Successful Renewal from Industrial Area to a Model Sustainable District

In the early 1990s, Hammarby Sjöstad had a reputation for being a run-down, polluted and unsafe industrial and residential area. Today, Hammarby Sjöstad is one of Stockholm’s most attractive residential districts and a model of successful urban renewal.

Sustainability was one of the primary focal areas in the design and planning of Hammarby Sjöstad. The ambitious sustainability goals were integrated into the planning process from the initial phases. Sustainable alternatives for managing water, energy and waste were carefully studied from the architectural and infrastructure design stage. The district is the product of a positive collaborative process between municipal authorities, urban planners, developers, architects, landscape architects, eco-tech businesses, the energy company Fortum and Stockholm’s municipal water company.

Renewal in every sense of the word

The district of Hammarby Sjöstad covers more than 200 hectares. The mix of apartments, shops, offices and small traders, with a focus on culture and entertainment, gives Hammarby Sjöstad an inner-city atmosphere, despite being located outside central Stockholm. Together it represented a vast renewal that transformed an old industrial area into one of Stockholm’s most attractive neighbourhoods. And renewal was also a common theme in the sustainable planning, with environmental solutions such as the following:
• All the electricity used comes from renewable sources.
• Testing of new types of fuel cells, solar PV and solar thermal panels.
• Energy from the purification of wastewater is used for district heating and cooling.
• Biogas is extracted from sewage sludge and food waste and used as vehicle fuel.
• Digested sewage sludge is used as fertilizer.
• Combustible waste is used for district heating and electricity.
• Rainwater run-off from streets is purified locally to reduce the load on the sewage treatment plant.

Positive environmental and economic impact

Hammarby Sjöstad shows that an urban district can be built with a far lower environmental impact than traditional projects, as the following facts prove:
• The environmental impact is 30–40% lower than for a typical district built in the 1990s.
• Car use is 14% lower than in comparable districts in Stockholm.
• Daily water use is 150 litres per person, compared with 200 litres per person in the rest of Stockholm.
• When the lakeside town is complete, half of the energy needed for the district will be produced locally.

Related Images

Similar Best Practices

Manufacture in Wood – Sustainable Wooden Design

‘Manufacture in wood’ is a gathering of forces from the wood construction industry and the wood-based interior design industry. The project will take advantage of the expertise available in production, automation and digital systems so that companies that work with wooden house construction, interior design and design can develop, with new solutions and smarter processes.

Kristineberg Center – Accelerating Sustainable Blue Growth

Kristineberg Center is an open partnership founded to accelerate the transition to a sustainable blue economy. The mission is to advance the implementation of research and knowledge.

Near Infrared Sorting of Plastics from Household Waste Reduces Emissions by 75 %

This plant outside of Stockholm is the first of its kind in Sweden, using the Near-Infrared Technology to automatically sort out plastics from household waste. A total of 11,000 tonnes of plastic and 2,500 tonnes of metal are sorted out each year.

Waste to Energy Facility in Högbytorp

In a circular economy, waste is a resource that can be recycled into materials and energy. And that is exactly what is happening in the recycling facility in Högbytorp!

The Tricot factory – Timber on top to create a modern and sustainable office building

It is smart to use a circular business model where you can use existing buildings to create new buildings. Wood as a renewable building material plays a key role when existing buildings get new life with the help of wooden extensions.

Energy Evolution Center

The Energy Evolution Center will be an arena for innovative solutions that lead to real energy conversion, increased competitiveness in companies and ensure long-term supply of skills.

The Multi Activity House – Sports, Activities, and Culture Under One Roof

A project is underway in the far north of Sweden to move and relocate the entire city of Gällivare. Public buildings are being replaced, creating a need for innovative, multi-purpose properties. The multi-activity building in the city centre will bring sport, activities and culture under one roof.

Last-Mile Delivery – Inner-City Distribution

Last-mile delivery is the final stage of an item’s journey, where it reaches the end customer. It’s also the most carbon-intensive stage. Growth in e-commerce is increasing both traffic congestion and CO2 emissions from delivery vehicles. Intensive work is underway in Gothenburg to test carbon-neutral concepts for last-mile deliveries.

The New District of Brunnshög – a Future to Believe in

Everyone’s talking about a smarter, more sustainable future. This is taking shape in Brunnshög in southern Sweden. And it’s being created around the people who will live there, focusing on their future needs.

Villazero – Building for the Future

Villazero is a development project run by Fiskarhedenvillan, Mondo Arkitekter and Structor Byggteknik Dalarna, together with support from Region Dalarna. The project’s purpose is to build a carbon-neutral detached house in Borlänge. It’s a unique opportunity to learn how to build zero-CO2 houses for a more sustainable future.

Hoppet – Sweden’s first fossil-free preschool

When Hoppet preschool in Gothenburg was due to be built, the City of Gothenburg wanted to set a challenge for the construction industry and encourage change. The city wanted the preschool to be built completely fossil free, with no carbon emissions throughout the building’s entire life cycle from construction to its future use.

Tvärpilen – a Small Residential Area, Big on Sustainability

The village of Kivik in south-east Sweden is where you’ll find the new residential area Tvärpilen, which combines beauty, sustainability and responsibility in perfect harmony.

All Best Practices