När studieorten blir ett hem: Platsanknytning och kvarstannandeintention bland studenter i Luleå

Sammanfattning

From student to resident: place attachment and stay intentions amongst university students in Luleå. Luleå undergoes rapid green industrialization and demands skilled labor, yet many university students leave after graduation. This study examines how students experience Luleå’s physical environment, and how this shapes place attachment and retention. Based on eight semi-structured interviews, the material is analyzed through the Tripartite Model of Place Attachment (PPP), regional academic mobility frameworks, and insider advantages. The findings reveal a central paradox: students develop strong emotional bonds, but this attachment is mislocalised to Campus Porsön rather than Luleå as a city. This self-contained "Porsö bubble" creates spatial barriers, preventing students from developing local insideness and accumulating insider advantages within the wider community. Consequently, migration considerations outweigh campus-based attachment, explaining a local "Northern paradox" where graduates leave despite a booming labor market. To increase retention, strategic municipal planning must strengthen physical and institutional integration, redirecting students' sense of place toward Luleå as a whole.