Disciplining Discourses – Constructions of the City, the Urban and the Planner in Swedish Urban Planning Education

Abstract

This paper examines discursive constructions of the city, the urban, and planning within Swedish urban planning education. It highlights how education functions as a key arena for shaping norms, based on group interviews with students. Findings reveal how students relate to urban history and contemporary planning issues, noting a lack of visions and social perspectives on the urban. The study concludes by emphasising the need for balance between social theory and design training, and between critical thinking and visionary approaches, in order to better connect analysis with the improvement of cities.