Power games in Stockholm´s parks
Urbanization is breaking all records globally, while climate change and other environmental impacts are increasing vulnerability in many cities.
Research at the Stockholm Resilience Center indicates that green areas, trees and wetlands play an increasingly-important role in providing healthy urban living environments. In his interdisciplinary doctoral thesis, with studies from Nationalstadsparken and Stockholm´s green areas, Henrik Ernstson discusses strategies for preserving urban ecosystems, and how power and social influence affect who in society benefits from them. “My research shows that civil society plays a very important role when it comes to articulating and preserving the values that urban green areas provide. Local groups, such as garden-plot and outdoor-activity associations, maintain important ecosystem knowledge that should come to better use than it does today. I light of my thesis, it is definitely troublesome to read about plans for shock increases in leases for garden-plot owners in Stockholm," says Henrik Ernstson. Urban ecology Research in urban ecology has literally exploded in the past ten years. Ernstson´s dissertation builds upon that research, which shows that urban ecosystems — such as green areas, trees and wetlands — provide better air quality, play and outdoor-activity areas, preserve ground-water levels and maintain biological diversity, which is important in the long term. There are even research studies that indicate that the need for medications for the elderly can be reduced if seniors have easy access to nature. Ernstson argues in his thesis that because ecosystems are living and changing, the management structures for other urban services — such as health care and public transportation — are not applicable to them. Instead, creativity and local support is required.
Riding clubs
“I suggest a number of strategies for how Stockholm can improve its management of urban ecosystems. In short, it is about increasing the role of local groups and stakeholder organizations — which can include home district organizations, riding clubs and scouts — and create reciprocal contacts between them and the city´s park managers and city planners," says Ernstson. Because cities are places where many activities take place at the same time, there are often conflicts over whether green areas should be used for building housing, offices, roads, shopping centers or parks. Ernstson´s thesis shows how a network of organizations that was behind the mobilization regarding Nationalstadsparken succeeded in weaving its own “protective story" about the area, with the help of cultural history and biological arguments.
Park from the 1700s
“But I also ask myself if other valuable green areas may be sacrificed in residential areas where associations and individuals have more difficulty influencing politicians. Power and social standing have their influence, naturally, and not everyone has green areas where a king like Gustav the 3rd established a park in the 1700s, which is the case for Nationalstadsparken," says Henrik Ernstson.
