Final report: Visions in the North step 2

How can architecture and design strengthen local development in the green transition? This is the focus as the results of the innovation project Visions in the North are now presented.

In the project, architects, designers, artists, musicians and other creative practitioners, together with the municipalities of Boden, Gällivare, Kiruna, Umeå, Skellefteå and Luleå, developed site-specific proposals for sustainable living environments. The initiative forms part of the government’s programme for sustainable urban development within the framework of the Council for Living Cities.

As the green industrial transition accelerates, the need for housing and attractive living environments in Norrbotten and Västerbotten has become increasingly urgent. To address this, six teams explored specific sites and challenges within the municipalities and developed ideas for how these places could evolve through new methods. Three of the teams subsequently tested their ideas through on-site prototypes.

The work is now presented in a final report, in which the Council for Sustainable Cities, together with the teams, municipalities and the project’s expert advisors, reflect on how lessons learned, results and ideas can be scaled up and applied in other locations across Sweden.

The practice-based research method used in Visions in the North aims to expand conventional approaches to urban development by inviting creative practitioners into the process at an early stage, broadening perspectives and supporting the work of municipalities. The long-term goal is to create attractive living environments and make better use of existing resources.