The image shows one of the modules from phase one of the Street Moves project. Photographer: Elsa Soläng
Street Moves
What would streetscapes look like in the future if they were not designed around the car? In the second phase of the Street Moves project, ArkDes wants to use construction kits to change the way we use city streets.
The Street Moves project is a solution to a wider national mission to drive the transformation of our streets. Using temporary interactive modules designed to respond to the specific needs of the street, local authorities or citizens can create space for play, urban agriculture, outdoor gyms, social hubs or anything else that brings life to the street.
During phase one of the project, which took place 2020–2021, Street Moves occupied streets in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Helsingborg. The module was designed by LundbergDesign and consists of an extensible wooden base plate, along with specially adapted parts that can contain everything from a charging station for a shared electric car and parking for electric scooters, to an outdoor gym, seating surfaces and urban agriculture. The Street Moves modules are formed in a design process based on participation and dialogue, to meet the needs of the location. Street Moves can be seen as a kind of intermediate stage, a semi-permanent solution, that makes it possible to begin the transformation of the streetscape immediately. This is a change that we all yearn for, one that is necessary as we develop our cities to meet future needs. It is a simple, cost-effective solution, a first step in bringing about a street structure where people are prioritised over cars.
The values and lessons generated in the first phase of Street Moves are now progressing to include more local authorities, and the authorities themselves, assisted by design expertise from ArkDes, can develop the modules to the specific needs of the location. At present Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Umeå and Stockholm are taking part. Do you work in a local authority and would like to be involved in changing the streetscape? It will soon be possible to register interest for taking part in the project!
Street Moves is led by ArkDes Think Tank and funded by Vinnova. If you have any questions about the project, please contact hej.thinktank@arkdes.se.
The Street Moves module on Hälsingegatan, Stockholm 2020. Photographer: Elsa Soläng
