Gällivare: Älvrummet

Team När horisonter möts invited the residents of Gällivare to develop Älvrummet by the Vassara River into a meeting place and cultural hub in interaction with nature.

Conditions: The Vassara River 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?

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

Survey, analysis and initial proposals

Team När horisonter möts took as its point of departure the landscape in and around Gällivare, with its historical, cultural and ecological layers. Following a comprehensive natural and cultural survey, the team developed a place-based process aimed at strengthening the existing natural values and cultural diversity of Älvrummet, an area with a long Sámi history. A central aspect of the method was co-creation, where participation, encounters between different groups, learning and local engagement were at the core.

The first phase of the work was summarised in a report presenting a proposal for a development and management plan for Älvrummet. In the plan, the team proposed a place-based process built around thematic workshops with residents of Gällivare. The aim was to collectively create physical and social spaces for historical and contemporary cultural expressions, to learn about local natural values and reuse, to foster encounters between different groups in society, and to strengthen collaboration across municipal departments. Read the report further down the page.

*Photo: Team När horisonter möts. 2025.* Upper secondary school students create spaces in snow together with the local heritage association.

*Photo: Team När horisonter möts. 2025.* Relocation of native vegetation previously found on sites now under construction and at risk of being lost.

*Photo: Team När horisonter möts. 2025.* Relocation of native vegetation.

*Photo: Team När horisonter möts. 2025.* Preschool children try the Sámi play “Riebangárdi”.

*Photo: Team När horisonter möts. 2025.* Construction of a wind shelter with local craftspeople.

*Photo: Emelie Sigelind. 2025.* Artistic workshop in Älvrummet.

Prototype: Relocating nature and co-creation

The team received continued funding to further develop their ideas during 2025 and implement them as a prototype for how Gällivare Municipality could work with place development in the future. A series of four workshops was developed, each directed at different groups within the community:

“Snöskapa”: Upper secondary school students from design and technology programmes created temporary spatial structures in snow together with the local heritage association.

“Naturskapa”: Members of the public and preschool children were invited, together with municipal operations staff, politicians and local actors, to relocate native vegetation at risk of being lost from the construction site to new locations within Älvrummet.

“Byggskapa”: Local craftspeople and upper secondary school students developed and constructed a meeting place and a wind shelter based on local cultural and historical methods.

“Gemenskapa”: Árran, the Sámi hearth, formed the centre of conversations about the role of art in society. Through workshops with several Sámi artists from different backgrounds, artistic elements and gathering points were created on site.

The ambition is for the workshop-based process to be scaled up across the municipality over time, and for Älvrummet to develop into an area where local cultural history, stories, nature and creative practices are given space and can inspire similar work in other parts of Gällivare and the Norrbotten region.

The team’s full work, including the development and management plan for the municipality’s continued efforts, is presented in the report Älvrummet, Gällivare – Development and Management Plan.

Knowledge hub

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