Stockholm city Plan Summary, may 2009

Transcription

1 Stockholm City Plan Summary, May 2009

2 Towards a world class Stockholm This brochure presents Stockholm s vision of a world class city and the Stockholm City Plan currently under development. You can also read about how the city meets the challenges it faces as it continues to grow. A successful metropolitan region Stockholm is in an exciting development phase. Many move to the region to work or study, and Stockholm s business climate is well suited to an ever more competitive international environment. Several new city areas are developing, both within the City of Stockholm and in the Stockholm region. Number 1,200,000 1,000, ,000 Population neighbourhoods can be linked and how physical barriers isolating certain areas can be removed by developing new areas, improving public transportation and providing more public spaces. Dialogues about Stockholm s future Between November 2008 and January 2009, Stockholm produced a series of seminars, debates with politicians and experts, and open community meetings to discuss Stockholm s future and key urban development initiatives. These dialogues reflect strong support for Stockholm s continued growth and for the sustainable development advantages of a dense urban environment. Most of those consulted identified a diverse and vibrant built environment and a well-functioning infrastructure as key issues for the future. 600, ,000 Jobs 200, The City of Stockholm is home to over people and is the core of a growing metropolitan region of over 3.5 million. A new strategic plan takes shape All Swedish municipalities are required to produce a comprehensive plan showing water and land use as well as develop ment of the built environment. The new comprehensive plan shows how Stockholm can grow sustainably over time and which parts of the city will be developed and densified in both the short and long terms. The plan also describes how Stockholm s Stockholm Speaks! Stockholm s youth and political leaders discuss Stockholm s future at the Cultural Centre.

3 Starting points A unique natural landscape Stockholm has grown out of an archipelago landscape with several bodies of water and a topography of unique character. About one thousand years ago Stadsholmen, the first settlement in the area, formed along the so called Stockholm Ridge, where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The ancient natural landscape has been preserved in the region through the green wedges extending outwards from the central city. Farsta is one of the suburbs built in the 1960 s. The high rise buildings near the commercial centre and subway station is typical for that period. The urban development of the 1900 s reflects a focus on infrastructure, particularly through investments in the metropolitan rapid transit system. Beginning in the 1950 s, new suburbs began to develop. Rail transportation remains the backbone of Stockholm s urban infrastructure and helps explain why Stockholm enjoys such a high rate of public transport use. This photo illustrates some of the key characteristics of Stockholm s natural landscape. Stockholm s annual rings Stockholm began as a medieval settlement and fortification in what is now known as Gamla Stan, the Old City. The Stockholm of today has developed over several centuries, with clearly identifiable annual rings formed as each epoch made its mark on the City. Stockholm therefore developed neighbourhoods and areas of different character and identity. Building the city inwards The end of the 20th century marked a new epoch in Stockholm s urban development, which the 1999 City Plan summarised with the notion of building the city inwards. This has meant supplementary building in existing neighbourhoods and the renewal of older harbour and industrial areas as mixed-use neighbourhoods. The neighbourhood Hammarby Sjöstad was the most prominent of such initiatives and continues to generate considerable international interest, especially for its environmentally friendly profile.

4 Challenges for a growing city The City of Stockholm has experienced significant population growth in recent years and all indications show that this trend will continue. The city needs to address a number of significant challenges in order to achieve sustainable growth. A stronger region increases Stockholm s attractiveness Stockholm s attractiveness as a city is de - pend ent on the strength and growth of the Stockholm-Mälar region. The City of Stockholm therefore strongly supports ambitions to strengthen the region s polycentric spatial structure and its strong subregional cores. To further this aim, Stockholm is participating in the development of a new regional development plan for Stockholm County. Continued integration of housing and labour markets in the region implies new demands for improvements to the transportation system as well as cooperation among the region s municipalities. Framtidsutredningen 2008 Hur påverkar globaliseringen Stockholm och hur utmanar det staden? Harmonizing interests In 2008 the City of Stockholm presented a report on globalisation and its affects on the municipality. One conclusion is that the region needs to improve its business climate. The City of Stockholm needs to plan for housing, parks, infrastructure and workplaces for about new Stockholmers by the year This means that many urban functions will share or compete for decreasing available space. A challenge is meeting future needs while preserving the city s legendary beauty, heritage and unique character. Another difficulty is finding space for public works infrastructure, which is often difficult to co-locate with housing. Nevertheless, the co-location of diverse functions and activities is a key characteristic of dynamic urban environments. The five counties of the Stockholm Mälar region. The increasing importance of environmental and climate issues Global climate change is one of the world s most pressing problems and the City of Stockholm has established the goal to be fossil fuel-free by A dense city structure provides the preconditions needed to expand district heating and public transportation systems and create a sustainable living environment. Continued densfication of central city areas must nevertheless be carefully planned

5 in order to meet requirements for air quality and noise levels. The biggest challenge is to both increase accessibility and mobility and mini mize harmful climate and environmental effects attributable to the transportation sector. Stockholm will be the European Union s first Green Capital in 2010 because of its high environmental standards and its ambitious goals for further environmen tal improvement. Socioeconomic disparities among Stockholm s neighbourhoods Like many other cities, Stockholm reflects a wide range of social and economic disparities, apparent both among social groups and across areas of the city. Initiatives undertaken to improve the conditions in marginalized areas have not yet been able to reverse these trends. The greatest challenges are in the labour market, where disparities are more pronounced in Stockholm than in other regions. The built environment has an important role to play in reducing physical barriers and linking neighborhoods. More diversity in the housing market is also an important strategy for supporting social cohesion. Facts and figures City of Stockholm Land and population Population Population* Land area 188 km 2 Land area* km 2 Parks and green zones 40 % Population density inh./km 2 land Population density* 299 inh./km 2 land Housing and transport Dwelling units Multi-family houses 89.8 % Single family houses 10,2 % Private cars Child daycare and education Daycare, registered children (age 1 5 years) Pupils at comprehensive schools (age 7 15) Pupils at upper secondary schools (age 15 18) Students at universities and colleges Service and culture Police stations 13 Churches 64 Swimming baths 15 Sport centres 27 Theatres, etc. 70 Cinemas 87 Museums 65 Public Libraries 47 *County of Stockholm

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8 Four strategies for sustainable growth The Stockholm City Plan gives an overall picture of the city s future built environment. It is comprised of four strategies to meet the most pressing challenges and achieve the vision of a world class Stockholm. Strengthen central Stockholm Planning to develop the central areas of Stockholm will continue along with several strategic development areas close to the inner city. A dense and diverse city core supports Stockholm s competitiveness, provides the preconditions necessary for sustainable mobility and links hitherto isolated areas. In practice, this means expanding the inner city beyond its historic borders. Liljeholmen is one of Stockholm s most dynamic areas with a key development role for improving connections between the inner city and the southwestern suburbs. Focus on strategic nodes To achieve a balanced development pattern in Stockholm, a specific focus on densification and development of outer city nodes is necessary. This will provide Stockholmers with good access to a robust range of services, culture and jobs. Moreover, it will create new possibilities to both expand and modernise the public transportation system as well as utilise current infrastructure more effectively. Well-developed cooperation between public and private actors is critical to realising investments in the strategic nodes. Kista in northern Stockholm is an example of a strategic node and successful IT cluster. The Stockholm city plan therefore underscores the need for improving regional accessibility to Kista.

9 Connect city areas Many parts of Stockholm are inadequately integrated with their surroundings. Such physical barriers prevent Stockholmers from interacting with each other and from reaching jobs, education and activities. Linking city areas will require better infrastructure supporting public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian travel. Building new areas at neighbourhood borders is another way to increase social cohesion. Initiatives will also include investments in attractive parks and public spaces between city areas. The new light rail system serving transverse travel (tvärbanan) opened in 2000 and quickly became a great success. The city plan includes several initiatives to improve transverse links to better connect radial public transit infrastructure. Create a vibrant urban environment The majority of future urban development projects will be in specific development areas and strategic nodes. Nevertheless, a secure and dynamic urban environment depends upon the successive development of built areas throughout the city to meet local needs. Continued building will be possible in many parts of Stockholm, but the city s beauty and character must be preserved. Therefore, the City Plan focuses on an increasingly dense urban environment built on a strong foundation of superior public spaces. It also reflects the need to ensure the supply of adequate space to support Stockholm s technical functions. Supplementary (infill) development in Blackeberg in western Stockholm. This project exemplifies Stockholm s strategy to build in public transitaccessible areas and focus on public spaces.

10 A new city planning process Producing Stockholm s new city plan is the first step in a rolling and more flexible urban development planning process that also provides clear guidance for future plans. The planning process Sweden s Building and Planning Act requires all Swedish municipalities to produce and update a comprehensive plan that serves as guidance for detailed plans and building permits. Swedish municipalities have extensive authority over local land use, sometimes referred to as a planning monopoly. Land use and building is regulated through legally binding municipal detailed development plans. Building permits are issued in compliance with detailed plans for new building, renovations and additions. THE PLANNING PROCESS Comprehensive plan (advisory) Detailed development plan (legally binding) The picture shows the Stockholm Waterfront project near the central station. for sustainable development. The plan also serves as policy guidance for the entire city s areas and functional responsibilities. A rolling urban development process It is critical that the City Plan be continually updated to reflect new situations and provide guidance for detailed plans. A rolling urban development planning process will periodically update the current comprehensive City Plan to adapt to current issues. A rolling process can also support a continuous dialogue regarding the city s future. Building permit (legally binding) A more strategic plan The new city plan for Stockholm will function more as a strategic navigation tool than a traditional land use plan. The City Plan shows how Stockholm will meet its Vision 2030 goals and provide clear guidance regarding the city s intentions and objectives The City Planning Administration, under the City Planning Committee, is responsible for both comprehensive and detailed planning for the City of Stockholm. It also issues building permits, registers property and land, provides maps and administers housing subsidies. The City Plan must be approved by the City Council.

11 Vision 2030 During the fall of 2006, a process started in Stockholm in which all of the city s departments, administrations and companies, along with several external partners, took part in formulating a long term, complete vision for Stockholm s development and sustainable growth. The project was named Vision Stockholm The vision presents three coherent themes for the city s development, as well as a number of essential characteristics that show what it will be like to live in, work in and visit Stockholm in the year A world-class Stockholm Versatile and full of experiences By the year 2030, Stockholm will be a versatile city, full of experiences - simply, a world class metropolis. The region will offer a wide range of work, education, service, culture and entertainment: all the things that will give citizens the opportunity to fulfill their life dreams, and that will make use of every single person s potential. Stockholm s unique city environment combines the pulse of the big city with closeness to nature and water, something that will attract visitors from all over the world. SION2O3O innovation and unique collaboration between businesses, educational institutions and research facilities. Innovative and growing By the year 2030, Stockholm will be the hub of the growing Stockholm-Mälar region. Stockholm will be internationally competitive, and the leading region of growth in Europe. The region will be a world class dynamic and innovative economy that successfully competes with goods and services in the global marketplace. The economy will be characterized by knowledge based businesses, high The citizen s Stockholm By the year 2030, Stockholm will be the hub of an accessible and safe region, without social or physical barriers. The region will offer unlimited possibilities for people to live, travel and meet. The city will offer high class and cost-effective services, based on variety and the freedom to choose. Citizens will have unique opportunities to choose from a large number of medical and care institutions, and schools.

12 THE city planning administration Fleminggatan 4 Box 8314, SE Stockholm Tel. +46 (8) SBK 2008:6