Den onde, den gode, den fule

Is it possible to bring new life to an abandoned railway site in a small town where not much seems to happen? The project Den onde, den gode, den fule (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) explored this question in an open and unpretentious way—through playful public dialogue and a mapping of Tibro’s local resources, aiming to inspire residents to take part in a long-term urban development process.

Tibro is one of many Swedish towns shaped by the rise of railway communities. Thanks to access to quality timber, local farmers were once able to sell their own handmade furniture. When the railway arrived in 1876, it sparked the growth of a larger furniture industry and brought with it a range of specialist skills. But since the railway was shut down in 2003, the central rail site has remained abandoned.

ArkDes Open Call 2019 aimed to highlight the challenges facing cities, with a focus on participation and quality in public space. The project Den onde, den gode, den fule (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) was run by Tibro Municipality ↗, Anders Berensson Architects ↗, and Folk Lab ↗. It began with a request from the municipality to create images to support a public dialogue about the future of the railway area. These playful illustrations presented everything from small-scale ideas to bold visions, and were shared in the local press and at public events such as Tibro’s annual Light Walk. Residents were invited to submit their own ideas, resulting in over 260 proposals.

With support from ArkDes, the team developed a temporary plan for the two-hectare site, structured as a grid. Three-by-three-metre squares could be booked for various activities, from hot dog stands to concerts. The space was divided into zones: a building zone for temporary structures, a mobility zone with suggestions for new crossings and a path along the old rail line, and finally a park zone—the largest—responding to local wishes for a shared public space across generations. In partnership with Folk Lab, open workshops were held where participants built prototypes using simple kits.

A key part of the project was to identify local resources by visiting businesses, organisations, and training centres. Beyond locating surplus materials and active stakeholders, this work helped reveal the unique character and craft traditions of Tibro. It also sparked new ideas, including a renovation of an old caravan that was turned into a mobile site office.

The process was documented in a detailed project diary. The first major result was the construction of an outdoor stage ↗, built together with students from the Handicraft Academy. Several measures inspired by the dialogue process have since been included in Tibro’s central development plan ↗, which was adopted in February 2024.