Svankevigå, an unprogrammed urban space

This blog post is written by master's student Camilla Huynh, under the supervision of Anders Riel Müller.

Cafés, proximity to the fjord, and Tou Scene became part of my daily life. In the midst of this urban landscape, I discovered Svankevigå, an area that caught my attention both as a resident and as an urban planner. Svankevigå is a former industrial site characterized by grey surfaces and simple structures. Aesthetically, it may seem unappealing, lacking architectural refinement, and dominated by a large parking lot. Nevertheless, the site has become a meeting place for sauna users and sea enthusiasts, artists, makers, and neighbours. Saunas, street art, and creative workshops have emerged through user-driven initiatives. What gives this space its value is not its aesthetics, but the life people bring into it.

My thesis explores Svankevigå, a public urban space in Stavanger that, despite its industrial history and minimal regulation, has evolved into an informal meeting place for the local community. It has not been programmed or regulated for a specific use, but has gradually developed into a place of high perceived value. The study explores why and how such unprogrammed urban spaces become meaningful. At a time when many public spaces are designed down to the smallest detail, this thesis highlights qualities such as belonging, sensory experience, and everyday use, which greatly influence how we connect to and experience the city.

The thesis draws on theories by Henri Lefebvre, Jane Jacobs, William Whyte, Michel de Certeau, Yi-Fu Tuan, Jan Gehl, and Jonny Aspen. Key concepts include the social production of space, place attachment, sensory experience, and tactical urbanism. The methodological framework is inspired by the project «Den skitne byen» (The Dirty City), with particular emphasis on the concept of «dirty qualities» referring to the value found in unplanned, imperfect, and user-driven urban environments (Haga et al., 2023). Rather than viewing urban spaces as either clean or dirty, the concept encourages recognition of a spectrum of expressions and nuances often overlooked in urban planning. This framework is combined with Jonny Aspen’s theories on sensory urbanism to analyse how Svankevigå is experienced through the body, the senses, and daily life.

The study adopts a qualitative approach, combining document analysis, observation, and site-based interviews. By taking users’ lived experiences as a starting point, it explores how Svankevigå is given value, using an abductive approach that moves between empirical insights and theoretical reflection.  

The findings are structured into three parts, based on the analytical model from The Dirty City: structure, cracks, and shifts in scene. These three lenses offer different perspectives on how Svankevigå functions both as a physical space and a social, sensory, and cultural place. Each part builds on the theoretical and methodological framework and explores how the area is experienced and used by people with various types of connection to the site – whether as residents, users, or community participants.

• The first part, Structure, examines how the physical environment and industrial history of the area shape identity and place attachment. It highlights how buildings, materials, and street art serve as carriers of memory, storytelling, and character. 
• The second part, Cracks, sheds light on how users themselves shape the space through everyday and spontaneous initiatives. Local creativity, informality, and diversity play key roles here. The focus is on how such practices challenge traditional planning ideals and reveal the value of the unprogrammed and user-oriented. 
• The third part, Shifts in Scene, explores how atmosphere, social freedom, and sensory experience shape how the place is perceived. This section highlights the site’s openness and inclusiveness, which accommodate various degrees of activity – from passive presence and observation to social, physical, and participatory use. These variations in presence and engagement contribute to place attachment, community building, and room for individual expression. 

Through this tripartite structure, the study shows how an informal and unprogrammed urban space like Svankevigå gains value and not through architectural design or predefined function, but through use, experience, and human presence. When public spaces are left open to users, they invite spontaneity, diversity, and creative exploration. The findings indicate that the value of such places often lies in their openness, unfinished character, and sensory richness, where meaning emerges through everyday use and relational interaction rather than formal design.

At a time when many urban spaces are characterized by overprogramming and aesthetic control, Svankevigå reminds us of the importance of preserving space for the unpredictable and the human-driven. Urban planning has much to learn from such places. Greater awareness should be developed around the importance of open and flexible urban spaces, where people themselves can give meaning to the place. The value of an urban space does not necessarily lie in what is planned and designed, but in what emerges from below among those who actually use it.  

For me, Svankevigå became an example that challenged my previous understanding of what characterizes successful urban spaces, and not least the idea that quality is created through structured planning. Instead, the place showed how valuable qualities can arise through daily use, presence, and sensory experiences, that is, life between the buildings.