Located above the Arctic Circle, the Swedish city of Kiruna is facing a rather unique obstacle: it is slowly sinking into the ground. Thanks to a local iron mine owned by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), it is projected that most of the structures in the city will collapse into the expanding iron mines below by 2050, sciencealert.com reports.
It may seem as though the simple solution would be to close the mine, but that isn’t an option. As Niklas Siren, the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee Kiruna explains in a short documentary about the city’s move (which can be seen below), the city and the mine have always had a symbiotic relationship. In fact, Kiruna exists where it does solely because of the mine and was founded as a city in 1900 by the LKAB managing director Hjalmar Lundbohm. With so much of the city’s economy tied up in the mine, the decision was made to keep the mine open and operational and move the city.
The lengthy, complicated process began back in 2004 when White Arkitekter AB won the global design competition set up to find the best idea for moving the city with its “Kiruna 4 Ever” plan. The firm broke ground on the new city in 2014.
Three historical structures in the city will be moved in their entirety to the new location, including the clock tower and the Kiruna church, which was voted as the most beautiful building in Sweden in 2001 by the people of Sweden. The rest of the structures will be recycled and their materials will be reclaimed for use in new construction.
Homeowners, on the other hand, will be given two options for how to go about the move, Gizmodo reports. LKAB will either buy their homes at market value plus 25%, or the residents can opt to be given a brand-new home for free in a new part of town. Renters will get subsidized rent to help with the transition into what will likely be more expensive buildings.
Rendering courtesy of White and Tegmark
Kiruna is seizing the opportunity of being forced to move the city as a means of fixing many of the city's existing problems. Currently, the space occupied by the city is massive. In fact, until two Australian municipalities combined, Kiruna was the largest municipality in the world in terms of area. However, with only around 20,000 people, the city’s layout was not as efficient as it could be. The new city is going to employ a much more focused, dense design. A more compact city center will allow for the residents to meet their daily needs in the most effective manner possible.
The first phase of the master plan is to create a new civic square. The historic Kiruna clock tower will reside in the civic square in addition to a new travel center, with a completion date of 2018, and a new city hall, which is scheduled to be completed in 2016, and was designed by Henning Larsen Architects. Phase one will also be comprised of a library (2019), swimming pool (2016), and moving the Kiruna church (2021).
The city’s neighborhoods will extend from this central civic square and form "urban fingers" into the surrounding arctic landscape, meaning residents will never be more than three blocks away from nature. Part of the plan with the design of the new city is to help give Kiruna less dependency on the mine and achieve a more sustainable economy.
An interesting part of the White Arkitekter AB team, and one that is not usually found in architecture firms, is a social anthropologist, meant to be an interpreter of sorts between the residents of Kiruna and the architects and planners. The key is to make sure the residents always feel as though they are being heard and have some say in the new city and the transformation process. Additionally, the anthropologist is meant to help facilitate the transfer not of the city’s buildings, but of the city and the residents’ culture to the new site, a task of equal difficulty as moving the city itself.
LKAB will be paying for everything in what has become the world’s largest urban relocation.
A short documentary about the move can be seen below.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Jan 2, 2024
Federal Highway Administration releases updated traffic control manual
With pedestrian deaths surging nationwide, the Federal Highway Administration released a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways. The manual contains standards for street markings and design, standardizing signage, and making driving as seamless as possible.
Urban Planning | Dec 18, 2023
The impacts of affordability, remote work, and personal safety on urban life
Data from Gensler's City Pulse Survey shows that although people are satisfied with their city's experience, it may not be enough.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 30, 2023
A lasting housing impact: Gen-Z redefines multifamily living
Nathan Casteel, Design Leader, DLR Group, details what sets an apartment community apart for younger generations.
Condominiums | Nov 6, 2023
Douglas Elliman launches its first Metro D.C. condominium project
Douglas Elliman, one of the largest independent residential real estate brokerages in the United States, announced last week that the firm will be handling the sales and marketing for Ten501 at City Centre West.
Office Buildings | Oct 16, 2023
The impact of office-to-residential conversion on downtown areas
Gensler's Duanne Render looks at the incentives that could bring more office-to-residential conversions to life.
Urban Planning | Oct 12, 2023
Top 10 'future-ready' cities
With rising climate dilemmas, breakthroughs in technology, and aging infrastructure, the needs of our cities cannot be solved with a single silver bullet. This Point2 report compared the country's top cities over a variety of metrics.
Resiliency | Aug 7, 2023
Creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain
As temperatures in many areas hit record highs this summer, cities around the world are turning to creative solutions to cope with the heat. Here are several creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain.
Affordable Housing | Jul 27, 2023
Repeatable, supportive housing for the unhoused
KTGY’s R+D concept, The Essential, rethinks supportive housing to support the individual and community with a standardized and easily repeatable design.
Urban Planning | Jul 26, 2023
America’s first 100% electric city shows the potential of government-industry alignment
Ithaca has turned heads with the start of its latest venture: Fully decarbonize and electrify the city by 2030.
Urban Planning | Jul 24, 2023
New York’s new ‘czar of public space’ ramps up pedestrian and bike-friendly projects
Having made considerable strides to make streets more accessible to pedestrians and bikers in recent years, New York City is continuing to build on that momentum. Ya-Ting Liu, the city’s first public realm officer, is shepherding $375 million in funding earmarked for projects intended to make the city more environmentally friendly and boost quality of life.