Discovering Europe
Hammarby Sjöstad, a laboratory for sustainable towns
In less than 15 years, the Hammarby neighbourhood, a former insalubrious harbour area, has become an example for sustainable living and is at the centre of the attention of the entire planet. We meet its tireless, smiling “spokesperson”, Erik Freudentahl.
View from a bridge on Hammarby neighbourhood, 2009.
© Marie-Martine Buckens
“From the very start, we wanted to transform this former polluted area into a model of ecological urbanism. At the time, Stockholm was trying to attract the Olympic Games and knew that Sydney had won because of its environmental performance. We lost to Athens, but the project developed”, explains Erik Freudenthal, welcoming us in GlashusEtt, Hammarby Sjöstad’s environment information centre. “The original objective was to reduce the environmental impact of the future neighbourhood by half compared with some Stockholm buildings dating back to 1990. Every aspect was studied: noise, pollution, work, waste, etc.”
Construction started in 1997, once the soil – 200 hectares – had been thoroughly decontaminated. Most of the industrial buildings were either razed to the ground or refurbished, like the diesel plant, which is now a cultural and sport centre. The works should be finished by 2016. “We want to build 11,000 apartments for around 28,000 people and allow 10,000 persons to work in the neighbourhood”, indicates Erik Freudenthal who continues: “for now, 8,500 apartments have been built, housing some 18,000 persons.” The buildings are never more than 5-storeys high and look out onto both a street and a park. This innovating planning brief is the result of cooperation between architects, town planners and engineers.
The new neighbourhood is built on a virtually clear site, allowing the developers to criss-cross it with public transport services and to propose car-sharing services. The ferry also offers free crossings between the neighbourhood and the Södermalm Island, which is near the Stockholm city centre. Thus, 79 per cent of a route to work is either done by foot, bicycle or public transport. “This has reduced car use by more than 40 per cent, which would have been impossible if transportation – particularly the tramway – had been built at a later stage, when everybody would have already bought a car.”
Hammarby Sjöstad responds to an environmental programme that centres on six main lines: soil decontamination, use of already-constructed soils, safe building materials, public transport, an upper noise limit of 45 dB and the optimisation of energy, water and waste services reflecting the counsellor’s objectives for the rest of the city (read article above). “It is the first time, worldwide, that we have succeeded in reducing the environmental impact by more than half for a surface area of this size. And yet, the objectives were set for 1990. Today, we could do much better.” In a short while, the project will be duplicated in two other run-down areas of Stockholm. The cost is equal to the objectives, and the city is prepared to invest €1bn.
