Between inclusion and legitimization - a municipal office project within the urban regeneration of Gellerupparken and Toveshøj
Author
Strand, Audun Lundbak
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-06-08
Pages
74
Abstract
Byomdannelse i Danmark modtager årligt over 500 mio. kr. I Gellerupparken og Toveshøj i det vestlige Aarhus gennemføres en stor indsats, hvor en hjørnesten er et nyt kommunalt kontorhus. Huset får en offentligt tilgængelig stueetage, der skal invitere beboere indenfor. Med afsæt i teorier om borgernes rolle og demokrati i byplanlægning samt teknologisociologi (hvordan fysiske rammer former sociale relationer) undersøger specialet, i hvilken grad kontorhuset kan skabe møder mellem lokale beboere, kommunale medarbejdere og besøgende. Interviews med kommunen viser, at lokale beboere ikke blev inviteret med i designprocessen. Bygningen er planlagt til at udtrykke en Aarhus-identitet frem for en lokal identitet, og projektet kan tolkes som medvirkende til gentrificering (forandringer, der kan presse nuværende beboere), hvilket nogle beboergrupper allerede mistænker. Huset vil rumme ca. 1.000 arbejdspladser og forventes at tiltrække besøgende, men det vurderes at være rettet mod at tiltrække virksomheder og opnå legitimitet i resten af byen snarere end at imødekomme lokale behov. De lokale synes at være mindst vægtet i designet. Det kan hæmme beboernes lyst til at bruge huset og dermed de møder, det skulle skabe. Samtidig rummer kontorhuset en vis fleksibilitet. Gennem en bevidst diskursiv konfiguration – nye fortællinger og ændringer i brug – kan negative tendenser delvist afbødes, så bygningen over tid kan få lokal forankring og tiltrække beboere.
Denmark invests over DKK 500 million annually in urban regeneration. In Gellerupparken and Toveshøj in western Aarhus, a major initiative is underway, with a new municipal office building as a key element. The building will have a publicly accessible ground floor intended to invite residents in. Drawing on theories about citizen participation and democracy in urban planning, and on the sociology of technology (how physical settings shape social relations), the thesis examines to what extent the office can enable encounters between local residents, municipal employees, and visitors. Interviews with the municipality indicate that local residents were not invited into the building’s design process. The building is meant to express an Aarhus identity rather than a local identity, and the project can be interpreted as contributing to gentrification (changes that may pressure existing residents), a concern already voiced by some resident groups. The building will house about 1,000 employees and is likely to attract visitors, but it appears aimed at attracting businesses and gaining legitimacy with the wider city rather than meeting local needs. Locals seem to be the least considered in the design. This may discourage residents from using the building and limit the meetings it was meant to foster. At the same time, the office includes some flexibility. Through a deliberate discursive configuration — new narratives and adjustments in use — negative developments may be partly mitigated, allowing the building to gain local ownership over time and attract residents.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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