Introduction

Hammary Sjöstad is a former brownfield in Stockholm now transformed into an exciting new district where the City has imposed tough environmental requirements on buildings, technical installations and the traffic environment, from day one.

Objectives and target audience

The main objective is to convert an old industrial and harbour area into a modern, sustainable neighbourhood.
The overall environmental goal is that the impact placed on the environment by emissions from Hammarby Sjöstad shall be a massive 50 % lower than the corresponding level for newly constructed housing areas dating from the early 1990s.  The project sets strict environmental standards on land usage, energy, water & sewage, waste, transportation and building materials.
In terms of energy, the main target is that by the time the site is fully built, residents will produce half the amount of energy they need.  This will be accomplished by e.g. reusing the heat from the purified waste water, and by utilising the energy from the combustible household waste which has been separated at source.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

This project has been financed by the ordinary planning budget.
The key partners involved in the project are: Stockholm City Administration, developers, proprietors and several public and private companies as for example: Fortum (power and heat company), Stockholm Water Company and the Stockholm Waste Management Administration.

Process

At Hammarby Sjöstad, the environmental programme was an integral element of the masterplan.  This clearly set out key objectives and requirements which had to be addressed at both the planning and implementation stages of the development.  By having clearly stated objectives from the outset, these requirements were already taken into account during the detailed design discussions between the plot developers, architects and city planning team.
The project team designed a local ecosystem known as “Hammarby Model” which shows how the relationship between sewage processing, energy provision and waste handling can be structured to deliver wider social and environmental benefits.

Results

This new city neighbourhood has delivered an attractive place to live and work and it has become a successful example of how new development can minimise their environmental impact and enhance its setting through careful planning, joined up thinking and strong leadership.  The project has already delivered homes for almost 10,000 people and will deliver 9,000 homes and 10,000 jobs by 2015.

In terms of energy use, different solutions for supplying energy have been tested in Hammarby Sjöstad; as for example: solar cells and panels for electricity supply and hot tap water, the installation of a fuel cell in GlashusEtt – the area’s Environmental Information Centre and biogas cookers for approximately 900 households.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Setting high environmental goals fundamentally contribute to a more sustainable and attractive living environment, while at the same time adding constraint to the planning process.  Key factors for successful planning and implementation include:
An institutional (municipal) involvement with a clear organisational set-up;
Visions and strategies around which consensus among stakeholders is achieved;
The establishment of incentives, catalysts, and trademarks to support development;
Access to land and appropriate planning tools;
Environmental considerations through the entire planning process.