Municipal Landownership and Housing in Sweden : Exploring links, supply and possibilities

Sammanfattning: This thesis comprises a number of studies, all directed at different linkages between municipal landownership and housing in Sweden. In all, the thesis consists of four papers. Of these, initial Paper I targets the emergence of the municipal landownership that still today are of crucial importance for the Swedish housing market. The main functions of the municipal landownership from the beginning of the 20th century and up until present time are retrospectively investigated and its role within Swedish housing during different times is elaborated upon. Paper II thereafter redirects focus to present time solely, and studies the management of the municipal land from particularly a housing perspective. More concretely, the disposal procedure – or land allocation practice – of the municipal land aimed for housing is investigated empirically, based on current practice in more than 25 municipalities. Paper III builds on preceding Paper II, but with a narrowed focus to a fundamental sequence of the disposal procedure – namely the developer selection. Accordingly, four different assigning methods, all derived from municipal practice, are discerned and their individual strengths and weaknesses are systematically discussed. Lastly, Paper IV attempts to illuminate an often overlooked dimension of the municipal landownership – as a potential and powerful instrument to counter polarizations between different social-groups, within the built environment. Necessary prerequisites in order to enable this are presented and an empirical study investigates whether this, somewhat concealed, potential in the municipal landownership seems to be utilized in practice.