
Ola Thufvesson
Universitetslektor

The role of retail establishments for perceived safety in deprived urban environments
Författare
Summary, in English
The research aim of this study is to investigate the role of different stakeholders in creating a socially resilient urban environment. In particular, we focus on the prerequisites for establishing retail in so-called deprived areas that have a low degree of perceived safety, and how retail businesses contribute to the perceived safety of these places. The research question we pose in the study concerns retail’s role in affecting people’s perceptions of safe and attractive city centres and neighbourhoods. The study follows different regeneration projects that aim to heighten the safety in deprived urban environments, which enabled us to gain unique insight into working with and planning for safety. Geographically, nine deprived areas of interest were chosen in five cities in Sweden. These areas were classified as deprived by the Swedish police authority, all together there are 61 such areas in Sweden. The empirical material was collected by means of a combination of qualitative methods of in-depth interviews, participant observations and news media compilation. Interviews were conducted with retail store managers, retail store employees, property managers and city planners.
Participant observations of meetings between property managers, city planners and retailers on how to develop perceived safety in urban areas. News media concerning the chosen areas and safety issues were collected to establish a background knowledge before field work. The study demonstrates that co-operation between different actors are important in planning for safety in deprived urban environments. Retail businesses are an important aspect of increasing the level of perceived safety, but cannot “do the job” on its own. The study provides examples of what such cooperation may entail and which actors that are involved. Moreover, the findings of the study underscore that it is important to proceed from the characteristics of the place when deciding on the combination of different measures, rather than apply universal solutions. Perceived safety is a situated phenomenon and entails many different aspects. Engaging with people that work in and have knowledge of the area is therefore necessary to gain insights into what safety means in a particular place.
Avdelning/ar
- Institutionen för strategisk kommunikation
- Institutionen för tjänstevetenskap
Publiceringsår
2022-06-14
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
27-27
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Konferensbidrag: abstract
Ämne
- Social and Economic Geography
- Economics and Business
Nyckelord
- Retail
- Urban regeneration
- Social sustainability
- Deprivation
Conference name
Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Science<br/>
Conference date
2022-07-23 - 2022-07-26
Conference place
Baveno, Italy
Aktiv
Published
Projekt
- New forms of cooperation for the promotion of safe trade in vulnerable urban environments