What Wars and Fires Did Not Do to Stockholm, the Planners Did

摘要

Are cities shaped by planning or is their design a result of trends and market forces? By following the development of Stockholm from the thirteenth century to the present day Thomas Hall concludes that urban development of the Swedish capital has indeed been a result of state and city interventions and based on beliefs of the importance of Stockholm as a major European metropolis and thus in need for heavy investment. Sweden has escaped wars on its own territory, and many towns have from time to time been destroyed by fire. But the saying 'what wars and fires did not do to cities, the planners did' is indeed true for Stockholm.