The Transformation of the Swedish Society from the Perspective of Urban History

Abstract

The article presents an overview of recent studies in Swedish urban history primarily for the modern historical period. Until the mid-19th century many Swedish towns were founded by government decision. This has led to a focus on the relationship between the town and the state in terms of planning, economy, and politics, which has also influenced research on the modern period. Industrial growth in the early 19th century often took place in several small, sometimes temporary settlements and localities close to production facilities all over the countryside. The article presents recent investigations about historical connections between the pre-industrial societal formation of urban areas and production sites in Sweden – on the one hand – and the development in advanced industrial towns with strong social rights on the other. It also examines the consequences of the ‘internal colonisation’ of the vast Northern regions (Norrbotten) and how resource extraction and large technical systems for industry and military defence spurred an ‘extended’ urbanisation process during the 20th century. Finally, the overview discusses the era of the “Welfare City”, and how urban economics and planning changed priorities in the recent period of post-Fordism.