Visions in the North

“Visioner i norr” is part of the EU initiative New European Bauhaus, whose aim is to create more beautiful, more sustainable, and more inclusive built environments.

Because of the regions ongoing industrial transformation as part of the green transition a committee of six local authorities was formed as part of the community of sustainable cities. This community formed the following overarching questions that “visioner i norr” sought to answer: what does the green transition mean for the region’s residents, culture, and places? And what narrative will these developments generate?

The result of the sketch process was the following vision:
We challenge Umea to pause and reflect and be radical enough to formulate qualitative goals instead of quantitative goals. Take the opportunity to create a unique and attractive Umea where citizens can develop together in new and unexpected ways and with heart! We challenge Umea to develop resiliently whilst being influenced by the city’s existing DNA. This DNA is marked by trust between residents and a strong civil society. More concretely we see that future Umea densifies instead of eating into surrounding forest and farmland. Using urban qualities and cultural qualities, we can recreate an urbanity and develop with residents in focus.