Malmö: A reinterpretation of People's Home: Towards inclusive public space

This thesis project develops an inclusive design in between Hyllie, Holma and Kroksbäck, in Malmö, Sweden. An investigation of social and spatial processes outlines the ever changing society and urban space of Malmö within the large context of globalisation, migration and urbanisation. The city has been transformed from an industrial city towards a knowledge society with a focus to become an attractive, environmental friendly city. On the other hand, the city struggles with challenges related to ethnic and cultural diversity, increasing inequalities and a changing political climate. These contradictions are felt in the collective urban life in public space with increasing segregation and exclusion. A prospect to foster an inclusive city is shaped highlighting the process and design aspects of inclusion and a transition towards a ‘participation society’. A development model shows the aspects of an inclusive public space which links public space to a public culture. An inclusive design is developed between Hyllie, Holma and Kroksbäck, with the conceptual reinterpretation of a political metaphor ‘people’s home’. It takes the spatial aspects of a home literally, by creating a modular structure of ‘rooms’ which is continuously in transition. It builds up over time and many people and organisations have to participate. Creating this place in between two fundamentally different areas and social groups is an idealised scenario of the future, where inequality is reduced and perceptions about others are changed. It is a way to imagine a city where people have learned to live with each other.