Kulturens roll i stadsförnyelse - en diskursiv kamp och dess rumsliga konsekvenser. En fallstudie av Gåsebäck i Helsingborg

Sammanfattning: Different interests ascribe different meaning to the role of culture in urban regeneration and discourses are created. Previous research showed that successful examples of urban regeneration happened as culture-led bottom-up processes, where inhabitants had a supporting cooperation with the city administration. No strong evidence has been presented in previous research that culture has trickle-down effects, but city identity can get stronger. In this paper Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory was used as theory and method examining the political discourse of culture in an area previously used only for industrial activities in Gåsebäck, Helsingborg, Sweden. The consequences were analysed using discourse theory and Harvey’s conceptual frameworks of how cities are governed, distribution of social justice and consequences in space. The approach of the city is that culture can be a medium to solve social frictions like segregation, low level of education, unemployment and crime. In Gåsebäck a discursive struggle takes place between culture as an intrinsic value, social utility and market utility. The analysis showed that market discourse has hegemony, and it is exemplified in places dedicated for culture. The social practises could be seen as consequences and distribution in space. No decrease of social frictions within the prevailing hegemony was found.