Stockholm university

Research project Trajectories of vulnerability: A spatial perspective

In the Swedish debate, spatial differences in living conditions have increasingly been identified as one of society's major challenges. While large population groups enjoy better material living conditions than perhaps ever before, other groups are living in both economic, social, and housing insecurity.

Mixed housing
Mixing tenure types and housing types is a measure against residential segregation. The example shows private rental in multi-family dwellings and private home ownership in detached housing. Photo: Eva Andersson

Perhaps most evident in metropolitan areas, affluent and vulnerable groups are found in different places. With a special focus on vulnerable groups, and based on a life-course trajectory approach, the purpose of this project is to clarify the mechanism behind this spatial sorting and to explore the social consequences of increasing geographical polarization. Thus, in this project we want to analyse how different vulnerable groups have fared in the Swedish society and in the housing market. One expected outcome is that the project will show how current policies may be revised in order to promote better outcomes for vulnerable groups. Such policies can focus specifically on neighbourhoods with a concentration of vulnerable groups, but can also include broader measures to counteract the consequences of increased inequality.

Questions that are addressed;
- To assess possible causal pathways for contextual effects on trajectories of vulnerability
- To assess the impact of housing market change—tenure type conversion, renovation of rental properties, shifts in housing policy—on the spatial integration of vulnerable individuals

Project members

Project managers

Eva Andersson

Professor

Department of Human Geography
Eva K. Andersson

Members

Ida Borg

Researcher

Department of Human Geography
Ida Borg 2022

Jennie Gustafsson

Forskare, Postdoc

Institutionen för urbana studier, Malmö universitet
Jennie Gustafsson

Publications

More about this project

Swedish Radio, SR (2022) Program Konflikt, Broar eller grävskopor- så ska vi bo mer blandat. Programledare Robin Olin. September 3, 2022. https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/broar-eller-gravskopor-sa-ska-vi-bo-mer-blandat