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"Sustainable, for real"? Brunnshög’s sustainability narrative and the state of post-politics in urban development

Soontjens, Elliot LU (2023) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20231
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
The combined global emergence of a sustainable development discourse and Swedish policies requiring municipalities to rapidly build new housing have led Lund to develop Brunnshög. This pioneering megaproject balances urban expansion with high sustainability ambitions. Through the lens of urban political ecology, this thesis aims at analysing Brunnshög’s dominant sustainability narrative as told by its supporting stakeholders and its socio-environmental impacts. The selected thematic approach to a narrative analysis uses data from semi-structured interviews and additional documents. The results demonstrate a dominant narrative that promotes innovation, scientific discoveries, economic boosterism and sustainability whilst conveying a... (More)
The combined global emergence of a sustainable development discourse and Swedish policies requiring municipalities to rapidly build new housing have led Lund to develop Brunnshög. This pioneering megaproject balances urban expansion with high sustainability ambitions. Through the lens of urban political ecology, this thesis aims at analysing Brunnshög’s dominant sustainability narrative as told by its supporting stakeholders and its socio-environmental impacts. The selected thematic approach to a narrative analysis uses data from semi-structured interviews and additional documents. The results demonstrate a dominant narrative that promotes innovation, scientific discoveries, economic boosterism and sustainability whilst conveying a neoliberal form of city governance and a state of post-politics that foreclose democratic debates surrounding Brunnshög. This thesis manifests the need to think beyond the limitations of the consensual sustainability discourse perpetuating urban socio-ecological inequalities. Instead, we must chart new avenues for a politicised urbanity that can produce equal and democratic cities. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Soontjens, Elliot LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Brunnshög, Urban Megaproject, Sustainability Narrative, Post-politics, Neoliberal Governance, Sustainable Development Paradox, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2023:027
language
English
id
9119936
date added to LUP
2023-06-08 13:00:06
date last changed
2023-06-08 13:00:06
@misc{9119936,
  abstract     = {{The combined global emergence of a sustainable development discourse and Swedish policies requiring municipalities to rapidly build new housing have led Lund to develop Brunnshög. This pioneering megaproject balances urban expansion with high sustainability ambitions. Through the lens of urban political ecology, this thesis aims at analysing Brunnshög’s dominant sustainability narrative as told by its supporting stakeholders and its socio-environmental impacts. The selected thematic approach to a narrative analysis uses data from semi-structured interviews and additional documents. The results demonstrate a dominant narrative that promotes innovation, scientific discoveries, economic boosterism and sustainability whilst conveying a neoliberal form of city governance and a state of post-politics that foreclose democratic debates surrounding Brunnshög. This thesis manifests the need to think beyond the limitations of the consensual sustainability discourse perpetuating urban socio-ecological inequalities. Instead, we must chart new avenues for a politicised urbanity that can produce equal and democratic cities.}},
  author       = {{Soontjens, Elliot}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{"Sustainable, for real"? Brunnshög’s sustainability narrative and the state of post-politics in urban development}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}