Zakrisdal : Område i förvandling

Sammanfattning: Zakrisdal and the west coast region of Karlstad was at one time a protected area where the ammunition factory AmF Zakrisdal 1941-1994 was situated. This factory manufactured explosives for the Swedish armed forces and for export. In this context it is an interesting paradox that the production of ammunition, mines and armorpiercing grenades for more than 50 years has preserved the environment surrounding the factory.The factory is now gone and the production is moved to Karlskoga. Plans are being made to build housing for 3-4000 residents and other enterprises within the area. The area now stands before yet another change, most likely the most profound to date.The inspiration for this work comes from the economic historic Jan Jörnmark. He is interested in the remains of old abandoned industries. His work has caught the interest of the public and me with his Photography’s of deserted places, available at www.jornmark.se. In his academic work he has studied the process of creative destruction as formulated by the national economist Joseph Schumpeter and the effect of that process to Swedish Base Industries. The process of creative destruction describes how the introduction of new technology and new products destroy the old system of production in an ongoing process of revolutions. The entrepreneur is in this process the instigator “The agent of change”.The purpose of this essay is to investigate how a limited geographical area and the environment in its vicinity are affected by political, economic, demographic and ideological change. What consequences have changes in those sociological fields had in past times and what will they be in the future. The impact of “big events” on the “small world” will be studied with the area of Zakrisdal in Karlstad as an example, and with Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction as the scientific tool. My studie shows that the ”Agents of change” effect on the overlaying structure unconditionally affect the lower layers in the hierarky, and ultimately the landscape itself. I can see more than one layer of entreprenures. Changes in ideological, political, technical or economic development opens oppurtiunities for entreprenures on one level while the door closes on another. The freedom to operate either grows or shrink depending on the terms set by the ”Agents of change” higher in the hierarky.