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Designed Living Environment / Practice-based research / Street Moves / Knowledge bank / Umeå

Street Moves: Umeå

Photo: ArkDes. 2022. Two modules, designed together with the Västerbotten County Handicraft Association, were designed to be placed along Vasagatan to narrow the street and make it more difficult for car traffic to pass. At the intersection of Vasagatan/Storgatan, flax was planted in collaboration with the Hemslöjdsförening's project 1 kvadratmeter lin/'1 square meters of flax'.
Knowledge bank
Vasagatan

Umeå

Four experiments on transforming a delivery-dominated street into a more welcoming environment through new dialogue methods.

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Before image
The intersection Vasagatan/Kungsgatan before and after Street Moves. Photo before: Isabelle Forsberg, Umeå municipality. Photo after: ArkDes.

Vasagatan in Umeå is set for major transformations in the coming years. As part of this process, Umeå Municipality joined Street Moves to test different street designs and explore new ways of engaging residents and stakeholders in discussions about the street’s function.

Stretching from Norrlandsoperan to Årstidernas Park by the Ume River, Vasagatan passes Vasaplan, a key public transport hub, and connects some of the city center’s busiest thoroughfares. Despite its central location, the street is often seen as a backstreet due to its role as a corridor for deliveries to the shops in central Umeå. The municipality sought to reimagine this “backstreet” into a more inviting and vibrant public space.

Local stakeholders played an active role in the design process. The consultancy Tyréns developed a range of ideas to address the diverse needs identified during workshops and dialogue sessions. Feedback was collected in various ways, including a digital meeting and input via the municipality’s website.

The resulting needs for seating, play areas, traffic flow, and decorations were consolidated into four Street Moves solutions, located at Norrlandsoperan, Vasaplan, the Vasagatan/Kungsgatan intersection, and the Vasagatan/Storgatan intersection. Västerbottens Läns Hemslöjdsförening contributed to the design of the two modules, which also became platforms for their project 1 kvadratmeter lin/1 Square Meter of Flax.

Insights from these temporary Street Moves tests informed the permanent redesign of Vasagatan, which began in 2023, resulting in a comprehensive proposal for the entire street.

Learn more on Umeå Municipality’s website ↗.

Photo: Maria Östlund, Umeå municipality. 2022. At Norrlandsoperan, a roundabout made of stumps was designed to slow down bus traffic.
Photo: ArkDes. 2022. Two modules, designed together with the Västerbotten County Handicraft Association, were designed to be placed along Vasagatan to narrow the street and make it more difficult for car traffic to pass. At the intersection of Vasagatan/Storgatan, flax was planted in collaboration with the Hemslöjdsförening's project 1 kvadratmeter lin/'1 square meters of flax'.
Photo: Maria Östlund, Umeå municipality. 2022. Next to Vasaplan, a new bicycle parking area was created to address the problem of bicycles being parked in unauthorized places at bus stops.
Photo: Maria Östlund, Umeå municipality. 2022. A module with seating and greenery was designed for the Vasagatan/Kungsgatan intersection.