Mariehem is a suburban neighbourhood in Umeå, Sweden. It was built as part of the miljonprogrammet (Million Houses Program in English), a massive public housing program in the 1960s and 70s. These neighbourhoods are notorious for their dull architecture, comparatively high crime rates, and the social isolation residents often feel. I lived in Mariehem for nearly 2 years while completing my Master's, and the place maker in my brain was always thinking about my neighbourhood.
In October of 2022 I had the opportunity to study my neighbourhood's public square as part of a Qualitative Methods course. Heavily inspired by Jan Gehl's and W.H Whyte's methods of observation, I tracked movement through the square, taking notes, and drinking tea. I recorded gender and age, I noted when, where, and for how long people stopped. I also noted if they stopped alone or in groups. Due to time constraints, I had three observation periods on a single Friday: afternoon (13:00-13:30), evening (18:00-18:30), and night (21:00-21:30).
This project was a valuable learning experience. My initial plan was to record significantly more data than ended up being possible. I wanted several days for observation, with diverse weather conditions. I also wanted to record the demographics and quantity of everyone passing through the square. Thus, I readjusted the methodology to better reflect what I could accurately record while operating alone.
A birds eye view of Mariehem Centrum, on which I tracked movement, demographics, and lingering time. Businesses and seating are labeled on this version.
Results
Afternoon, 13:00-13:30. 12 people lingered in the square. People stopped for an average of 1.8 minutes. The average group size was 1.8 people. 72% of the people lingering were men.
Evening, 18:00-18:30. 12 people lingered in the evening, mainly adult men, for an average of 5.4 minutes. The average lingering group had 1.8 people in it. The majority of people lingering were women, but I was unable to determine the gender of 25% (3) of the individuals.
Night, 21:00-21:30. 9 people stopped for an average of 4.2 minutes. 77% of the people lingering were men.
Observations
The north eastern entrance to Mariehem Centrum. Note the seperation from the residential area.
Lighting at night is inadequate, and all businesss are closed by 21:00. This leaves little reason for people to linger in the square at night.
The central fountain, where all seating is concentrated.
Restaurang Maria is the source of the majority of activity in the square, especially in the evenings
A sign for a missing cat, stapled to a tree near the fountain.
The overhang is rather dark and unfriendly. Few people pass through it.
Cigarette butts & tobacco pouches around bench 3 point towards a behaviour which is popular, if not endorsed by planners.
