Spatial Theory in Planning Practice? On the Concepts of Space that Made Urban Design a Planning Solution for Segregation in Malmö, Sweden

Studying the Sorgenfri urban renewal project in the Swedish city of Malm & ouml;, this article suggests that a shift in planning documents reflects a new understanding of segregation containing traces of arguments from theoretical debates in geography. This new understanding of segregation appears informed by geographic debates on encounters, mobility, and boundaries, and implies that segregation is best addressed by planners in public space "between" housing areas to create more "meetings" between "strangers". While planning focused on segregation in a more granular way, it also ignored racialised inequality's structural preconditions in ways that perfectly match the neoliberal premises of municipal planning. Thus, translating spatial theory into planning practice can be seen as a strategically selective work shaped by local political conditions. This means that geographers' work might have unexpected and undesired effects even when it has "impact" in policy practice, and that geographers would do well to face this challenge equally strategically. Denna artikel argumenterar, med utg & aring;ngspunkt i en studie av Malm & ouml;omr & aring;det Sorgenfris stadsomvandling, f & ouml;r att f & ouml;r & auml;ndringar av hur planeringshandlingar konceptualiserar segregation b & auml;r sp & aring;r av teoretiska debatter om rummet. Dessa nya s & auml;tt att konceptualisera segregation & auml;r f & auml;rgade av geografiska debatter om m & ouml;ten, mobilitet s & aring;v & auml;l som om stadens gr & auml;nser, och & auml;r kopplade till en id & eacute; om att segregation b & auml;st kan l & ouml;sas genom att planera f & ouml;r offentliga rum" mellan" bostadsomr & aring;den f & ouml;r att skapa mer" m & ouml;ten" mellan" fr & auml;mlingar". & Auml;ven om planering p & aring; detta s & auml;tt fick ett tydligare fokus p & aring; segregation innebar det ocks & aring; att en rasifierad oj & auml;mlikhets strukturella f & ouml;ruts & auml;ttningar avskildes fr & aring;n denna fr & aring;ga, och d & auml;rmed skyddade kommunens nyliberala premisser f & ouml;r planering. Att & ouml;vers & auml;tta teori om rummet till planeringspraktik kan allts & aring; ses som ett strategiskt och selektivt arbete format av lokala politiska f & ouml;ruts & auml;ttningar. Det inneb & auml;r att geografers arbete kan f & aring; ov & auml;ntade och o & ouml;nskade konsekvenser & auml;ven n & auml;r det p & aring;verkar policy, och att geografer strategiskt b & ouml;r m & ouml;ta denna utmaning.