Environmental Justice in the Post-industrial, Entrepreneurial City: A Look at Malmö’s Built Environment

Abstract: This thesis investigates environmental justice through the lens of the Sustainability Prism Model. Its purpose is to assess a post-industrial focus on environmental sustainability in the built environment using the four aspects of the Sustainability Prism: economy, ecology, equity, and livability. The study of eco-gentrification – the inequities that result as a consequence of the implementation of “eco”-programs and amenities – is facilitated by the livability aspect of the Prism which brings the other, more abstract concepts into the physical space. By studying environmental justice via the Sustainability Prism, this research breaks down the concept of environmental justice into more manageable components. Thus, this thesis is also used to evaluate the use of the Sustainability Prism as a way to investigate environmental justice. The city of Malmö in Sweden is chosen as a case study for its unique position as a neoliberalising city located in historically welfare-focused state. This choice addresses the gap in environmental justice literature which has largely explored North American and non-Scandinavian European cities. This thesis finds that policy-makers in industrial Malmö largely focused on the economy, equity, and livability aspects but the ecology aspect has now become a way to promote economic growth, promising equity as a by-product of a strong economy. In present-day Malmö, livability is being used to promote housing developments to industry and residents, while advanced environmental solutions are being used in flagship projects. Using the Sustainability Prism Model allowed the investigation of environmental justice to be more accessible. It also demonstrated the nuances between the aspects as the distinction between livability and ecology was made where the two aspects may sometimes be conflated. This distinction is important to understand to better grasp the root of eco-gentrification in the urban environment.