Stockholm, Sweden
City population: 1602639
Duration: 1990 – 2018
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Central Business District / City Centre
Last updated: October 2021

Hammarby Sjöstad is the first eco-city district in Stockholm. It is a 'town around a lake' where the planning work begun in the 1980s with an opportunity to expand the inner city of Stockholm. It is one of Stockholm's biggest urban development project and it focuses on water, energy and eco-friendly solutions. As a part of the ambition to create an eco-friendly city district, investments in e.g. green spaces, walkways and several large parks have been made. Furthermore, the Hammarby Model is the eco-cycle which describes environmental solutions used for energy, waste and water and sewage. It was established with a focus on 7 key areas: soil remediation, urban form, transportation, green buildings, energy, waste management, and water efficiency. (Ref. 1, 2, 11)

Hammarby Sjöstad (Solaripedia, 2020) Ref. 13
https://www.solaripedia.com/13/300/3375/hammarby_sjöstad_eco_center.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Green areas for water management
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Waste management
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Effective management
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable consumption

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

The goal of the project was laid out in seven key areas: soil remediation, urban form, transportation, green-buildings, energy, waste management, and water efficiency. “The goal of the entire environmental programme is to halve the total environmental impact in comparison with an area built in the early 1990s.” The goal for e.g. land usage include: “Sanitary redevelopment, reuse and transformation of old brownfield sites into attractive residential areas with beautiful parks and green public spaces.” Furthermore, objectives of the project include “Development of undeveloped green public spaces shall be compensated for in the form of biotopes that benefit the biological diversity in the immediate area, and natural areas of particular value shall be protected from development.” Also, green roofs are used (as a part of the local stormwater treatment) to collect, delay and evaporate rainwater. Also, the small and dense sedum plants form living green areas in the cityscape. The intention was to be "Twice as eco-friendly" with closed environmental loop and synergies between utilities, buildings, and users. (Ref. 4, 11)

Implementation activities

Hammarby Sjöstad is more than a new housing and commercial development: it represents a complete infrastructural project in which energy, water, transportation, and waste collection systems were designed to work together as an “eco-cycle,” what’s come to be known as the “Hammarby Model”. Furthermore “the Hammarby Sjöstad project office employed a new methodology whereby officials from the relevant administrations and authorities formed a unified management team.” Also, investments have been made in green public spaces (with maintenance plans for the oak forest, a reed park with wooden jetties, a broad avenue, and several large parks) in order to adapt the area to an environmentally friendly one. As mentioned, green roofs have been created (part of local storm water treatment, and forming living green areas). "Hammarby therefore promotes efficient environmental management, with low-carbon development, renewable energy and well-integrated public transportation. It also strongly supports climate change reduction and a sustainable energy future by promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy." (Ref. 1, 4, 11, 12).

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Co-management/Joint management

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

“All relevant administrations and authorities jointly planned the construction of the new city district. The municipality encouraged the builders (developers) to find their own solutions within the common frameworks, including eco-cycling, low energy consumption and energy production. The city then collaborated with developers and companies responsible for waste, energy, water and sewage and implemented the plan for the area.” (Ref. 5). “The City’s administrators and companies, municipal and private developers, the contractors and consultants are jointly responsible for realizing the objectives. Together, they form the group of actors or stakeholders of the development of Hammarby Sjostad.” Note that there is a "high degree of local authority leadership" due to "the fact that the City has acquired the majority of land in Hammarby Sjöstad.” (Ref. 6). The project " reveals the powerful role of strong public sector leadership in ensuring high quality development. In fact, the project was based and delivered through a process of state-led consensus integration between all parties and at all levels. A major result of this successful integrated planning approach is the Hammarby Model, which deals with energy, fresh water and waste". (Ref.12)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (“The development program for Hammarby Sjöstad is guided by well-defined environmental objectives which were drafted by the City of Stockholm. The environmental program was included in the Stockholm application for the LIP (Local Investment Program) as an appendix.” (Ref. 6))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Corporate investment

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Energy efficiency improvements
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Improved soil quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Unknown

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

Ref. 1. Bumling AB (2011) Hammarby Sjöstad - a new city district with emphasis on water and ecology. Stockholms Stad. Hammarby Sjöstad. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Stockholms Stad (2015) Stockholm - the first European Green Capital. The Capital of Scandinavia. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 3. Stockholms Stad (n.d.) Hammarby Sjöstad. Stockholm växer. Information obtained: 2017-06-06. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 4. Fränne, L. (2007) Hammarby Sjöstad - a unique environmental project in Stockholm. Stockholm, GlashusEtt. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 5. Naturvårdsverket (2008) Hammarby Sjöstad visar kretsloppstänkande. Goda exmpel hållbara städer. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 6. Gaffney, A., Huang, V., Maravilla, K. & Soubotin, N. (2007). Hammarby Sjostad - Stockholm, Sweden: A case study. CP249. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 7. World Urban Campaign (n.d.) Hammarby Sjöstad is Stockholm's biggest urban development project for many years. Information obtained: 2017-06-06. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 8. Global Utmaning (2012) Utvärdering av Hammarby Sjöstads miljöprofliering. Hammarby sjöstads miljömål och sociala mål. Information obtained: 2017-06-06. Source: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 9. Hellström, D. (2005) Slutrapport från modellstaden Hammarby Sjöstad. Rapport 2005:4. Göteborg, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Mistra. URL: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 10. INTERREG IVC (2014) INTERREG IVC analysis report. Climate change. URL: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 11. Bernard, C., Eleazar, A. and Huddlestun, R.M., 2019. Hammarby Sjöstad: Planning Precedent. URL: Source link [Accessed 13.08.2020]
Ref. 12. SOLLY, A. (2016). From post-industrial wasteland to eco success: the innovative renewal of Hammarby SjöSource link Source link
Solaripedia (2020) Project: Hammarby Sjostad Wastes Not (Sweden). URL: Source link [Accessed on 16.8.2020]
Hammarby Sjöstad (Solaripedia, 2020) Ref. 13
https://www.solaripedia.com/13/300/3375/hammarby_sjöstad_eco_center.html
Hammarby Sjöstad (Solaripedia, 2020) Ref. 13
https://www.solaripedia.com/13/300/3375/hammarby_sjöstad_eco_center.html