The Hammarby Sjöstad Ecocycle

The goal for Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm, Sweden, was to halve the overall environmental impact compared with if the area had been built in the early 1990s. The goal was not fully attained. But thanks to the ambitious target and integrated planning, this lakeside town has set an international example.

In 1998 the City of Stockholm obtained grants from the local investment programme (LIP) for a number of projects that would demonstrate new technology in sustainable construction and housing in Hammarby Sjöstad. The grant covered a small part of the total cost of the new town. But it played an important role in the outcome, as the parties involved were highly cost-sensitive with regard to environmental investments. Positive environmental and economic impacts Hammarby Sjöstad has shown that an urban district can be built with a far lower environmental impact than usual. Specific differences are: • The environmental impact is 30–40 per cent lower than for a typical 1990s district. • Car use is 14 per cent lower than in comparable districts of Stockholm. • Daily water use is 150 l per person, compared with 200 l per person in the rest of Stockholm. • When the lakeside town is completed it will produce half its own energy.