Mobility Disturbances and Social Sustainability During Urban Reconstruction : A Case Study of Norrköping Inner Harbour

Sammanfattning

Urban reconstruction is an increasingly permanent condition in growing cities, yet limited attention has been given to how construction phases affect everyday mobility and social sustainability. This thesis examines construction-related mobility disturbances in the ongoing redevelopment of the Inner Harbour in Norrköping, Sweden. The study aims to investigate how mobility disturbances are experienced by users during reconstruction, how these disturbances are framed in planning practice, and what implications they have for social sustainability. The study uses a survey conducted at a local climbing hall located within the reconstruction area, observations, and policy analysis of municipal planning documents to answer its objectives, analysed by applying the principles of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in combination with the “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” (WPR) framework. The findings show that users experience both physical and non-physical mobility disturbances, with the former including road closures, redirected routes, disrupted pedestrian infrastructure and reduced parking, while the latter involves unclear signage, lack of information, and uncertainties. These disturbances affect accessibility, safety and everyday mobility, and in some cases they have generated stress, frustration and worry. The analysis further reveals a discrepancy between municipal representations and lived experiences, where the problem of construction work and its subsequent mobility disturbances are framed, assumed and silenced in different ways. The study concludes that construction-related mobility disturbances are socially significant and should be treated as an integral planning condition rather than a temporary disruption, and that more socially sustainable reconstruction practices require stronger integration of concerns as experienced by users.