Focusing on the town of Malmberget in northern Sweden, this study addresses the relationship between place, identity formation and social transformation among mining communities. Due to an expanding mining area, the town is being gradually demolished and remaining inhabitants will eventually have to be relocated. Concurrently, urban expansion plans are underway in the neighboring town of Gällivare. The aim of the study is to examine whether and how collective forms of identity are constructed in relation to Malmberget as place. What are the main values underlying such collective identity and are they being taken into considerations in the expansion plans? The study also examines if and how any attempts to preservation have been made in response to the demolition and redevelopment. The study is primarily based on interviews with inhabitants of Malmberget. It also draws on qualitative content analysis of documents on the expansions plans. As the study focuses on notions of place and collective identity, in its theoretical framework Lefebvre’s spatial triad is combined with a phenomenological approach of place and Jenkins’ conceptualisation of collective identity.   The findings suggest that there exists a collective ‘Malmberget identity’ consisting of certain values connected to place relations and community history. Some aspects of these values have implicitly been taken into considerations in the expansion plans in Gällivare, but far from all of them. The study also shows how interviewees have enacted preservation strategies as a way to cope with the urban transformation and to protect their shared collective identity.

La actual presa de relaves comenzó su construcción en el 2004 e inicio actividades en 2006. A partir de entonces se ha desarrollado Ingeniería con principio de aprovechar la gravedad por la ubicación geográfica de la estación de cicloneo. Debido a la implementación del Debottlenecking Project que elevará la producción de la concentradora de una capacidad actual de 108,000 ton/día, a una capacidad requerida de 120,000 ton/día, para lo cual se cuenta con 02 estaciones de ciclones, la primera batería de ciclones CS01 que tiene un flujo máximo de ingreso de 5045 m3/h. y otra segunda batería de ciclones CS02 que tiene un flujo máximo de ingreso 5978 m3/h., la reubicación del sistema de ciclones en su nueva ubicación deberá considerar las modificaciones respectivas para procesar los flujos de relaves que resulten de este incremento en la producción. La actual presa de relaves comenzó su construcción en el 2004 e inició actividades en el 2006. A partir de entonces se ha desarrollado Ingeniería con principio de aprovechar la gravedad por la ubicación geográfica de la estaciones de cicloneo. El movimiento de ciclones debe ser cuidadosamente planificado de tal manera de disminuir al máximo el tiempo de parada considerado este en 5 semanas de parada del sistema y por tanto la pérdida de producción de arenas. / The current tailings dam began construction in 2004 and began activities in 2006. Since then, Engineering has been developed with the principle of taking advantage of gravity due to the geographical location of the cyclone station. Due to the implementation of the Debottlenecking Project that will raise the concentrator's production from a current capacity of 108,000 tons / day, to a required capacity of 120,000 tons / day, for which there are 02 cyclone stations, the first battery of cyclones. CS01 which has a maximum inflow flow of 5045 m3 / h. and another second battery of cyclones CS02 that has a maximum inflow flow of 5978 m3 / h., the relocation of the cyclone system in its new location must consider the respective modifications to process the tailings flows that result from this increase in production. The current tailings dam began its construction in 2004 and began activities in 2006. Since then, Engineering has been developed with the principle of taking advantage of gravity due to the geographical location of the cyclone stations. The movement of cyclones must be carefully planned in such a way as to minimize the downtime considered in 5 weeks of system shutdown and therefore the loss of sand production. / Tesis