Waterfront Integration Project in Trelleborg

Abstract: In the last year Sweden and especially Skåne in Sweden has experienced rapid growth in immigration rates. Combined with already existing levels of immigration, many headlines has screamed out bold words, - “crisis, collapse, racism” and generally questioned the unclear future for Sweden. Immigration has caused increase in population and therefore the need for cities to develop in larger extents. Borders between countries are fading out, but instead becoming more evident within. The new age cities should thrive from the increasing diversity rather than closing down and breaking apart. Segregation is of course political, social, economic question. But it appears not only on the paper, but most importantly out in the streets, neighborhoods, schools, - in the public realm where all dissimilarities are put on a plate for everyone to see. Segregation is a spatial issue that is present in the physical world around us. The great task of this research project is to re-establish links between the waterfront and the wider urban fabric that would strive for integration, rather than blindly focusing only on economically convenient development and market driven changes. The greater issue behind this thesis work is to create urban waterfront regeneration project that would contribute to social integration of exacerbated issue of immigration and accordingly segregation in Sweden. In the research and analysis phase I have tried to answer questions as: - How to reclaim former industrial waterfronts to contribute to social inclusion and integration? - How should waterfronts change after the industrial age to actually comply with the needs of people? - What is the materiality of segregation and how to prevent it in new regeneration projects? - How to design environmentally and socially attractive waterfronts? Throughout history this is not a unique situation. But we cannot make the same mistakes rapped in a new package. There is no question if cities in Skåne has to grow, the question is how. How to coexist not dragging lines between us and the others but rather dragging all of us together?