Plans and outcomes for mixed use in new apartment buildings: A Gothenburg programme for suburban infills

Cities may wish to create more lively urban areas by zoning for mixed uses. The purpose here is to identify factors explaining the gaps between plans and outcomes for non-residential uses of ground floors in a Swedish housing programme with 30 development plans for apartment building infill in low-density suburbs already dominated by apartment buildings. We assume that outcomes depend on zoning, urban design factors, mobility factors and socio-economic factors. Documents and field observations reveal that vertical zoning has had limited effects. Correlation analysis indicates that active non-residential ground floor frontages reflect access to public transport, while vacancies are associated inversely with area incomes. Typical ground floor uses are the retail sale of food and services to the human body. A political goal of active ground floors in low-density suburbs might need subsidies if vacancies are to be avoided.