Karlstad växer, men hur och var? : Exploateringsmönster i bostadssektorn i en större svensk stad

Sammanfattning: This thesis will focus on a major Swedish city, Karlstad. The study uses a combined method consisting of a content analysis and semi-structured interviews. The qualitative content analysis is based on categorizing ongoing detailed plans for housing development in Karlstad. The respondents in the semi-structured interviews consist of people active in real estate development in Karlstad, the current chairman of the urban planning committee in Karlstad, and another politician with experience of urban planning. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate the development pattern in the housing sector in a Swedish city. This in connection with investigating how the cooperation between local actors works regarding housing development. In the next step, the purpose is operationalized by studying Karlstad as a case. The section on previous research presents relevant research on the topic of development in the housing sector. The theory chapter provides the theoretical framework for the study. A theoretical model regarding how development is achieved in the housing sector is central, the model summarizes various factors that contribute to achieving development. The results section presents the respondents' experience of how housing planning looks like in Karlstad and how cooperation works between different local actors. How Karlstad is growing with a focus on both densification and expansion in the city is central to the empirical data. A central part of the empirical data is that there is a picture of differing opinions on how cooperation looks between different local actors. One conclusion reached is that Karlstad works for an inclusive and varied densification while the city is expanding. Another conclusion that can be reached is that sustainability thinking in terms of social, economic and ecological aspects is to some extent guiding contemporary housing planning but will become even more important in the future. The main research question relevant to this thesis is: What is the pattern of development in the housing sector in Karlstad?