The directors of urban transformation: The case of Oslo

Bengt Andersen, Hannah Eline Ander and Joar Skrede
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Bengt Andersen: 60499Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Hannah Eline Ander: Independent Scholar, Norway

Local Economy, 2020, vol. 35, issue 7, 695-713

Abstract: We investigate the urban transformation strategies of major developers and other key actors in the context of neoliberalism and its influence on politics, including urban development governance. Drawing primarily on interviews with corporate developers operating in the downtown areas of Oslo, Norway, we show how these influential actors with little formal political responsibility not only shape the physical structures but also significantly influence the social, economic and cultural fabric of the city. While they do not have a coordinated strategy, private developers do aim to transform urban areas to fit the preferences of the middle and upper classes. However, the situation is not as negative and predetermined as many critiques of gentrification processes assume. Besides demonstrating some positive outcomes of local transformation processes, our study shows that a fully gentrified downtown, along with the social exclusion mechanisms, has not been implemented yet.

Keywords: city districts; gentrification; neighbourhoods; private developers; urban transformation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:loceco:v:35:y:2020:i:7:p:695-713

DOI: 10.1177/0269094220988714

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