GLOBAL GARDEN REPORT 2012 - Husqvarna Group

A CLOSER LOOK AT URBAN GREEN SPACES IN:
Sweden
THREE CENTERS OF URBANIZATION
Roughly 85% of its population in cities, Sweden
together with France tops the list of most
urbanized countries in this report. Just as
France will continue to urbanize, Sweden’s share
of people living in urban areas is projected to
reach 90% by 2050.
In Sweden, as noted by experts,
urbanization is mainly concentrated in the
three large areas of Stockholm, Gothenburg
and Malmoe. Stockholm metropolitan area,
for instance, is estimated to exhibit 40% of the
country’s total population expansion over the
next 20 years. At the same time, many smaller
villages and towns are seeing their populations
decline, presenting Sweden with regional
challenges similar to those of many other
European countries.
GREEN SPACES TOP THE LIST
Traditionally, city expansion in Sweden has
followed a path of suburbanization: cities
sprawl larger but not necessarily denser.
Despite relatively less dense cities, the
existence of green spaces was still the most
46 GLOBAL GARDEN REPORT 2012
frequently mentioned feature that Swedish
respondents wanted to see more of in their
areas. In terms of the current condition of
smaller green spaces in the city, Swedes on
the whole appear to be relatively satisfied: 12%
of respondents reported being somewhat or
very dissatisfied, whereas 64% reported being
somewhat or very satisfied.
A WORRISOME DEVELOPMENT
With so much of the country’s urbanization
occurring in the three major areas, it is,
perhaps, not surprising that the current green
space balance should look bleak. When urban
dwellers were asked whether their part of the
city had become more or less green over the
last ten years, 40% of respondents believed
it had become less green, compared with
only 18% of respondents seeing more green.
Judging from responses, the future prospects
are worrisome as well; 54% of Swedish
respondents believed that their cities would be
less green twenty years from now, with only 24%
believing the opposite.
COUNTRY PROFILE:
SWEDEN
Population: 9.5 million
Degree of urbanization
2009*: 85%
Projected degree of
urbanization 2050*: 90%
10 YEAR GREEN
SPACE BALANCE
-22 %
The 10 year green space
balance refers to the
difference in percentage
points of respondents in
Sweden reporting that their
part of the city had become
more green over the last ten
years (18%) compared to
those who believed it had
become less green (40%).
*source: United Nations, 2009