Activity mix in urban Sweden 1997–2017

Contemporary urban planning is permeated by the general goal of increasing the mix of activities in urban areas and subareas. This paper argues that there are several steps between plans for increased mix and the final urban improvements expected from such plans, and that a mix of activities (reside, work, visit) is a necessity for this line of thought to make sense. However, the main aim is to present a follow-up on these planning goals in a Swedish context. An empirical examination based on register data indicates that activities are most mixed in small-town centres and immediately outside the most central areas of larger cities. During the studied period of 1997–2017, most of the urban subareas have become more mixed. Nonetheless, most towns and cities in their entireties became less mixed, due to the simultaneous net redistribution of activities to monofunctional areas. As a consequence, the final objectives of the mixed-use planning are not achieved, regardless of whether mixed-use planning is connected to activity mix. Visiting activities (e.g. out-of-town retail developments) are the primary contributor to this counter-intentional redistribution, but work activities also contribute to some extent.