Revisiting the million homes program; addressing segregation in the modernist space configuration through a case study of Hjällbo
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability (MPDSD), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Hellsten Romeborn, Tanja
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The Million Homes Program (MHP) was a
political initiative to build one million new
dwellings between 1965 and 1975. Based
on modernist ideals, and in the spirit of the
industrialisation of the construction industry,
the project successfully improved the
living standard of urban dwellings. Simultaneously,
the MHP areas faced considerable
criticism from early on. Today, these areas
are often stigmatised, and affected by segregation.
Measures to counter segregation tend
to focus on breaking social-economical
groupings by introducing new tenure or
ownership structures, by construction, or
by social interventions concentrated on one
area or neighbourhood. The urban form
is, however, often ignored. In this study,
it is argued that segregation happens on a
city scale and that the urban form plays a
crucial role in the segregation patterns as
it determines the physical connections in a
city.
Simultaneously, modernist planning ideals
pose considerable structural challenges
as the street network configuration causes
space and area segregation. Critique has
prompted calls for the complete demolition
and redevelopment of MHP areas for decades.
However, in the interest of sustainability and the
well-being of residents, such
radical measures are not a viable solution.
Instead, this study advocates for sustainable
interventions within and in connection to
the MHP areas, recognising and preserving
their existing qualities, such as green spaces and open areas.
Applying spatial analysis techniques, this
research focuses on a case study of Hjällbo
in Gothenburg to explore local circumstances
and network-based interventions. These
interventions address the challenges of
adapting modernist urban planning ideals
to contemporary and future urban environments.
The study consists of three interlinked
parts. The first part deals with the general
background of modernist city planning
ideals and challenges, along with the local
circumstances in Hjällbo. The second part
focuses on interventions in the network
configuration and their design in Hjällbo.
The third part examines the materialisation
of the new centralities. The aim is to
develop and test a methodology to effectively
tackle segregation challenges from
a long-term perspective. Through a design
case study, the alternative planning strategy
is tested to pave the way for a planning
procedure that addresses the root causes of
segregation.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Space syntax analysis, spatial segregation, million homes program, urban configuration, modernist planning ideals