Housing for whom? Urban development and housing commodification in a suburban area of Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: Departing from a critical perspective to the neoliberalization of planning and housing policies in Sweden, this study aimed to investigate the existing housing dynamics and the proposed residential developments in a Focus Area for Urban Development, as well as the relationship between these processes. The research was conducted as a single case-study in the neighboring areas Hagsätra and Rågsved, where the City of Stockholm is expecting to build at least 3,000 new dwellings. This study sought to answer the three following questions: (1) How have the local housing dynamics looked in the past 10 years?; (2) What housing investments are being proposed by this Urban Development Project, how is it being developed, why and by whom?; (3) What conflicts can be identified between the Urban Development Project and the existing housing dynamics? According to data retrieved from interviews and document analysis, this study shows how the housing sector became an important source of profit for private companies and the state. Results suggest that the area is experiencing a process of housing commodification, characterized by the subordination of housing as a social asset in favor of housing as an instrument for capital accumulation.