Hammarby Sjöstad

The regeneration of Hammarby Sjöstad followed a mixed-use development of the site, incorporating residential units and blocks, commercial and business areas, and office spaces to host new workers. In addition, the regeneration provided the neighborhood with a vast area dedicated to parks and green spaces, together with recreational areas and facilities hosting cultural venues and events.

The Hammarby Sjöstad regeneration project focused on developing the local economy of the district providing a significant job offer in this neighborhood of Stockholm. The regeneration of the area created around 10,000 employment opportunities, hosting a total of around 35,000 people living and working within the neighborhood. The project also helped in boosting the local real estate market by providing approximately 11,000 housing units to host new residents. The mixed-use development of the area provided the neighborhood with commercial spaces and offices to host local businesses, shops and companies. The revitalized neighborhood significantly increased the attractiveness of the area, fostering economic growth and attracting several businesses and companies to serve the district.

As a regeneration project targeting sustainability, Hammarby Sjöstad became an important example of an environmentally-aware and sustainable neighborhood. Firstly, the regeneration of Hammarby Sjöstad revitalized the contaminated and unsafe soil of the former industrial brownfield, targeting the wellbeing and health of the future residents. The project initially focused on conserving the existing natural areas and vegetation and providing green spaces through the entire neighborhood. On total, the regeneration provided the neighborhood with 190,000 sqm of green areas and parks throughout the district. The project restored the entire shoreline and the parks located in the neighborhood by planting new trees and replacing dead ones. The restoration of green areas significantly improved biodiversity in the neighborhood by providing a significant space for birds, animals and native species, while the creation of green corridors connected the new urban parks with the existing green areas spread throughout the city. To foster sustainability, the construction phase of the project employed sustainable and eco-certified products and materials mainly to avoid contaminating rainwater with metals or oils from infrastructures of buildings’ facades. In addition, the materials and chemicals of each building process need to be declared and inspected before construction works, with regular inspections throughout the entire building process. Thanks to careful planning activity, the neighborhood has been equipped with a unique eco-cycle model fostering sustainability in energy production, water and sewage system and waste management. The eco-cycle model envisages that buildings should be energy-sufficient, employing renewable energy and reutilizing the waste produced, following a circular approach. The neighborhood produces half of the energy demand through a variety of sustainable solutions. The heat and power plant of the district employs waste, renewable energy and waste heat from treated wastewater to produce electricity and district heating. In addition, the connected district cooling system employs the wastewater from the heat pumps installed for the district heating. Clean energy is also produced through the installation of solar cells and solar panels on the roofs of several buildings and different large apartment blocks, contributing to producing energy for the buildings’ public areas. By treating rainwater separately and avoiding certain contaminating materials in buildings, the new rainwater system ensures a higher quality wastewater which is easier to treat and reuse for agricultural and forestry activities. The solutions adopted by the project in water management helped to decrease water consumption to 150 liters per person per day, aiming to further reduce it to 100 liters in the future. Together with the new wastewater system, Hammarby Sjöstad has been created with an improved storm water management system which collects stormwater and treats it locally before infiltrating it in the ground or draining it into the Canals. The rainwater from streets and crosswalks is collected in different storm basins and tanks, which decontaminate the water before draining it. In addition, green roofs have been implemented in several buildings throughout the neighborhood to help collect and evaporate rainwater. The new wastewater treatment plant separates organic materials and digests it to produce biogas. This sustainable biogas produced locally is mainly employed as fuel for buses, garbage trucks and taxis, and is currently employed by around 1,000 gas stoves located in the neighborhood. The biosolid waste from the biogas production is further employed in the district as fertilizer on agricultural land and in the forestry industry. Lastly, the regeneration project implemented an entirely new waste management system consisting of a building-based, block-based and area-based collection point dedicated to different types of waste materials. The new system provides a mobile automated disposable system which collects food and combustible domestic waste from several buildings in underground tanks. The collected waste is then directed to a stationary automated collection station which separates waste and collects it for biogas or electricity production. The new automated system significantly reduced garbage transportation in the area, thus reducing related emissions from garbage trucks. Regarding emissions reduction, in 2008 greenhouse gas emissions from buildings were around 40%-46% lower than 1990, and emissions from transportation were 48% lower than 1990.

SjöstadThe project focused on creating an inclusive and vibrant community by mixing residential areas with commercial and recreational spaces and open green areas for the residents. In addition, the restored neighborhood provides facilities and open spaces to do sports and exercise activities, improving wellbeing of the residents, and several cultural centers and libraries to promote cultural events and social gathering activities. As an environmental project, Hammarby Sjöstad has been planned to foster sustainable mobility solutions. Indeed, the neighborhood is served with an efficient public transportation system composed of ferries connections, the new light rail link Tvärbanan and several bus lines connecting the area with the rest of the city. The ferry operated by the Municipality of Stockholm is free to use and runs all year round, therefore encouraging public transportation options. The regeneration project also implemented a carpool system for both residents and workers of the neighborhood with around 75% of the fleet composed of bi-fuel cars. In addition, the project implemented pedestrian walks and bicycle paths to further improve sustainable mobility. By 2008, 79% of the residents and workers journeys were made on foot, by public transport or bicycle. The regeneration of the area provided around 12,000 new housing units, alleviating the housing demand issues experienced by the city. Lastly, the project promoted the digitalization of the neighborhood, mainly by providing solutions to monitor water and energy levels in order to reduce their consumption from households and businesses.

The project did not receive any certification.

The financing of Hammarby Sjöstad involved a total investment of around USD 2 billion. The Hammarby Sjöstad regeneration project was funded through a composition of both public and private sources. From the public side, funding came from the Municipality of Stockholm, Stockholm Transport and the National Road Administration mainly employed to acquire the land. From the private sector, the project has been financed by a total of 25 private developers which covered 80% of the total cost. The private actors invested resources to acquire the development rights on the site to conduct their individual projects.

SjöstadAbout 80% of the total costs have been provided by 25 private developers through equity and private investments. The private developers employed these resources to acquire the development rights on the plot directly from the Municipality of Stockholm and to finance their development projects. The remaining 20% of the funding has been provided through public investments and direct government grants from the City of Stockholm, Stockholm Transport, and the National Road Administration. To facilitate the implementation of the regeneration projects, the Municipality of Stockholm purchased the entire land from previous owners, merging together the property of the entire plot and dividing it into 12 sub-neighborhoods. In addition, the Municipality of Stockholm imposed strict environmental requirements for private developers when developing their projects. In terms of land usage, the requirements concerned the presence of courtyard space and park area for each apartment, the protection of natural areas, and the implementation of specific biotopes in the development of new green areas. In terms of construction materials, the requirements included the non-use of pressure-treated timber and copper for the tap water system, and the use of recycled materials whenever it was technically and economically feasible.

Image from Tanya Cvetanovska, retrieved here. Used under Unsplash License.