Towards the just city: Addressing poverty and social exclusion in the Stockholm Region

Abstract

Urban poverty and social exclusion is rarely the outcome of a single phenomenon. It results from a diversity of factors, including socio-economic patterns, discrimination, access to housing, the built form, transportation and social networks, often in connection with institutional breakdowns. To understand this challenge, with a particular emphasis on the role of public institutions in resolving or exacerbating these issues, this article, based on an ESPON Territorial Indicators of Poverty and Social Exclusion case study, focuses on the municipality of Botkyrka, located in the Stockholm Region. It had the lowest median income in 2010 and among the highest municipal concentrations of persons with a foreign background in the region, but has also seen dramatic improvements over the past decade. Through an review of relevant municipal and regional documents, in-depth interviews and on-site investigation, this article analyses poverty and social exclusion challenges through the lens of social exclusion and just city theory. In doing so, a focus on the role of institutions in mitigating these issues is offered. The paper concludes with a discussion of positive measures undertaken locally, with recognition of multiple levels of governance, and their transferability within Europe and beyond.