Urban Density Done Right – Ideas on densification of cities and other communities
Building a city is like doing a puzzle and densifying the city is like finding the missing piece. But you have to pay attention since you cannot squeeze in just any piece at the site. The key is to choose the best — the one that really fits.
This publication was produced by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Buildning and Planning to provide examples of how densification can take place and to highlight some important things to think about.
The publication is available as a pdf on the web site. You can also order printed copies. This publication can be obtained in alternative formats, upon request.
Boverket 2017 Urban Density
Boverket Done Right Box 534, 371 23 Karlskrona Phone: +46 455 35 30 00 Ideas on densification of Website: www.boverket.se E-mail: [email protected] cities and other communities
Urban Density Done Right Ideas on densification of cities and other communities
The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning May 2017 Title: Urban density done right – Ideas on densification of cities and other communities Edition: 200 copies Printing: E-print AB ISBN print: 978-91-7563-466-1 ISBN pdf: 978-91-7563-467-8 Ref. No. 1523/2015 Keywords: Cities, communities, neighbourhoods, expansion, densification, housing, jobs, challenges, examples
Cover illustration: Elin Normann Bjarsell/Boverket The publication can be ordered from: Boverket, Publikationsservice, Box 534, 371 23 Karlskrona, Sweden Tel. No.: +46 455-35 30 50 Fax: +46 455-819 27 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.boverket.se
The publication may be downloaded as a pdf from www.boverket.se. The publication may also be ordered, upon request, in an alternative format, such as Daisy, as a cassette voice recording, etc.
Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning 2017 Contents
1. Creating the right density...... 6
2. Challenges...... 10 It is essential to have a strategy for the expansion of the city...... 11 More housing increases the need for public services...... 15 Include vegetation...... 19 A denser city is a louder city...... 24 Light is enormously important for human beings...... 30 Daylight in a dense city...... 32
3. Examples...... 38 Housing and jobs where needed...... 39 Complementary form of housing in the area of the Million Homes Programme...... 40 Densification without claiming new ground...... 42 Development connecting city districts...... 44 Supplementing in an environment of cultural and historical value...... 46 New parking garage creates meeting point...... 48
Literature...... 50
Densification is about more than just building housing
The Swedish National Board of public services can be created, and how a densification Housing, Building and Planning has produced this strategy for the entire city might be developed. document in response to public debate on the densification of our cities and communities, and to Finally, in the third part, we highlight a number of provide inspiration and guidance regarding ways to examples of municipal densification projects, all of which supplement the existing environment. Densification is not have added value over and above new housing. We hope only about building housing. It is also about creating a that these three parts will spark new ideas and inspire good built environment for the people who live, work and people who are involved in urban planning or are simply spend time in the city. Supplementation is intended to interested in the development of cities and communities. create added value, while at the same time making good use of existing values and qualities. Mirja Ranesköld, planning architect, was the project leader and Elin Normann Bjarsell, landscape architect, This document consists of three parts. In the first part, we was a member of the project team. Other coworkers present our views and arguments concerning some of the contributed with their views and suggestions during the challenges and opportunities of densification. In the next course of the project. The interviews were conducted by part we explain some of the challenges and give Elisabeth Klingberg at PratMinus. A big thank you goes inspiration to readers to think in new ways, by presenting out to our interviewees and those who provided examples. interviews conducted with a few people about how they approach the challenges that exist. For example: how people’s needs for sunlight and daylight can be satisfied, Karlskrona, March 2016 how disturbing sounds in a dense city can be handled, Sofie Adolfsson Jörby how vegetation can be used as a resource, how room for Section Manager 6 CHAPTER 1 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Creating the 1. right density A city is more than its buildings. Buildings, in turn, are more than just housing. Yet, the discussion on densification is often about constructing as much housing as possible, as quickly as possible. It is not that odd, considering the great need for housing that currently exists; however, in the rush to build quickly it is important to slow down and ask ourselves: What kind of environments are we creating? For whom are we building? How will we ensure that the cities are sustainable and comfortable for everyone? Will the structures we are adding to the existing urban space contribute to a good built environment and provide pleasant living environments?
City and community development is a core issue for the high degree of interaction between people that is attractive Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and and this requires places where people can meet. Planning and densification has been adopted as a development strategy in the two Swedish-language SEEING DENSIFICATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY documents “Vision Sverige 2025” [Vision Sweden 2025] So it’s a matter of creating density in the right way. We and “Förslag till strategi för miljökvalitetsmålet God need to build densely enough that the in-between spaces bebyggd miljö” [Proposal for a strategy to achieve the remain and provide space for the very qualities that create environmental quality goal of a good built environment]. a good living environment. When the existing environment is to be changed, we have an excellent There is a great difference between physical density and opportunity to start from the current circumstances of a perceived density. Having buildings placed closely together place and find out what it lacks. What supplementary is not the same thing as feeling that everything is close at values might the densification bring? Here is an hand. In other words, it is not the density in itself that is opportunity to redo and improve. How might we design sought after, but rather the quality that the dense urban the supplementation so that both men and women are environment provides, in the form of proximity to work, invited into the urban space? How might we create space cultural offerings, activities, parks, and so on. The for children and young people, both boys and girls? How experience of having a short distance between activities might we create accessible environments for individuals and one’s home is precisely what is considered to be the with functional impairments and for an increasingly primary comfort factor for the city-dweller, according to elderly population? How can we better conserve storm surveys about urban living. It is the bustling city with a water in our built environments? In the dense city, more URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 1 7
inhabitants are required to share the public spaces and DENSIFICATION ENTAILS SEVERAL CHALLENGES free spaces that exist. This can lead to crowding and wear, The challenges are many in our quest to achieve a good as can be seen in some parks where the grass had to be built environment. In media and other different contexts replaced with artificial turf. we often see reports that green space is being sacrificed for development and free space is disappearing. The WHY DENSIFY? daylight requirements for housing are difficult to fulfil and So why exactly has densification become such a planning sunlight in residential courtyards is sacrificed in favour of trend? There are several reasons for that. We have a other priorities. There are not enough preschools and rapidly growing population in Sweden’s cities and larger schools being built to fulfil the need and the housing that communities, and there are housing shortages in many is built is designed for a small group in society. There has municipalities. Many cities and communities have also been a major change of scale in the past few years. In developed by growing outwardly, which has led to an the new residential areas, new development is denser and increased car dependence and to the disappearance of higher than in the stone town that is said to be the model natural land and agricultural land. Densification, that is for the densification we are now witnessing. New building the city inwardly, is then seen as a strategy for buildings are tall to efficiently utilise the land, but tall building housing while combatting the tendency for cities buildings can lead to a shortage of views in the buildings to spread out and claim valuable land. Increased density is that lie in the shadow of other buildings. It can also lead said to lead to reduced emissions through shorter travel to windy small inner courtyards where the sun rarely routes and opportunities to provide good public transport, reaches. Individual tall building blocks also have which thus promotes sustainable development. limitations when it comes to creating good acoustic environments. Densification has recently become synonymous with sustainability. In public debate, densification is presented Studies show that there is a divide between what people as something good – not just for ecological sustainability value and what is actually built. Densification is said to but also for social sustainability, as it increases access to lead to a mixed city, but densification projects in central different activities and the likelihood of spontaneous locations often result in high land prices. This is then encounters. In comprehensive plans densification is reflected in high housing prices, which can lead to framed as a means by which to connect different parts of gentrification and social inequality. The activities and the city, to reduce segregation and increase security. inhabitants of the areas can sometimes no longer afford to Isolated pockets of densification also occur to fill gaps in stay there and end up moving out. Another common the urban weave. Common for several municipalities is argument for densification is that it leads to a more that they have the goal of being attractive. They want to pedestrian-friendly city with fewer cars. But car traffic increase their populations and share of visitors, in order to does not automatically decrease in response to building create a foundation for better service and cultural for density. Driving convenience must be reduced at the offerings. same time as more space is given to pedestrian and bicycle traffic and public transport. A well developed public transport system in combination with densification 8 CHAPTER 1 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
in locations close to train and bus stations can enhance the city’s or the community’s expansion. A strategy smaller communities’ competitiveness and reduce the provides information to interested citizens and facilitates pressure on the larger communities. the dialogue between the stakeholders who participate in the city’s development. It is the municipality that has the A further argument for densification is that the dense city overall picture of how the supplementation will impact better utilises technical infrastructure. Many densification the city. Through the planning process in accordance with projects, however, take place on industrial land, in port the Planning and Building Act, the citizens are invited to areas and in parks, which can be problematic since there have their say in the development of their environment. is not always infrastructure or public transport ready to be This is an essential aspect of democracy. The building further developed in these areas. In the case of stakeholders cannot be expected to have the overall densification in green areas it is important to ask whether picture of what is necessary for a good built environment. the environmental gain from a denser city where more people walk, cycle and use public transport outweighs the Space is required to satisfy the land requirements of loss of the green space as a place for recreation and as a public services and the various functions and demands tool for climate adaptation. So we need to carefully select that comes with an increased number of inhabitants. our priorities to achieve sustainable urban development. Supplementary activities such as school, sports facilities, playgrounds, libraries, medical centres and other facilities Historically, the depopulation of cities occurred when should be incorporated early on in the planning. they became too crowded and unhealthy. Even in the Moreover, daylight and sunlight must be taken into present time, it is conceivable that there is a limit to how consideration to ensure pleasant courtyards and housing. dense we can build before life in the city, neighbourhood Free space and green space are necessary for social or community deteriorates. How much densification can exchanges, play and recreation, and to respond to climate be made before the living environment and quality of life changes. By identifying and analysing what already exists become poor, the attractiveness of the environment and what is needed, we can create a better mix of building declines and the citizens begin to move away from the types, forms of tenure, street space and free space, which cities? When it becomes too noisy, too dark and there is strengthens social life. Preserve what is possible to too little access to free space? preserve and see it as a resource. Focus on the function and circumstances of the site and the area first. Then, APPROACHING DENSITY IN THE RIGHT WAY build housing. The right density requires that the municipality takes a long-term approach and has a strategy in place to guide URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 1 9 Photo: Johnér 10 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
2. Challenges There are a few aspects that are easily over shadowed when the city or community is densified, but that are important for building healthy and comfortable environments. In this chapter we will describe some of these aspects with the help of interviews. The interviewees describe how they approach the work of developing a strategy for the expansion of the city, the need for land for public services, opportunities presented by acoustic design, the need for sunlight and daylight, and the need for vegetation. URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 11
PEDER HALLQVIST, ÖREBRO MUNICIPALITY – It is essential to have a strategy for the expansion of the city
Örebro has twisted and turned the two most common words in today’s city planning: densification and mixed use areas. The result is an action plan that identifies the best locations for infill projects, attics and really tall buildings.
Örebro is one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. Since 2007, the population of the municipality has risen by an average of 1,700 people every year. Over the past few years, in-migration to the municipality has accelerated rapidly, and along with the population increase more housing, schools and workplaces are required.
To show how and in what order the community is to grow in the next ten years, Örebro has prepared a first version of an action plan for construction in the city.
“The primary purpose is to make the more long-term perspective of the comprehensive plan concrete. Örebro is to grow through the addition of new urban areas to the existing city, as well as through the densification of the Photo: Susanne Flink existing city”, says Peder Hallkvist, City Architect in Örebro. become almost a mantra in planning”, The action plan shows the order in which new urban areas says Peder Hallkvist. are to be built, but it also clarifies how the municipality views two important principles of Swedish city planning: Just as densification, mixed use is a concept with many densification and mixed use areas. different angles. In order to achieve a highly varied and dynamic city, most things should be mixed: functions, “The word ‘densification’ is used fairly carelessly and it building types, forms of tenure and the socio-economic connotes such different things. For some, it is something composition of the population. positive that may be associated with sustainability. For others, it implies more concrete and asphalt at the expense “The actual essence of densification is to create a more of trees and vegetation. Even professional practitioners varied and rich environment, one that offers more for have different images of densification, despite it having everyone at close proximity”, says Peder Hallkvist. 12 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Municipal civil servants and municipal politicians, from location in the city is crucial. both the majority and the opposition, were included in the “We are careful with the resources we have: the water working group. Thorough discussions preceded the space, cultural and historical buildings and urban different positions taken in the plan. silhouettes. On the other hand, there are centrally located areas that are suitable for densification. In these cases we “Much time was spent on defining the meaning of words encourage construction stakeholders to do everything for one another. What do we mean when we talk about a possible for both mixed functions and architecture. We ‘garden city’ or a ‘town house’? Having the opportunity to also point out traffic routes in which densification is discuss complex issues in depth was incredibly extremely positive. A larger scale would be quite educational. It teaches us how to be clear appropriate for new construction there,” in our external contacts”, says Peder says Peder Hallkvist. Hallkvist. “What do we In the action plan, the city’s densification MANY WAYS TO DENSIFY and transformation areas have been divided Örebro believes there are good mean when we into five groups: city center, locations close opportunities to undertake densification in talk about a to the city center, existing activity and the city as it exists now. Construction is transformation area, areas of the city prioritised within a radius of three ‘garden city’ dominated by multi-residential apartment kilometres from the center, or within a buildings, and areas dominated by single- radius of five kilometres in locations where or a ‘town family houses and duplexes. the access to public transport is very good. house’?” “It isn’t always easy to make such The action plan names eleven ways to den- divisions – the areas don’t always have sify an existing built area, and they are such a distinct character. The division into largely in agreement with the most common building distinct areas is an attempt to create a comprehensible suggestions received by the City Planning Office. One of overview, but eventually the groups flow into one another these ways – building on the edge of a park – is very rarely and locations close to the city center become the city considered in Örebro. It will take a lot before we undertake center”, says Peder Hallkvist. any building on inner courtyards, in green spaces and close to water. Örebro has great opportunities to steer how the city grows. The municipality owns a lot of land and the However, building in areas that are being used municipal non-profit housing company is one of the inefficiently, is welcome throughout the city. This might largest in the country. This permits greater influence on involve over dimensioned parking areas and impediments issues that relate to mixed use. of green spaces. Regarding other densification opportunities, such as adding additional floors, furnishing CAREFUL SUPPLEMENTATION OF attics, unused building plots, tearing up and building new, EXISTING BUILDING STOCK taller buildings in general and really tall buildings - the Mixed use areas is a key ingredient of the sustainable city, URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 13
where most things should be within walking or cycling time. Here, the socio-economic mix takes place on a distance. The strategy for achieving a more mixed built different scale, through changes in adjacent areas”, says environment and residential structure is based on adding Peder Hallkvist. building types and forms of tenure that are missing. But it has to be done carefully. Örebro has also found that maximum mixing is not always worth striving for. ”There is a value in areas of the city that have a cohesive character. Örebro has unique residential areas built in the “Sometimes clashes arise in the building environment 1950s – Rosta and Baronbackarna. This also applies to which results in a poor living environment. We need residential areas with houses from different periods of greater awareness about the types of buildings and
Supplementation e inner city Locations close Existing activity and Neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods to the inner city transformation area dominated by multi- dominated by single- storeyapartment family houses and buildings duplexes
Unused building plot
Build in inner courtyard
Adding on of additional floors
Furnishing of attic
Tear down, build new
Build on the edge of a park
Build on green space
Build on inefficiently used space
Build close to water
Taller buildings in general
Really tall buildings
Symbols: works may work does not work is not relevant
Summary table showing which type of densification is possible in different parts of the city. Illustration: Boverket, based on a table in the Örebro plan of action. 14 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
functions that can be mixed and in what manner”, “I believe the city’s public spaces will be given greater says Peder Hallkvist. emphasis and I believe we will also address the relationship between city and countryside. We will also The action plan is a political assignment but in a way it is continue work on the maps, which are fairly rough and also a response to market demand. simplified in the first version”, says Peder Hallkvist.
The building stakeholders want clarity. Interest in To date, the plan of action has been used in several building in Örebro has grown very rapidly in the past 4-5 different ways. It is primarily aimed at external years. But we cannot satisfy all wishes. We must be able stakeholders, but also functions as a foundation when a to explain why we can no longer plan for free-standing new detailed development plan is to be prepared. It is also single-family houses in central locations, even if there is useful for the city to refer to in its communication with strong demand. An action plan makes us better prepared the public. and gives us some support for our decisions”, says Peder Hallkvist. “We have noticed that the builders read it – they will typically refer to various paragraphs. It also helps by The current version of the plan of action is the first. A adding nuances to the discussion. We do not just build revision of the comprehensive plan is currently under because more housing is needed – we build a city of the way, at the same time as the plan of action is being future. evaluated. Reprints will be produced in conjunction with the next updated version.
Read more:
The action plan "På väg mot vårt framtida Örebro, del 2. Handlingsplan för stadens byggande" is available in Swedish at the website of Örebro. URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 15
KRISTOFFER ARVIDSON, CITY OF MALMÖ – More housing increases the need for public services
Malmö is to become dense, flexible and make efficient use of its available surfaces. This is a focus that requires new, creative solutions to ensure that there is room for public services. The answer to the need for land is joint use, three-dimensional planning and flexible use.
Densification is the very essence of Malmö’s new comprehensive plan from 2014. The city shall develop into a heterogeneous, vegetation-rich city of short distances, and an overall priority is that Malmö will primarily grow inwards, inside its outer ring road, Yttre
Ringvägen. Photo: Johannes Dahlskog
“This makes the question of public services particularly critical. Building in a densified city means that the competition for land will increase. In the past few years, for example, it has been a major challenge to rustle up space for preschools”, says Kristoffer Arvidson, project manager for the Plan for Public Service Land Requriements in Malmö. to provide premises for public services”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. The population of Malmö has grown every year since the 1980s and growth has been particularly sharp in the past In order to offer a growing population both sufficient and ten to 15 years. Even though the planning of public high-quality public services in a dense city, the services is in harmony with the population trend, the municipality must test new innovative solutions. municipality has difficulty predicting where in the city the needs will arise. “Joint utilisation is the primary focus, but we also talk about three-dimensional solutions and flexible use. These “Since housing construction is steered by private three strategies overlap, but the basic idea is to share stakeholders it is difficult to make prognoses, particularly resources. Both the physical resources, such as premises in areas of expansion. The municipality is forced to and green space, and perhaps also staff and proceed in a reactive manner rather than a proactive one, administration”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. The16 FullriggarenCHAPTER city block 2 in the VästraURBAN Hamnen DENSITY district DONE of RIGHTMalmö. – SWEDISHThe green NATIONALbuilding is a BOARD preschool, OF theHOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING outdoor environment of which can be seen in the foreground. The white building, which is integrated with the preschool, contains group homes. The buildings have separate entrances. Photo: Bojana Lukac URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 17
The Plan for Public Service Land Requirements in Malmö comes to space however, they are not such a good is meant to be a bridge between the long-term focus of the example: the children have very small areas in which to comprehensive plan and the more concrete issues of the move around”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. detailed development questions. The strategies encompass large parts of the public services for which the Public services need to be space efficient, but this does municipality is responsible, with a particular focus on not mean that the activities have to get by with fewer preschools, schools and sports facilities. square metres of floor space and outdoor areas.
“This is where the greatest problems lie. Other public “The research is unanimous in that there are health services, such as housing for the elderly and group homes, associations with the size of children’s outdoor do not require such large areas and are simpler to integrate environments. And there is room for large school with other buildings”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. playgrounds, but they should not be allowed to be single- function. The areas must be designed for the core The time perspective is five to ten years into the future, operations – their needs are prioritised – but we have to and the hope is that the plan will contribute to increased be able to use them in other ways as well”, says Kristoffer preparedness in physical planning. It is easier to proceed Arvidson. in a structured manner with different types of solutions if there are politically secured principles and priorities. Malmö has experience of joint-use schools since earlier. At Lindängeskolan, the school building is used as an all- “When the plan is finished it is meant to work as a activity building outside school hours. reference book containing guidelines on planning public services. It could be used by both detailed development “Schools are excellent as social hubs – often all that is planners and service requesters – both as support and needed are minor physical adjustments, and hence, small inspiration for driving issues relating to, for example, investments. One example is Hermodalskolan, a school joint use”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. which was divided into sectors in which separate alarm systems were installed. It would have worked even better MAXIMUM USE OF SPACE if the premises had been adapted to shared use right from Joint use refers to premises and outdoor environments the start”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. being used not only by those involved in the basic operations, but by others as well. In evenings and on SEVERAL CHALLENGES IN PLANNING weekends, for example, the preschool yard might become AND COLLABORATION a public playground while the school classrooms might To optimise the premises – and indirectly also prepare provide space for club meetings. Having parts of the them for public services – joint use needs to be discussed school playground be designed as a park is one way of at the planning stage. Space-consuming services such as using space flexibly – thus making joint use possible. schools and sports facilities should be included in an in- Copenhagen has served as a source of inspiration. depth comprehensive plan or planning programme. In “The Lord Mayor, Frank Jensen, made an election detailed development plans, “S” for school should be used promise of fixing preschools, and Copenhagen has been along with designations that allow for other types of successful at finding smart solutions for joint use. When it activities. 18 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
In all projects, three-dimensional solutions should be more a place is used, the greater the wear and tear on it. considered. Who is to pay for the wear and tear that occurs in the “Certain combinations are more suitable than others. For primary school after school hours? If a school uses an example, it is better to place a preschool on the ground adjacent park that is owned and maintained by the Traffic floor of an office building than in a residential building. Management Office, how should the costs be distributed? That way, the preschool can use the entire surrounding grounds. Safety aspects, such as the need for separate THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE TO COOPERATE entrances, must also be considered when different service When work on the plan started, the approach was a broad activities are to be accommodated in the same building”, one and was based on the idea that all city operations says Kristoffer Arvidson. would have to adapt to the joint use of resources. Eventually the assignment of the There is greater focus on land and City Planning Office acquired a contract issues in the dense city with clearer focus – on land requirements mixed functions. Since Malmö is to “To optimise the and the planning process. grow inwardly, the need for services premises, joint use will be greatest in the existing city, But Kristoffer Arvidson still wants and it is already clear that the must be discussed at to advise other municipalities to pay buildable land in the central areas particular attention to the issue of currently owned by the city is the planning stage”. public services. insufficient. The municipality has to collaborate with private landowners “It gets people thinking and gets and stakeholders in order to expand the public services, employees to think in new ways, about both processes and but how this should be done is both a political and an methods. That’s when you find solutions that work. I economic question. would say that including the entire administration is essential for success. It’s absolutely fundamental”, says “An active discussion is currently under way between the Kristoffer Arvidson. municipality and private property companies. The municipality might, for example, have some other party So far, Malmö has not found any structured model of build, either on its own or on private land, and then cooperation for the municipal administrations with acquire a finished object, or rent premises in it. Three- regards to joint use. dimensional property development could be a solution in this case as well”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. “But it’s something we’re working on. Several political assignments address the question of joint use – for Another challenge is how the cooperation between example “Living Malmö” and the new educational different affected administrations should work. strategy for school activities.
“There are many inherent difficulties, particularly Malmö has begun to realise what the new planning depending on how the municipal economy is structured. orientation in the comprehensive plan entails for city The administrations have different core assignments and operations”, says Kristoffer Arvidson. budgets, which makes joint use more complicated. The URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 19
CAROLA WINGREN, SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (SLU), ALNARP – Include vegetation
Cemeteries are used as fitness tracks and the lawns of the residential areas are transformed into garden plots. In a densified city, all existing green space acquire new functions while the climate- smart role of vegetation becomes ever more important.
The people and the buildings are becoming more numerous in Swedish cities, but the amount of green space remains constant or is declining.
“The risk of densification is that the green space that is
needed for people, plants, animals and water are chipped Photo: Marie Andersson away at the edges. Suddenly we find we’ve taken away too much vegetation and we’re left with an imbalance between the different functions of green space”, says Carola Wingren, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences at Alnarp.
She is the project manager and editor of the book Urbana nyanser av grönt that tries to discover and develop ideas about urban vegetation in a densified city. The basic idea is that vegetation in the city serves green space in terms of function, quality and time aspects. several different functions and can be highly varied in The ditch is needed just as much as the park”, says Carola appearance. Wingren.
Tree-lined promenades and parks are natural fixtures in THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF the city, fixtures that many want to preserve. Often the URBAN GREEN SPACE IS CHANGING large parks also have an established value as cultural In a sustainable city, the well-maintained grass-covered heritage sites with aesthetic aspects. expanses and the tidy perennial flower beds are accompanied by more untamed areas, which benefit the “It would take a lot before you’d go and build in a park. biological diversity. At the same time, a change in how But the park is just one form of urban green space. We green space is used is occurring. City dwellers tend need to be better at explaining the differences and valuing individual garden plots in parks, they have picnics in 20 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
cemeteries and do parkour in the city’s in-between spaces. important to ensure that nature is close by. Especially When social patterns, behaviours and needs change, the since one of the points of a densified city is that most planning and design of green space must keep pace with things are within walking or cycling distance” says Carola development. Wingren.
“A good example is cemeteries. At present, they are used Thanks to the widespread interest in urban gardening as parks, where people go jogging and walk their dogs. So vegetables are nowadays being grown in more or less the site designation in the city’s planning no longer fits. unexpected places in the city. It is a phenomenon with Certain parts that are less popular places in which to bury many expressions: guerilla gardening of public garden one’s relatives are also a resource. Eventually, something beds, gardens being established on roofs, and neighbours completely new could be created there”, jointly tending a common garden plot. says Carola Wingren. “In a densified “The social perspective on urban An elastic view of the city’s green space gardening is the primary one – it is not – that forms and functions change city, existing possible to produce vegetables to any – implies that the city needs to be ready to green space great extent in a city. At least not using reconsider its plans for both green space current methods. The general interest in and development. acquire new gardening is great, but health issues must functions”. also be dealt with. What soils are “Above all, it is essential to be observant involved and how are food safety issues of all areas on standby: at the edge of the being observed? city, at demolition sites and at the edge of the sea. If a plan remains undeveloped for a long time, the GREEN STRUCTURE FOR WATER site may have developed into a fantastic natural A key issue, for climate-smart cities, is the ability to environment”, says Carola Wingren. divert storm water where green space can play a major role. But creating a green structure that can withstand Access to untouched land in the urban environment is heavy rain requires knowledge of what the city looks like important for several reasons. In the urban environment, it underground. Over the years, watercourses have been is important to have places for fundamental natural built over and culvert solutions are adapted for the water processes such as photosynthesis, pollination and soil quantities that prevailed at earlier times, leading to major formation. In places where plants are allowed to grow problems during torrential rainfall. wild, a biological diversity develops that benefits many ecosystem services. By deliberately employing many small, cohesive green points that collect and distribute water quantities, we Oases of untamed natural vegetation provide nature reduce the risk of flooding. One example of this is experiences and can also be useful in educational Augustenborg in Malmö, which a few years ago contexts. implemented a number of measures to unload the municipal sewerage system: ditches, dams, bowl-shaped “It has become more common for families with children grass-covered spaces, and canals that during certain periods to live in an urban environment and in light of this it feels of the year are dried up. URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONALExample of BOARD surface OFthat HOUSING, can withstand BUILDING periods AND of increasedPLANNING quantities ofCHAPTER rain. Photo: 2 Johnér21 Foto: Hans Ekestang Foto: 22 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
“When Malmö experienced extremely heavy rain that “Detailed development plans specify building height, roof caused extensive damage, Augustenborg managed it very slope and facade material for the development. Then it well. Swales take a whole lot more water than large might say: ‘tree’. Few details about soil, size or time underground pipes do. I believe we could build much aspects are described. But a tree can of course mean more densely by thinking along these lines”, says Carola anything from a stick to a huge tree canopy, says Carola Wingren. Wingren.
An often overlooked problem is the trend of installing One way to ensure the inclusion of green space in stone paving in parts of private home lots. An aerial photo building projects is the tool “the green surface factor”. of Malmö shows that paved surfaces in private home This is a method that identifies and quantifies green space yards have increased markedly. This is a development that based on different categories. Another system is could eventually represent a threat to climate adaptation. ecosystem services, which describe the benefits of green space. These might involve, say, the ability of vegetation “It creates areas that cannot absorb the rain water. Instead, to dampen noise, purify the air, reduce the temperature the water flows onto common streets and surfaces, with and handle storm water. In Malmö and Lund, a major flooding as a result. This is something that the programme called the Environmental Building municipalities must start paying attention to. In Germany, Programme - South has been implemented, which fees based on how the property owners deal with their requires that the builder works with green space factor. storm water have been implemented”, says Carola Wingren. “This type of tool is helpful, but it is not sufficient. In order not to restrict the character of the vegetation – it is PLANNING REQUIRES MORE GREEN WORDS so easy to get stuck on parks – we need to be better at The book Urbana nyanser av grönt points out the need not expressing different values and quality aspects”, says only to promote green issues, but also to develop the way Carola Wingren. in which urban green space is viewed and described. There are types of nature that planners and landscape architects usually don’t think about. So far, the urban “The discussions about densification lack nuance landscape has been formed with soils that essentially have regarding urban green space, despite the fact that it is the same characteristics and moisture content. more complex than building development. We talk about densification in development terms, but no calculations “The city of the future needs surfaces with vegetation that are done on leaf mass”, says Carola Wingren. can tolerate becoming wet, while at the same time other places must be able to withstand drought. Urban densification is not only about buildings. In early This requires vegetation of an entirely different character documents, such as the comprehensive plan and the than what we are used to. Dampness is a key parameter to planning programme, green space is given considerable bring in, in addition to untamed natural growth”, says attention. In the detailed development plan, however, Carola Wingren. there are neither the tools nor the vocabulary to convey a more complicated description of the form and function of green space. URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 23
FACTS: • Green structure – all the green areas in the built environment, such as private gardens, tree-lined boulevards, lawns, parks, green areas and natural areas close to communities. • Ecosystem services – the services that nature provides to humans and that are essential to our welfare, health and well-being. One example of an ecosystem service is pollination. In order for the bees to be able to pollinate our crops, the bees’ ecosystems must work. Another system is storm water retention, or the ability of a green area to manage and purify the water in the event of flooding. • Green infrastructure – a network of natural areas for functioning ecosystems and human living environments. • Green space factor – a planning tool by which to express a desirable relationship between the entire space of the plot and the eco-effective space. By awarding points to various physical elements, such as lawn, green roof or tree, the eco-effective surface can be summarised in a number that is then divided by the entire plot. Read more:
Urbana nyanser av grönt – om grönskans roll i en förtätad klimatsmart stad. Available in Swedish. Joint project of SLU, Ramböll, Lund University and the City of Malmö. The project has received support from the Sustainable Cities Delegation. The book is published by Movium.
The project also developed the inspirational film “Green City” – on alternative uses of green environments in the city. The film Urban gardening on a building wall in Seved, Malmö. Photo: Peter Kroon is on YouTube. Search for "green city Slu". 24 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
BJÖRN HELLSTRÖM, TYRÉNS AB AND THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS, CRAFTS AND DESIGN (KONSTFACK) – A denser city is a louder city
The sounds of the city have long been synonymous with noise from which the inhabitants need to be protected. Now, the design of the acoustic environment is starting to become part of the planning process instead. A city should not be silent – but there should be sounds in the right places, sounds that reinforce the experience of a place.
When cities are densified, there are more buildings, more people and more functions in the same place. It is a development that entails more life and movement, as well as higher levels of sound. So far, the urban acoustic environment has mainly been handled defensively, with measures such as traffic control, noise protection, and Photo: Olof Glemme insulating glass. What is less common is an approach that primarily considers the sounds of the dense city as an asset.
“Instead of noise, we should think about sound quality that supports the function of the place. The sound is part of the architectonic shaping of the city”, says Björn Hellström, professor of acoustic art at Sweden’s University College of Arts, Crafts and Design facilitate the practical collaboration of different (Konstfack), lecturer in architecture and acoustic designer competence areas in the planning process. at Tyréns AB. “The icons function as an interface at which different Within the framework of the project “Sounds of the City”, disciplines meet: it is a way for planners, architects, which was carried out a few years ago, he developed an designers and acousticians to communicate with each interdisciplinary toolbox for acoustic design, to be used in other. There shouldn’t be any need for special documents the planning process. The toolbox consists of various for each measure”, says Björn Hellström. acoustic design solutions that dampen unwanted noise while at the same time accenting the qualitative, desirable Acoustic design shapes the city’s sound signature and sounds that help ensure that the place works as intended. encompasses all parts of the planning process. The urban The design solutions in the toolbox are divided into six typology scale, meaning the character of the buildings groups: building types, buildings, screens, ground, traffic collectively, is determined early on. If the plan is to build and sound quality. Each group has a unique icon, to housing on a plot with known noise sources, selecting URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 25
building type becomes more complicated, since the GREEN OR PERFORATED FACADES building must have one quiet side in order to AS SOUND INSULATOR meet the guidelines. The design of the facades has a major effect on the city’s “The solution in this case might be an apartment block acoustic environment. As a result of sound reflection with a courtyard. However, in the programme for the between building facades, city streets might have elevated Stockholm neighbourhood Norra Djurgårdsstaden we were sound levels, for example. This problem can be reduced able to show that when acoustic design is applied there are with insulated, angled facades. The use of perforated also other solutions that work equally well. The costs of facades that have a backing of sound-dampening material the measures could also be defrayed with higher site gives the architects greater freedom. coverage ratios”, says Björn Hellström. “The holes may be designed as desired, in different sizes and patterns”, says Björn Hellström.
BUILDINGS SCREENS GROUND TRAFFIC SOUND QUALITY
Smooth dense Green facades Facades with balconies High screen vegetation Low screen vegetation road surface Shared space Sound installation
Sounds of nature Perforated facades Protecting roof High screen perforated Low screen perforated Acoustically soft ground Speed - leaves rustling
Grass alongside Sounds of nature Shielded building Glazing High screen dynamic Low screen dynamic tram tracks – water fountain
Green roof with Screen designed as Angling of the roof High screen - gabion sedum plants street furniture
All the tools in the acoustic design toolbox The method was developed as part of the “Sounds of the City” project with help from Tyréns AB. Illustration: Tyréns AB Translation: Boverket Newly26 plantedCHAPTER plant wall 2 on SödermalmURBAN in Stockholm.DENSITY DONE Photo: RIGHT Magnus – SWEDISH Lindqvist/National NATIONAL Board BOARD of Housing,OF HOUSING, Building BUILDING and Planning AND PLANNING URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 27
Facades with plant cassettes and soft roofs with sedum recommended noise values. In order to reduce noise plants not only reduce the sound levels and provide the levels, you need to create space within the space, which urban space with vegetation. They also contribute to the also has a social effect”, says Björn Hellström. city’s ecological sustainability, by taking care of storm Certain sounds have qualities that are appreciated in the water, among other things. Even the angling of the roof city. These sounds may be used consciously to support the affects the sound proliferation. It is a matter of reducing the social function of the place. diffraction over the roof – that is, how sharply the sound waves are bent. This reduces the noise on the leeward side. “The desirable sounds are often softer: running water, leaves rustling in the wind, footsteps on gravel or the One obstacle is that architects and planners do not use these chirping of the birds. If the square is to have a calm place design solutions to any great extent. This is where you can sit and read the paper – how partly because the professional education could the design give the place serenity? And programmes do not highlight the role of “In order how could sound contribute? acoustics, either in urban planning or in to reduce architecture. Another problem is parallel The ground treatment also has an impact. Soft processes in the planning. noise levels, ground such as grass, is sound-absorbing. Placing tram tracks on grassy surfaces works “Many people also have an unjustified fear of you need to well because the measure is carried out close moisture problems. Regarding green facades, create space to the sound source, but even gravel can be there is a concern as to what they will look made acoustically soft if the underlying soil like during winter. There are, however, some within the has the right properties. twenty different Swedish evergreen plant space”. types. None of the design tools are a mere On streets in an urban environment, asphalt desktop product, all of them are applied and with a small stone size is preferable from a in practical use already”, says Björn Hellström. sound point of view.
ACOUSTIC SCREENS “In some parts of Europe, the asphalt used is dense, AS SPACE SHAPERS smooth asphalt. The reason we do not have it is because In the street environment, urban acoustic screens are an the studded winter tyres wear out the asphalt and increase effective way to control the soundscape. This is not a the particle content of the air. But the friction from the matter of traditional noise barriers, but rather screens that studded tyres also impacts the sound environment. A ban are integrated in the urban environment and that meet on studded tyres, as exists on Hornsgatan in Stockholm, acoustic, functional, architectonic and aesthetic creates not only better air quality but also conditions for requirements. Just as the facades they can have greening lower sound levels”, says Björn Hellström. or perforating surfaces. Tyre friction is the dominant sound on streets with traffic “High and low screens serve as furniture in the urban speeds of over 50 kilometres per hour. On city streets with space and are designed to blend into the environment. speed limits of 40 kilometres per hour or lower, the Almost every public space in the city exceed the dominant sound is engine noise. 28 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
“With ‘shared spaces’ – streets without any hierarchy “It has to do with the circumstances of the site. In general, between cars, cyclists and pedestrians – it is possible to much can be accomplished through the use of urban lower the sound level. The prevailing speeds here are very acoustic screens. They do not need to be that high – it is low – under 30 kilometres per hour”, says Björn sufficient to have them between 70 and 80 centimetres to Hellström. dampen the sound of the friction from the tyres. But even individual buildings with facades that employ acoustic SOUNDS OF THE CITY A HOT TOPIC design have an effect on the urban environment”, says The need for acoustic design is great. Often densification Björn Hellström. Now, research on sustainable urban occurs in places in which it is difficult to build housing development has also begun to consider the sounds of the with good sound environments. Such places might be city. Citylab Action – a support concept for the creation of infill projects in city blocks, transformation of industrial qualitative and effective work processes in urban areas or new neighbourhoods in central port areas. development projects – was recently introduced. The concept is the brainchild of Citylab, a forum for shared “We are now at a turning point at which the sound knowledge in sustainable urban development organised by environment of the city is increasingly important. The Sweden Green Building Council. densification requires that we actively incorporate acoustics in the planning process”, says Björn Hellström. “Municipalities and builders can access help in creating an organisation in which all fields of competence, Even at an early stage of planning, it is possible to use including acoustics, are included. We are also now calculation models to determine how the sound beginning to see certification systems that encompass the environment in the current project can be changed using sound environment. Five or ten years ago there was acoustic design. nothing”, says Björn Hellström.
The basic principles are to absorb and screen off, but the solutions that have the best effect on the city’s soundscape vary.
FACTS: Regulations that concern noise Read more: The Planning and Building Act and the Environmen- tal Code apply in parallel. As of 2015 there has Stadens ljud – samexistens och metodutveckling för ökad been an exception regarding noise whereby a noise stadskvalitet. The report is available in Swedish at the website exposure that has been approved in the planning of Helsingborg. and building permit stage is also approved in later assessments, under the Environmental Code.
As a basis for the determination of acceptable noi- se levels, the government enacted the Ordinance on target values for traffic noise in conjunction with housing construction (2015:216). URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISHSedum NATIONAL roof atBOARD bus stop OF contributesHOUSING, BUILDINGto a better AND sound PLANNING environment. Photo:CHAPTER Creative 2commons29 30 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
MARIE-CLAUDE DUBOIS, WHITE AND LUND UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING (LTH) – Light is enormously important for human beings
During the period of modernism, daylight flooded into the rooms, and there was plenty of space between buildings. Today, dense cities are in fashion. Architectural trends change, but human beings’ need for sunlight and daylight does not.
“For thousands of years, human beings needed the body’s day and night clocks to survive. The past few centuries of electricity have changed our diurnal rhythm, but our genes have not adapted yet. The body’s cells are still programmed to work in daylight”, says Marie-Claude Dubois, daylight expert at White and lecturer at the Engineering Faculty of Lund University.
Our diurnal rhythm is regulated by daylight, which controls the production of the hormones melatonin and cortisol. Alertness is affected most by blue light, which stops the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. The blue light in daylight is unbeatable even on cloudy days – neither screens nor lighting reach the same strength.
“Daylight also has great significance for our visual perception ability. This is because it contains the entire Photo: Sylvain Dubé spectrum of colours – all the wavelengths. Our eyes and our brains perform better in daylight”, says Marie-Claude Dubois. “The lack of daylight leads to ill-health, but so does stress A functioning diurnal rhythm is the foundation of health and a sedentary lifestyle. The body has not yet adapted to and well-being, but daylight also contributes to a more modern society”, says Marie-Claude Dubois. effective immune system. When skin is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, vitamin D is formed. Low Architecture can help to optimise daylight in a dense levels of vitamin D are associated with several of our urban environment in several ways. most common illnesses: cancer, depression, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. UV radiation also has an “It is important to have vertical variation in the amount antibacterial effect. of windows. URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 31
Despite the cold February day, the sun creates a pleasant warmth on the wall of the building. Photo: Mirja Ranesköld/Boverket
The lowest floors need to have more glass than the highest floors do. The lower parts of the facade should Read more: also have light, reflecting colours. The depth of the building is also significant, as is the layout. A bedroom might need less daylight”, says Marie-Claude Dubois. The Light Revolution: Health, Architecture, and the Sun. Hobday, R.
Urban planning must also consider access to daylight throughout the year. The darker months of winter make tall buildings and narrow streets a bad combination.
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PAUL ROGERS, BUREAU OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM – Daylight in a dense city
Cities are becoming more dense, the energy performance of the buildings is improving and balconies are growing in size. Several of today’s building trends also work to limit access to daylight. This highlights the need for simpler and more flexible daylight requirements and new
routines for urban planning and for issuing of Photo: Nicolas Ekwall building permits.
Over the past decade, there has been a greater focus on environmental and climate issues in urban planning and building.
“This is a positive development in many ways, but there are limits to how densely and energy-efficiently we can build before the supply of daylight is suffering”, says Paul Rogers, architect and daylight specialist at the Bureau of Architecture and Urbanism. than 1.4 metres, whereas today, the balcony depth of newly produced flats can be more than two metres. Increased building costs means that the price per square metre hits a record and that motivates builders and “That such large balconies entail less daylight in the flat is property owners to maximize area, both inside of something not many people think about. The trend of buildings and in the areas that surround them. glazing balconies also affects the amount of daylight coming into an apartment”, says Paul Rogers. “In Liljeholmen in Stockholm there is an apartment building that is built directly against a large rock DAYLIGHT REQUIREMENTS NOT APPLIED outcropping with windows facing onto the rock face. The existing regulatory structure reinforces the problem. Another example is inner courtyards being sacrificed to Included in the EU’s strategy to address climate changes make room for more office space, the result in both cases is the requirement to reduce buildings’ energy being a drastic loss of daylight. Often in an office consumption. But the measures that the construction landscape people sit far from a window”, says Paul industry takes in order to satisfy the requirements also Rogers. lead to less daylight in the buildings: solar control glass, low-emission coatings, triple-glazed windows, greater In well laid out flats, the balcony can become a valuable room depth, thicker outer walls and reduced amounts of extra room. In the 1950s, the balcony was rarely deeper façade glazing. At the same time, environmental URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 33 Photo: Hans Ekestang 34DaylightCHAPTER simulation 2 over HagastadenURBAN DENSITYin Stockholm DONE showing RIGHT amount – SWEDISH of daylight NATIONAL from BOARDa standardized OF HOUSING, cloudy skyBUILDING reaching AND PLANNING building facades. The dark blue areas are unlikely to meet the daylight requirement. This type of 3D simulation is appropriate to do early in the planning process. Illustration: Paul Rogers, Bureau of Architecture and Urbanism URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 35
certification systems set requirements on access to percent of the floor area, to comply with the one-percent daylight. In order for a building to be ecolabelled factor. Window area must be increased however according to Miljöbyggnad (a Swedish system for depending on the proximity of surrounding obstructions. certifying buildings in relation to energy, indoor climate Daylight levels in existing buildings are currently and materials) basically all of the rooms in the building unprotected under the current legislation – for example, must be in compliance with the government requirements, when new buildings are built that reduce the amount of a rule which many people consider unclear and outdated. daylight reaching an existing property.
“Ecolabelling has made the building industry more aware of the daylight requirements; however, uncertainty INCLUDING DAYLIGHT IN DETAILED regarding the rules has cost a lot of time and money”, says DEVELOPMENT PLANS Paul Rogers. At the EU level there is an initiative under way to establish standards for daylight and sunlight views. Paul Historically speaking, daylight has had a special position Rogers is involved, developing proposals for an improved in Swedish urban planning and architecture. Light, air and and modernised interpretation of the Swedish daylight hygiene were key words for requirement. He believes the functionalism, when the standard of threshold values on what is a housing in Sweden was improved in “When the conditions sufficient quantity of daylight the post-war period. During a large should be flexible. part of the twentieth century there are already clear in the “We need to distinguish between was simply no need for daylight detailed development best practice and minimum regulation. requirements. One percent is easy plan, it is easier to to remember, but there are no “Then came the oil crisis of the 1970s impose demands scientific studies that show that it and window sizes decreased. A is exactly there that human health minimum level for daylight was then in the building permit starts to be affected. Many of us introduced – a daylight factor of one process”. grew up in homes with rooms percent – to ensure there would be where the daylight factor was “satisfactory daylight”. The method, about 0.6-0.7 percent. In cities’ however, was awkward, and the result was that most core areas, almost all buildings have several rooms that do people did not bother to calculate for daylight. There are not meet the requirement”, says Paul Rogers. many dark buildings from the 1980s with small windows”, says Paul Rogers. He believes a reasonable minimum level would be significantly lower than one percent and that the rules The requirement is still a daylight factor of one percent, must also take into consideration the function of different even if the current Building Regulations (BBR) also rooms and buildings. makes reference to a simplified method of calculation. If the conditions – room sizes, window glass, window “For example, it’s okay to have darker bedrooms, but dimensions, window placement – are according to preschools and housing for the elderly should have standard, the room’s window glass area should be ten significantly greater access to daylight. Any exceptions 36 CHAPTER 2 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
must be justified – for example, with reference to security Daylight Requirements: Facts and privacy”, says Paul Rogers. According to the Swedish National Board of A properly functioning daylight standard that is easy to Housing, Building and Planning's general building apply would not only make things easier for the regulations, chapter BBR 6:322, rooms in which construction industry, but also for the municipalities that people spend time must have good access to direct must ensure that the building regulations are followed. daylight, and the recommended methodology for demonstrating this is a daylight factor of one “As it looks today, the municipalities are not comfortable percent. The daylight factor indicates the with the issue. There is strong interest when you start proportion of daylight from a cloudy sky that talking about it, but the level of knowledge about daylight reaches a point at half room’s depth. According to is low. I would like to see planners create their proposals SS 91 42 01, a simplified calculation yields a in 3D and run computer simulations for daylight. It doesn’t standard value for glass area to floor area. If the take many hours to get an idea of the performance of a standard is met, the window glass area should be city block”, says Paul Rogers. 10 percent of the floor area.
When the performance of a block is already clear in the Miljöbyggnad: Facts detailed development plan, it is easier to impose demands in the building permit process. Miljöbyggnad is administered by the Sweden Green Building Council, SGBC, which both manages “Then the building actors can already see in the plan what certification and maintains the certification system. type of building and layout is required to satisfy the The certification system is based partly on daylight requirements. It is possible to integrate Swedish building and other government environmental considerations, energy conservation and regulations, and partly on Swedish standard light considerations, but it has to be done at an early practice. The Miljöbyggnad system provides stage”, says Paul Rogers. confirmation of key qualities relating to energy use, indoor environment and building materials. It is applicable to both newly produced and existing buildings. Read more:
Byggnadsutformning – Dagsljus – Förenklad metod för Site Layout planning for Daylight and Sunlight. kontroll av erforderlig fönsterglasarea. Littlefair, P. J. Svensk standard, SS 914201 Average Daylight Factor: A simple basis for daylight design. Räkna med Dagsljus. Littlefair, P. J. Löfberg, H. A. Daylighting Architecture and Design. Tregenza, P. and Wilson, M. Foto: IBL Foto: URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 2 37 Photo: Peter Kroon 38 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
3. Examples When supplementations are made in cities and communities, it is obviously important to take advantage of existing qualities and values. It is also important that what we add brings added value to the site – or perhaps to the city or the community as a whole, depending on what type of addition we make. In this part, we present municipal projects that have contributed to more than just physical structures.
LINDÄNGEN IN MALMÖ UPPSALA More and larger flats are being built here to meet the New urban development will connect parts of the city needs of the citizens. At the same time, new job that were previously separated by a power line corridor. opportunities are created for those living in the area.
FRÖLUNDA IN GOTHENBURG MIDSOMMARKRANSEN IN STOCKHOLM The Million Homes Programme was supplemented with a The high cultural-historical value of the site was well different type of housing. integrated in the design of the new residential buildings.
KARLSHAMN PITEÅ Row houses were built in the center of the city without Land was released to a new social gathering spot, when requiring the use of any land. an old parking deck was torn down.
URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 3 39
Housing and jobs where needed
LINDÄNGEN, MALMÖ will have priority for the new flats. Most of the flats will Building stakeholders (the construction industry) often have four or more bedrooms, to meet the need for large consider it unprofitable to invest in Million Homes flats. Programme areas. However such areas often include extensive space to be developed. In Lindängen, no new Over and above building more residential units, the City housing has been built in over 30 years, despite the fact of Malmö has the goal of developing the sense of social that the population there has grown by a few thousand engagement in the area. The goal is that one-quarter of inhabitants. The area is in great need of larger flats for those who will be working in maintenance and upkeep at families with children, who today are often living in Vårsången will be hired from Lindängen. The idea cramped conditions. originated in a model developed as part of the project Bygga om dialogen [the dialogue of re-building]. The The City of Malmö has utilised the tool of subsidising project received funding from the Sustainable Cities land prices to make certain areas of the city more Delegation (DHS). The project ran from 2012-2014 and attractive. When Vårsången in Lindängen was to be was aimed at creating community participation in the expanded, the City of Malmö elected to lower the site- area, as well as creating jobs in premises and property lease rent for the first few years, and then gradually management among unemployed young people in increase it in a stepwise fashion. This made it possible to Lindängen. The project reduced vandalism and increased build new multi-dwelling buildings in a former parking residents’ involvement in the local neighbourhood. The lot. In total the AB Trianon property company will build City of Malmö found that both economic and social long- 156 flats, of which 92 will be rental flats that will be term gains are dependent on the residents’ having completed in 2017. People who already live in Vårsången employment and quality of life.
The four projected residential buildings can be seen at the right in the photo. Aerial photo: Ingvar Nilsson Photo montage: Andreas Frykman, Panorama arkitekter 40 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Complementary form of housing in the area of the Million Homes Programme*
FRÖLUNDA, GOTHENBURG local squares and the public services, and to increase The Frölunda district was largely built during the years of safety in the area. the Million Homes Programme. It is a typical suburb, organised by function, with an industrial area, sports The City of Gothenburg sold a gravel parking lot to the facilities, cultural buildings, parks, commercial and public Äppelträdgården company, which was formed by White services. and FO Peterson & Söner Byggnads AB. They wanted to create an attractive residential structure on a site without Multi-unit apartment buildings and rental flats dominate identity and a green complement to the otherwise the district, and two-thirds of the units are one and two- monotonous environment of the district. The idea was to bedroom flats. Characteristic is the large scale, with build atrium row houses with their own gardens, as well 9 to 13-storey buildings. as to create common areas. The company wanted to achieve a mix of different housing types and forms, to In Frölunda, slightly over 29 percent of the population is enable people in the area to choose how they wanted to older than 65 years. That is almost double the proportion live and to move according to their changing needs. for Gothenburg as a whole. Frölunda is facing a generation shift and needs housing primarily for families The first phase of Äppelträdgården, which was completed with young children to achieve a mixed-age population in June 2011, consisted of twelve rental row houses and structure. seven full ownership atrium row houses. The buildings have a high sustainability profile and are environmentally In 2005, the City of Gothenburg created a planning certified as meeting the requirements Miljöbyggnad Gold. programme for large parts of Frölunda designed to The rental units were let relatively quickly, whereas sales supplement the existing buildings with a different type of of the freehold units did not take off until the units were housing, forms of tenure, and varying flat sizes. The completed. Äppelträdgården will consist of four small- densification in Frölunda is also intended to strengthen the scale residential city blocks when completed in 2017- customer base of the 2018. In total, 75 residential units are projected, of which 40 are to be rental units.
Frölunda in Gothenburg The placement of the row houses in the surrounding environment. Photo: Kalle Sanner URBAN DENSITY DONEThe RIGHTnew row – SWEDISHhouse area NATIONAL in the foreground BOARD andOF HOUSING,the old Million BUILDING Homes ANDProgramme PLANNING in the background.CHAPTER Photo: 3 Hans 41Wretling
* The Million Homes Programme (“Miljonprogrammet”) is a commonly used expression for all homes built in Sweden between 1965 and 1974. More than a million homes were built during this period. 42 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Densification without claiming new ground
KARLSHAMN carrying it out with the help of three-dimensional The demand for housing in central Karlshamn is strong, property formation. Since there was already access to but the available land is scarce. The comprehensive plan essential infrastructure and the structure had good states that the city center, which is of national interest as technical properties, the building process was a cultural environment, is to be developed, and that the straightforward. Interest from potential buyers was cool city’s mix of housing and commercial premises shall be at first, but with the help of a real estate brokerage this both preserved and strengthened. The Municipality soon changed. The second phase was fully sold well has allowed the possibility of vertical densification of before construction started. centrally located three-storey properties that have no elevator. If the property owners add a few more stories, The new residential units have made the area safer, as they may take the opportunity to install elevators, thus there is now movement in the building even after the making the properties more accessible. mall is closed. The project has also served as marketing for the Municipality. Many people have been interested Such vertical densification has been done on the roof in finding out how to successfully add buildings in a city over a shopping mall. In 2013, four duplexes were built that is of national interest as a cultural environment. facing Drottninggatan in the central part of Karlshamn, Many Swedish cities have buildings that are similar to with direct access to a varied range of services such as the shopping mall – big-box department stores with flat shops, library, preschool and school. The surrounding roofs. Consequently, similar projects could easily be buildings are mainly from the 1800s and are one to three carried out in other locations as well. storeys high. The shopping mall, which was built in the 1970s, has large window panels and a flat roof, and Karlshamn also has several other projects under way in therefore differs from the neighbouring buildings – but it which they are building on top of existing buildings, and has similar material and colour. The new duplexes are they recently took inventory of all of the detailed adapted so as to blend into their surroundings with development plans to find out if there were any unutilised regards to material, scale and volume. building rights. The work is still in its early stages, but the hope is to densify areas close to the city by informing Phase 2 was begun in 2015 with three more duplexes and property owners that they have unutilised building rights one stand-alone house built on the roof. It was the and if so to pair the property owners up with potential property owner that took the initiative for the project in stakeholders. consultation with the Municipality, and succeeded in
The view from the row houses and their placement on the roof. Photo: Emina Kovacic URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 3 43
View of the row houses on top of the shopping mall. Photo: Emina Kovacic 44 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Development connecting city districts
Alrunegatan ÖSTRA SALA BACKE, UPPSALA VY 3 Uppsala has a vision to re-unite the city and heal a rift. On Grönt torg a narrow strip of land that was previously a power line corridor, they are now building a new neighbourhood,
Knäckepilen Östra Sala backe. The power line used to be a barrier Källparksgatan between the neighbourhoods of Sala backe and Årsta, but Bostad the removal of the power line in 2010 released a large Främst lokal Förskola/vårdboende area that given new development could serve to re- VY 4 sekundär tvärgata
Gräslöksgatan integrate the neighbourhoods. Along with the new Fyrislundsgatan Daggvidet development, new values are being added to the existing Johannesbäcksgatan areas and existing qualities are being highlighted. Årsta
The development will take place in four phases, which Sala backe will be ongoing until the middle of the 2020s. Phase 1 sekundär tvärgata was commenced in 2015. The intent to develop the land in the power line corridor was already in Uppsala’s Bäckrosen Källparken comprehensive plan from 2002, when the Municipality, GC-tunnel Svenska Kraftnät and Vattenfall started discussing Grönt torg VY 1 relocating the power line. Dwelling
The new buildings will supply slightly more than 2,500 Primary premises Nattviolen new flats, and new premises for activities, preschools and Preschool/ workplaces. The Fyrislundsgatan thoroughfare that cuts Nursing home through the area is to become a city street to reduce the VY 2 Gröna gatan barrier effect. This way, contact between areas and with Illustrative plan, Phase 1 Photo: Uppsala Municipality Östra Sala backe etapp 1 the rest of Uppsala will increase. Two existing Illustrationsplan neighbourhood parks, in Årsta and Sala backe, are being sustainability criteria were developed and were then Skala 1:1000 (A1) Förhandskopia 2012-12-17 upgraded and will acquire new functions that will incorporated into the land allocation agreement. During hopefully attract other inhabitants and thus create new the detailed development plan process, these criteria were social hubs. The existing neighbourhood center, Årsta further developed ahead of the sale of the land. The land Torg square, is to be developed so that it will be the area’s prices were fixed and the Municipality selected new center for business, services and activities. There is a developers based on how well they achieved the aims of strong focus on achieving a good dialogue with the the programme. The builders were required to describe inhabitants of the area, with regards to public spaces and how they would contribute to realising the criteria. The social hubs. detailed development plan, which included everything from building heights to volumes, was then developed What distinguishes the project is a great focus on jointly with all of the architects and builders. In order to architectural and sustainability issues. In the dialogue- achieve variation in architecture, forms of tenure and based land allocation process a number of quality and operations, the planners wanted a small-scale ownership URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 3 45
within the block. However, it has been difficult to allocate allocation stages. The fact that the plan was developed in small plots for approximately 20 flats. an early dialogue involving the builders and the architects contributed to the successful result. Moreover, the quality One success factor for the setting of high quality and sustainability programme motivated and encouraged requirements has been that the project took place in the builders to come up with better sustainability cooperation with the Land and Development Office and solutions. A further success factor is that the land the City Planning Office. This ensures that the allocations were evaluated on quality and not price. implementation questions have been present from the start Significant advantages have been won from continuously of the planning process, and the city building issues and learning from the experiences made and then developing design expertise have been present during the land the lessons learned, before the next phase.
The perspective on the new urban development along the stretch of the former power line corridor. Photo: Uppsala Municipality 46 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Supplementing in an environment of cultural and historical value
MIDSOMMARKRANSEN, STOCKHOLM In the comprehensive plan Midsommarkransen is LM-staden, which lies in the Midsommarkransen area identified as an area with a fairly dense building profile south of Stockholm’s city center, is of great cultural and that is part of the expansion area of the city center. The historic value. The buildings were erected as housing for overall aim is to create a denser and more cohesive, the workers at the end of the 1930s when the LM multifaceted, and dynamic urban environment with Ericsson company moved to its new plant at Telefonplan. opportunities for a broader supply of housing, operations, The buildings in the LM-staden are placed on natural services, etc. To enable the building of 38 new urban row land and oriented in parallel to each other in order to let houses and a preschool, a detailed development plan was in as much light as possible. The buildings are typical for made. The buildings were completed in 2014, and the functionalist style, with facades of brick overlaid with include both rental flats and tenant-owned flats. The rock plaster in pale yellow and red tones. The area contains faces and the trees have been preserved to the greatest much vegetation and the natural growth extends right up possible extent. The transition between the buildings and to the building facades. North of the Kransbindarvägen the park has low supporting walls and steps in the same road, which winds around Midsommarkransen, lies a material as the buildings. The buildings vary in height so residential area with three-storey apartment buildings as to connect at the top with the steep terrain. The from the 1940s. This area is characterised as a buildings have the same colouring as the LM-staden and community of small buildings. are adapted to the smaller scale and character of the area.
Illustrative plan showing row house placement in the area. Photo: Realarchitektur URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING,The BUILDINGbuilding proportions, AND PLANNING facades and coloursCHAPTER are adapted 3 to47 the surrounding area called LM-staden. Photo: Felix Odell 48 CHAPTER 3 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
New parking garage creates meeting point
PITEÅ It also includes parking for bicycles and facilities for Piteå Municipality has an urban environment programme charging electrical cars. The builder is Piteå Municipality. under way for its city center. They are careful to ensure that all new additions have both architectonic quality and Stadsberget, however, is much more than just a parking contribute to the development of Piteå’s city life. When garage: it is also a new public space. The slope down the old parking deck, Löjan, came to the end of its useful from the “mountain” can serve as a tobogganing slope in life, the Municipality was therefore anxious to ensure that the winter, and the amphitheatre-like steps can be used as the new structure would be something more than a seating for different arrangements. In 2016, the traditional parking garage. The Municipality arranged an Municipality expects to finish off the project with the architect competition, and in December 2012, a winning addition of a roof. The top of the “mountain” will then be proposal was presented: “Pite dances and smiles” by a place to visit to enjoy a fine view or the evening sun, Henning Larsen Architects and White. The Stadsberget and where there is room for various activities. parking garage, which was inaugurated in summer 2015, The parking garage has a concrete frame with a facade of contains 230 parking spaces, distributed over five levels. louvres in larch wood of varying depths. The design
The steps served as bleachers at the inauguration of Stadsberget. Photo: Piteå Tidning Montage showing what Stadsberget might URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDINGlook AND like PLANNING during winter. Photo:CHAPTER White 3 49
produces a flexible, soft facade, while also ensuring that development low, in consideration of the light conditions the building is airy, as it is ventilated with natural and the small-scale cityscape that are typical for Piteå. In ventilation. The airiness combined with the lighting Piteå, the sun is very low in the sky during the winter, ensure that it feels safe to be in the parking garage. When which produces long shadows. Surfaces that do not it is dark out, the light wanders and sweeps over the receive sunlight become cold and unhospitable and are facade like the Northern Lights. unsuitable as squares or places that are supposed to encourage activity and invite people to “hang out”. The city blocks around the Stadsberget area are designed To enable the stakeholders to discuss the effect of tall to form a new urban hub. The old parking deck impeded buildings, a height analysis was carried out. the movement pattern of the city center but once it was torn down a route opened up toward the church. The new The Municipality expects to get under way with the parking garage only occupies half of the land surface creation of the detailed development plan in spring compared to the old deck, which creates room for a new 2016. The basic idea of the plan is to mix areas for city square. New places to hang out at are precisely what’s social interaction, flats and commercial and public requested by Piteå’s young people in particular. premises. The focus is on small flats that are suitable for the younger members of the population. When the Municipality was preparing to launch the The buildings are to be placed so that they frame planning programme for the adjacent blocks, they the square. arranged a workshop to gather potential suggestions for development. The Municipality, property owners and The challenge that the Municipality faces is to go from consultants were then assigned to evaluate the suggestions idea to completion, so that the Stadsberget hill and the in terms of three themes: connections, city life and square may create an exciting space that will appeal to function mix. The planning programme has now been many. Until then, Piteå plans to use the site for temporary adopted and in the consulting document, there is the arrangements. unanimous intention to keep the height of the future 50 LITERATURE URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING
Literature Read more at boverket.se and at PBL Kunskapsbanken. (In Swedish only)
Amcoff, J. (2015). Boverket. (2015). Rekordsnabb urbanisering av Sverige är en myt. Kunskapsbehov – stöd till regeringens arbete med Dagens nyheter, 15 June forskning och innovation. Karlskrona: Boverket Andersson, T. (2015). Boverket (2014) Förtätningen har sina gränser. Förslag till strategi för miljökvalitetsmålet Svenska Dagbladet, 21 July God bebyggd miljö. 2014:32. Karlskrona: Boverket Bengtsson, G. (2015). Ta till er av internationella exempel. Boverket (2013) Göteborgs-Posten, 7 April Planera för rörelse! – en vägleding om byggd miljö som stimulerar till fysisk aktivitet i vardagen. Bengtsson, G. (2015). Karlskrona: Boverket Göteborgs stadsplanering bygger på villfarelser. Göteborgs-Posten, 19 May Boverket (2012) Vision för Sverige 2025. Berg, P. (2015). Karlskrona: Boverket Fungerande täthet i framtidens städer. Tidningen Utemiljö, No. 2, Gröna fakta pp. 4-5 Boverket (2010). Mångfunktionella ytor. Klimatanpassning av befintlig Berghauser Pont, M. and Haupt, P. (2005). bebyggd miljö i städer och tätorter genom grönstruktur. The Spacemate – Density and the Typomorphology Karlskrona: Boverket of the Urban Fabric. Nordisk Arkitekturforskning, 2005 Boverket (2007). Bostadsnära natur: inspiration och vägledning. Björklid, P., Eliasson, J., Mellander, C. Karlskrona: Boverket and Ståhle, A. (2014). Bilen blir alltmer onödig i takt med urbaniseringen. Boverket (2004). Dagens Nyheter, 26 January Hållbar utveckling av städer och tätorter i Sverige – förslag till strategi. Karlskrona: Boverket Boverket (2015). Gör plats för barn och unga! Bradley, K. and Hagbert, P. (2015). En vägledning för planering, utformning och förvaltning Globala tillväxtekonomin är inte långsiktigt hållbar. av skolans och förskolans utemiljö. Göteborgs-Posten, 27 March Karlskrona: Boverket
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Bradley, K. and Hagbert, P. (2015). Ljung, S. (2014). Dags att syna idén om den täta hållbara staden. Din kommun kan utvecklas utan att växa! Göteborgs-Posten, 22 March Stadsbyggnad, No. 1 Georgsson, A. (2013). Malmö stadsbyggnadskontor. (2009). Stockholms förtätningsideal i strävan mot hållbar Provprojekt i Stadsförtätning. stadsutveckling. ByggaBoDialogen. Malmö stadsbyggnadskontor Stockholms universitet: Kulturgeografiska institutionen Mistra Urban Futures. (2013). Gustafsson, C. and Tidholm, P. (2015). Det urbana stationssamhället. Forsknings- Uppgiften om urbanisering passar vår självbild. och praktikeröversikt. Dagens nyheter, 16 June Rapport 2013:3 Guwallius, K. (2012). Behöver vi parker? Nuija, V. (2013). Movium Magasin, No. 3 Hur sker förtätning? En studie av detaljplaner i Norrköping. Uppsala universitet, Kulturgeografiska Hansen, M., Böhme, K., Jørgensen, J. and Ringö, S. institutionen (2004). Stadspolitik i Norden – Fallstudier kring Hållbar stadsomvandling – Förtätning med kvalitet. Palm, A. and Höstmad, P. (2015). Stockholm: Nordregio Högre täthet ger en gångtrafikvänlig stad. Göteborgs-Posten, 30 March Järfälla kommun (2015). Kajer mot det gröna – Handbok i stadsplanering. Palm, A. and Höstmad, P. (2015). Einarsson, T. (Ed.). Tät blandstad nyckeln till hållbar utveckling. Stockholm: Järfälla kommun Göteborgs-Posten, 26 March Kling, A. (2015). Region Skåne. (2013). Tätare Skåne. Förorten har rätt till goda offentliga rum. Region Skåne, Avdelningen för samhällsplanering Arkitekten, No. 4, p. 30 SCB (2013). Larsson, A. and Germundsson, L. (2012). Markanvändningen i Sverige. 6th edition Mål och metoder för hushållning med god jordbruksmark Stockholm: Statistiska centralbyrån inom kommunal planering. SOU 2015:59 (2015). LTJ-fakultetens faktablad 2012:8 En ny regional planering – ökad samordning Le Veau, E. (2012). och bättre bostadsförsörjning. Kan man få en hållbar stad genom förtätning? Bostadsplaneringskommittén. Stockholm: Fritzes En studie om förtätning i allmänhet och om Malmö stads syn på förtätning i synnerhet. Alnarp: Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU)
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Urban Density Done Right – Ideas on densification of cities and other communities
Building a city is like doing a puzzle and densifying the city is like finding the missing piece. But you have to pay attention since you cannot squeeze in just any piece at the site. The key is to choose the best — the one that really fits.
This publication was produced by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Buildning and Planning to provide examples of how densification can take place and to highlight some important things to think about.
The publication is available as a pdf on the web site. You can also order printed copies. This publication can be obtained in alternative formats, upon request.
Boverket 2017 Urban Density
Boverket Done Right Box 534, 371 23 Karlskrona Phone: +46 455 35 30 00 Ideas on densification of Website: www.boverket.se E-mail: [email protected] cities and other communities