Retro for Whom? – the Meaning of 50s Identity for Local Centers in Stockholm Suburbs

EasyChair Preprint 876

Abstract

The focus of this paper concerns an urban renewal process that took place in the suburb Hökarängen, Stockholm, between 2011–2014, aiming to regenerate the area by enhancement of a claimed 1950s identity. The study departs from a critical reading of the visual coordination manual that has been used for implementing the 50s identity.

Questions discussed are the desire for authenticity, what determines a sense of the 50s and who benefits from it, using perspectives of David Harvey (1996)and Doreen Massey (1994)on place and authenticity. 

The aim of the paper is to challenge the dominant narratives promotes by the housing company and media, about aesthetic interventions usually understood as refurbishments, improvements and caring for public good, by suggesting that these can be violent and contribute to commodify places with certain publics in mind.

Keyphrases: Authenticity, Signage, collective memory, gentrification, identity, nostalgia, place, shopfronts

@booklet{EasyChair:876,
  author    = {Maryam Fanni},
  title     = {Retro for Whom? – the Meaning of 50s Identity for Local Centers in Stockholm Suburbs},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 876},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}