Makten att problematisera en plats : En studie om ombyggnationen av Rådhustorget i Umeå

Sammanfattning: In the last two-three decades, the global society have gone through major structural transformations that have affected the local city in different ways. Advanced technology, improved modes of transportation and a global economy have all contributed to an increasing mobility of people, companies and capital. Consequently, the entrepreneurial view of urban growth has led to an inter-urban competition and placemakeing as instrument in the endeavor to attract people to the city.  During the last years, the public places in the city center of Umeå have changed its structure. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether there is a substantial difference of opinion between Umeå municipality´s representation of problems in the public space and the public opinion of the rebuilding of Rådhustorget and its function as a public space. Due to the aim, the study consists of two research subjects. One is a critical analysis of a policy document with Carol Bacchi´s “What´s the problem represented to be” – method as a tool. The second research subject is a questionnaire with the goal to investigate the opinion of the rebuilding of Rådhustorget according to 175 respondents. The result shows that there is a substantial difference of opinion between the municipality´s view of the public space of Rådhustorget and the received result from the questionnaire. Most evident is the disagreements whether the former Rådhustorget could be seen as a problematic public place or not.