As green as a city can be?: A case study of the climate smart district Hyllie

Sammanfattning

Sustainable development and sustainable urbanism has been receiving an increasingly influential role in urban development throughout the last decades, and many cities label themselves as ‘green’, ‘smart’, and ‘sustainable’. At the same time municipalities have been experiencing increasing economic pressure due to decentralization processes, which has resulted in them carrying a central role in development processes. This study critically examines how sustainable urbanism is portrayed in the case of the climate smart district Hyllie, Malmö. Drawing upon critical urban theory, and important concepts like ecological modernization and entrepreneurial cities, this research explores which dilemmas the municipality face concerning sustainable development. This thesis looked at various development strategies in Hyllie through the analytical framework urban ‘sustainability fix’, in order to see which strategies are prioritized in the development. The findings were that there exists a selective incorporation of environmental strategies in the area, and the sustainable development in the district mostly relies on technical solutions, innovation and public transport. This, at the same time as Hyllie promotes several activities that result in environmental degradation like consumption, travel and the district being built on valuable agricultural land. This study concludes that the climate smart district Hyllie itself could be seen as a ‘sustainability fix’ for Malmö, since it on the surface looks environmentally progressive but in reality is a development that remains focused on enhancing economic development.