Områdesbaserad politik för minskad segregation : En studie av den svenska storstadspolitiken

Sammanfattning: In the beginning of the 1990s Sweden entered an economic recession. The subsequent negative economic and social consequences appeared more and more acute. The issue of residential segregation appeared on the political agenda and the Swedish metropolitan policy was launched in 1998. As in other West European countries an area-based development programme, the Local development agreement, was initiated. The aim of this thesis is to examine the area-based strategy in relation to the political aim to stop segregation.Document analyses and interviews have been conducted to discover ideas within the public policy, among researchers and civil servants about problem, causes and solutions. The practical experience of civil servants in working with the area-based programme and in partnerships is also studied. Trough a quantitative analysis the situation in four distressed neighbourhoods is described and the selectivity of the programme within the municipalities is examined. Study areas are the neighbourhoods of Husby and Tensta in the city of Stockholm, as well as Hjällbo and Norra Biskopsgården in the city of Gothenburg.The thesis identifies possibilities and limitations with an area-based strategy as an anti-segregation strategy. Against this background the potential of the area-based strategy to stop segregation are investigated. Results show that measures in distressed neighbourhoods are needed and that an area-based policy has potential effects on living conditions in distressed neighbourhoods and on individual life chances. That an area-based policy will stop segregation is, however, unlikely.