*Photo: Daniel Sonntag. 2024.* Älvrummet, Vassara river, Gällivare.

Visions in the North step 2

Gällivare: Älvrummet

Invite the people of Gällivare to develop Älvrummet by the Vassara River into a meeting place and cultural node in interaction with nature.

Conditions: Vassara älv is located in the middle of Gällivare and is a potential hub between the town centre and the southern parts of the town, such as the other side of the river, Repisvaara and the mountain Dundret. The surrounding land is divided between private plots and contiguous municipally owned land areas. The river is home to valuable species and habitats and is designated as a Natura 2000 site. The area contains the oldest and most important cultural environment in the town and a popular recreational and cultural trail along the river’s edge.

Challenge: How can the river space with all these existing values be strengthened to contribute to the living environment of the whole of Gällivare? The team will explore methods and approaches to develop and at the same time utilise existing cultivation plots, the site’s waterfront location and create meeting places and allow art and culture to take place in the landscape. How can the development plan for the area be translated into realistic qualities that are possible to implement? Which parts should be reconsidered and which should be allowed to live on in the municipality’s physical planning? How can the design of places and landscapes create the conditions for strengthening the development of qualitative and sustainable living environments?

Team När horisonter möts’ proposal is based on the landscape as a whole, with all its historical, cultural and ecological layers. To strengthen the existing natural and cultural values of the river space, they propose a place-making process where the people of Gällivare are invited to develop the river space.

Moving is part of Gällivare’s DNA. Moving the tangible requires time and resources but is entirely feasible. However, the intangible glue cannot be moved – it must be recreated and rebuilt, and this requires a deliberate and long-term strategy.

The place-making process proposed by the team will take place through a series of workshops where prototypes will be built together with citizens. The goal of the 2025 process is to create, together with the local community, a physical space for cultural expression, learning about local natural values as well as recycling and creating meetings between different groups. Through the workshops, the people of Gällivare will have a voice in the development of the site and the community. At the same time, it becomes part of a learning process and a creative process where the participants’ efforts are reflected in the result. The process is being tested as a prototype in Älvrummet and can then be scaled up throughout the municipality.

The team’s long-term vision is that Älvrummet will develop into an area where local cultural history, stories, nature and creativity are highlighted and spread to other parts of Gällivare and Norrbotten.

Designed Living Environment

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