholm project proposal and the impact it has on sustainable outcomes, I have found that the local vision of sustainability is constructed by hegemonic narratives of prosperous urbanity, that is equalized with growth, progress, and profit. I have identified economic growth as the prime driver of developing Lynetteholm and concluded that it has a significant impact on sustainable outcomes, as economic growth is not compatible with sustainable development, without political interference. In addition, the gap between global and local rationality of sustainability in urban planning lies in the process of redelegating the responsibility to implement sustainable practices and secure an environmentally beneficial outcome. The issue is that despite much expertise and knowledge of the field, planners and politicians continue to address socio-ecologic impacts isolated and reject the cumulative effects, which inevitably retains the sustainable transformation from taking place.

The Rights of Nature is a relatively new approach to sustainable development, promoting that current environmental legislation is insufficient to protect Nature from human harm. The Rights of Nature movements emphases the importance of recognizing other living entities in our legal system. Ecuador was the first country in the world to incorporate the Rights of Nature into its Constitution in 2008. Based on semi-structured interviews, this study aims to investigate the awareness of the Rights of Nature among the inhabitants of the Equatorian small-town of Esperie and how they perceive and relate to the Rights of Nature in practice and whether the implementation has brought about any changes in their lives and community. The central findings of the study demonstrate that the majority of the respondents are aware of the Rights of Nature, also led to changes in society but also in respondents' lives and environment. The results also revealed various challenges that have arisen in the implementation of the Rights of Nature in practice and Due to stricter environmental laws and pressure from the people, the authorities have started to take measures to protect and respect Nature.

Researchers, environmentalists, social justice activists and policy makers have long discussed the inherent environmental and social problems prevalent in food systems. This thesis explores ways in which foodsharing can be interpreted as a movement towards a future set of economic relationships that values environmental limits and the right of individuals to access food. Contributing to a growing body of literature, I argue that foodsharing demonstrates the ability for people to organize using alternative digital tools for collection and distribution of readily abundant resources without the need for significant government or business intervention, producing a type of commons relationship.  The aim of the thesis is to explore what foodsharing, as a process of commoning, can teach us about alternative forms of economic and social exchanges. If alternative economic organizations are important for a just transition, social scientists need to go beyond arguments for their relevance to study their actual strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to support them. Drawing on theories of commons, prefigurative politics and just transitions, this thesis looks at an alternative economy organization which succeeds despite working against the status quo, to show where the social system around it is not designed to support it and asks what it might need to reach further.  This is explored through the qualitative case study of a well-established foodsharing organization in a medium size city on the West coast of Sweden. Research questions focused on the political ideas used by the organization, the ways in which it was organized, and the reasons for and resolution of conflict. Through interviews, observations, and online research the case is elaborated upon and analyzed to reveal the unique dynamics of the studied organization. These include very specific rules for collecting and distributing food that aim to maintain transparency, solidarity, and fairness. The foodsharing organization displays some characteristics of a food commons and in other instances characteristics of a gift economy. The main contribution is a closer look at the resulting interpersonal and organizational dynamics of one alternative economy organization in order to illuminate some challenges of organizing and maintaining similar ventures in the future. If alternative economic organizations have social benefit, then they will need to be supported in the ways in which are appropriate to their form and politics. / Forskare, miljövetare, aktivister och politiker har länge pratat om de inneboende miljö- och social problem som präglar matsystemet. Denna avhandling utforskar om hur så kallad “foodsharing”, matdelning, kan tolkas som en rörelse mot framtidiga ekonomiska förhållanden som  värdesätter ekologiska gränser och individers grundläggande rätt till mat. Som ett bidrag till ett växande forskningsfält, menar jag att matdelning visar på människors förmåga  att använda digitala verktyg för att samla och distribuera överflödiga resurser utan behov av offentlig eller marknadsinvolvering, vilket skapar en typ av allmänning mellan människor.  Syftet med avhandlingen är att utforska vad matdelning, som en typ av allmänning, kan lära oss om alternativa former av ekonomiska och sociala utbyten. Om demokratiska ekonomiska verksamhet är viktigt för en rättvis omställning, så behöver samhällsvetenskapen gå bortom att argumentera för dess relevans, till att i stället studera deras styrker, svagheter, och faktiska behov. Med utgångspunkt i teorier kring allmänningar, prefigurativ politik, och rättvis omställning, tittar denna avhandling närmare på en alternativ ekonomisk organisation som lyckas även om den arbetar emot status quo, för att förstå och beskriva hur samhällssystemet inte är utformat för att stötta dem och vad de behöver för att nå längre.  Detta utforskas genom en kvalitativ fallstudie av en väl etablerad matdelningsorganisation i en medelstor stad på Sveriges västkust. Forskningsfrågorna fokuserade på den politiska idéer i organisationen, hur den organiserades, och grunderna för och metoder för att minska konflikt. Genom intervjuer, observationer, och webbaserad forskning, belyses och analyseras fallet för att visa de unika dynamikerna som präglar denna organisation. Dessa inkluderar regler för insamlingen och distributionen av mat med fokus på att upprätthålla transparens, solidaritet och rättvisa. Organisationen visar både på egenskaper av en matallmänning och av en gåvoekonomi. Det huvudsakliga bidraget är en närmare förståelse av de resulterande mellanmänskliga och organisatoriska dynamikerna i en icke-monetär organisation som arbetar utifrån principer av ömsesidighet och belyser några av utmaningarna med att organisera och upprätthålla denna typ av initiativ i framtiden. Om ömsesidiga organisationer ska skapa ett socialt värde, så behövs de stödjas på sätt som är lämpliga i relation till deras form och politik. / <p>QC 20240513</p>

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att undersöka hur teorier kring geografisk ojämlikhet, främst beskrivet av Andrés Rodriguez-Pose, kan beskriva den politiska tillväxten Sverigedemokraterna har haft i Sverige mellan valåren 2018 och 2022 på lokal och nationell nivå. Detta har genomförts med en kvantitativ metod, där två multipla regressionsanalyser, en för nationell och en för lokal nivå, har undersökts, där variablerna har operationaliserats från Rodriguez-Pose teorier. Sammanfogningen av demografisk data, såsom arbetslöshet, utbildningsnivå, ekonomisk standard och ålder, och valresultat för Sverigedemokraterna mellan åren 2018 och 2022 har skapats med hjälp av Geografiska Informationssystem-programmet ArcGIS Pro. Resultatet visar att det finns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan geografisk ojämlikhet och förändringen i Sverigedemokratiskt valstöd mellan åren 2018 och 2022. Resultatet påvisar även ett starkare lokalt än nationellt samband i den multipla regressionsanalysen. Däremot har båda utfallen små determinationskoefficienter, vilket indikerar att de valda modellerna inte i någon betydande mån förklarar förändringen i partistöd för Sverigedemokraterna mellan valen 2018 och 2022. Således har Rodriguez-Pose teorier om ekonomisk ojämlikhets påverkan på populism delvis bekräftats i en svensk kontext, men där sambanden har varit så pass svaga, att fler studier skulle behövas för att vidare bekräfta eller dementera teorin i Sverige.