In between fiction and reality; weaving narratives of care and anticipation
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability (MPDSD), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Sharmin, Sadia
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
This thesis aims to explore the processes of translating community dialogues into
spatial conjectures within the setting of Tynnered in Gothenburg city. The project
particularly emphasizes community-engaged placemaking and placekeeping in the
neighborhood to counterbalance broader top-down planning initiatives. Amid a
neoliberal restructuring of the welfare state, Swedish cities are witnessing a rise
in spatialized social disparities. While Gothenburg is considered one of Sweden’s
financially prosperous cities, it is also acknowledged as one of the most segregated
urban areas. Despite various development initiatives aimed at addressing specific
area vulnerabilities, the lack of authentic community engagement perpetuates a
top-down approach, contradicting the prevailing discourse of “planning for all.” This
paradoxical situation hinders efforts to reduce systemic inequalities and envision
more equitable futures. In the context of the dominant stigmatized representation
of Million Programme areas and communities, the voices and experiences of
residents in these areas are often sidelined. Furthermore, citizen participation in
neighborhood-level planning is often reduced to mere formalities, perpetuating
a systemic pattern of exclusion. Labelled as one of the risk areas in the city,
Tynnered has been the focus of various development programs aimed at promoting
sustainable change. This project tests the potential of merging community
narratives with speculative thinking to envision other futures in the context of
Tynnered, with specific attention to co-creating meaningful meeting places. While
following a creative, participatory, and ethnographic research methodology, this
project examines proactive local initiatives and uses storytelling and a fictocritical
approach to speculate future scenarios of spatial practices. By developing
‘what if’ narratives of small actions, the project evokes collective imagination and
anticipation.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Placemaking and placekeeping, community narrative, speculative thinking, ficto-critical approach, storytelling, spatial practice