Sweden has a shortage of new homes but on our visits we saw a very different way of addressing the problem. Two development areas on the outskirts of Uppsala, some 60 km north of Stockholm, were good examples of this completely different Swedish approach.
The photo opposite is a view is of new homes at Kungsängen, where a combination of rented and privately owned accommodation is being built. The homes are generally six-story apartments, built as a quadrangle around a communal green area. Shops and services are at street level below the living accommodation. Sustainable transport is at the heart of the development.
The new area of Kungsängen carries forward the traditional grid of streets, characteristic of older Uppsala, with apartments overlooking a street on one side and a green area on the other. You can see here how each green quadrangle is different and may include sports facilities, sitting out areas, playgrounds, trees and more. There are large balconies and views over newly planted trees. Since there is little traffic, the place seems pleasant and walkable. The area includes the new Anna Petrus park built by the Municipality of Uppsala, and created in collaboration with local associations for skateboarding and other outdoor activities.
By building apartments, albeit medium-rise, the density of population in the area is high. This means that local businesses are viable and many are located in the basement floor of the apartment blocks, such as this independent cafe and bookshop.
Municipal planners had early on decided that the fabric of the city and utility systems, must become more dense in order to meet climate and environmental requirements and demands for a high quality of life within the city. They have planned Kungsängen in detail with this in mind.
With sustainable transport integrated into every aspect of the development, much was to hand on foot or bike. For longer journeys across town, buses were frequent and affordable, and we were told by residents we spoke to that a car was not really necessary. However there was an underground car park for the residents in the block, and (in the winter) underground cycle parking too. Residents also had a basement area for personal storage and was an area for recycling too – no bins lining the streets!
The photo opposite is another new area of Uppsala called Rosendal. We travelled everywhere on modern buses although cycling would have been another easy option as cycleways were everywhere and part of a comprehensive network. Trams are also on the way to support the expansion of the whole area.
There were also frequent buses to favourite places to enjoy nearby forests and lakes, the idea being that enjoyment of nature is something that should be available to all citizens – you don’t have to drive.
The google view shows not only the arrangement of the apartments around streets, but also shows just some of the shops, restaurants and services that have opened in the new area. By building ‘in proximity’ not only are small businesses viable, but also public transport benefits from the high local demand for buses. Sustainable transport in Uppsala was it seemed, was increasingly becoming the usual way of travelling about and the planners were working hard with the town to keep it that way as thousands of new residents moved in. As explained in the vision ‘a well-developed public transport system will also promote equality, by allowing those residents who do not have a car to travel in comfort and safety’.
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