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Testbed-Mentality: The government of a testbed for sharing in Sege Park in Malmö

Baig, Adam LU (2022) SGEM08 20221
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
This thesis investigates how urban experimentation is governed in the new development district in Sege park in Malmö. Together with with private developers and a local NGO the municipality test and experiment with solutions for how the sharing economy can contribute to reduce the future resident’s climate impact and living costs. By using the theoretical lens of governmentality this thesis focusses on how the municipality govern the actors in the development and the political rationales that informs this government. Semi-structured interviews with urban planners, developers and the NGO have been conducted. The interviews have been transcribed and then analysed using Mitchell Dean’s framework for analysing governmentality. The study has... (More)
This thesis investigates how urban experimentation is governed in the new development district in Sege park in Malmö. Together with with private developers and a local NGO the municipality test and experiment with solutions for how the sharing economy can contribute to reduce the future resident’s climate impact and living costs. By using the theoretical lens of governmentality this thesis focusses on how the municipality govern the actors in the development and the political rationales that informs this government. Semi-structured interviews with urban planners, developers and the NGO have been conducted. The interviews have been transcribed and then analysed using Mitchell Dean’s framework for analysing governmentality. The study has found that the municipality governs through neoliberal technologies of government which are directed at guiding, consulting and encouraging developers and residents to take responsibility for the development. Essential to this government is the promotion of certain subject-positions (The responsible developer, the spider in the web- NGO and the Sharing class-residents) with certain qualities and capabilities which can perform a desirable conduct and realize the objectives for the development in Sege park. This governmentality is also informed by a test-bed mentality which promotes urban experimentation in Sege Park as a practice which is urgently needed to solve urban sustainability problems by testing new ways to develop urban space, and most importantly, in this process, produce knowledge for future development which can drive and induce societal change.

It is argued in this thesis that a testbed-mentality enables a further neoliberalization of planning to progress and develop in Sege Park under the cover of an ambition to measure, evaluate and plan for an uncertain sustainable future. It is also argued that this mentality can justify experimental sites as exclusive spaces built, planned and developed by and for certain actors. The study has also found that the development in Sege park can be understood as a further development of public-private partnerships in Malmö especially in connection to the emphasis on building good relations with the private developers, to give them a freedom of action rather than restrictions and to incorporate them as essential actors in the planning and development process. It is argued that this development enables developers to have an increased power over urban planning practices in Malmö which also means that they can steer the development according to their interests. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Baig, Adam LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGEM08 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Urban experimentation, experimental governance, sharing, governmentality, neoliberal governmentality, testbed-mentality.
language
English
id
9099095
date added to LUP
2022-09-02 14:27:29
date last changed
2022-09-02 14:27:29
@misc{9099095,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates how urban experimentation is governed in the new development district in Sege park in Malmö. Together with with private developers and a local NGO the municipality test and experiment with solutions for how the sharing economy can contribute to reduce the future resident’s climate impact and living costs. By using the theoretical lens of governmentality this thesis focusses on how the municipality govern the actors in the development and the political rationales that informs this government. Semi-structured interviews with urban planners, developers and the NGO have been conducted. The interviews have been transcribed and then analysed using Mitchell Dean’s framework for analysing governmentality. The study has found that the municipality governs through neoliberal technologies of government which are directed at guiding, consulting and encouraging developers and residents to take responsibility for the development. Essential to this government is the promotion of certain subject-positions (The responsible developer, the spider in the web- NGO and the Sharing class-residents) with certain qualities and capabilities which can perform a desirable conduct and realize the objectives for the development in Sege park. This governmentality is also informed by a test-bed mentality which promotes urban experimentation in Sege Park as a practice which is urgently needed to solve urban sustainability problems by testing new ways to develop urban space, and most importantly, in this process, produce knowledge for future development which can drive and induce societal change. 

It is argued in this thesis that a testbed-mentality enables a further neoliberalization of planning to progress and develop in Sege Park under the cover of an ambition to measure, evaluate and plan for an uncertain sustainable future. It is also argued that this mentality can justify experimental sites as exclusive spaces built, planned and developed by and for certain actors. The study has also found that the development in Sege park can be understood as a further development of public-private partnerships in Malmö especially in connection to the emphasis on building good relations with the private developers, to give them a freedom of action rather than restrictions and to incorporate them as essential actors in the planning and development process. It is argued that this development enables developers to have an increased power over urban planning practices in Malmö which also means that they can steer the development according to their interests.}},
  author       = {{Baig, Adam}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Testbed-Mentality: The government of a testbed for sharing in Sege Park in Malmö}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}