Pressured planning work as new Gällivare takes shape

How do you work with a large establishment, dismantling and development of residential areas, to create new attractive living environments – while having to take into account a whole bunch of national interests? That is the challenge that the community planners at Gällivare Municipality are in the middle of.
“There is a little bit to chew on,” says Marcus Zetterqvist, head of the planning department.

Intensive planning work is underway in several of the county's municipalities. In Boden, Piteå, Luleå, Kiruna and Gällivare, plans for factories, housing, infrastructure, schools, sports halls and cultural centers must be completed quickly. In the North Sweden Green Deal project, participants from the municipalities exchange experiences and discuss challenges and new methods together.

The pace is a big challenge. In Gällivare, where the working group gathered at the end of November, new things are happening faster than the planning department can work.

– There are a lot of things happening, new projects popping up. How do we tie it all together? There is no point in us producing a plan that is out of date the day it is hammered out, says Marcus Zetterqvist when the working group meets in the Knowledge House in central Gällivare.

The Knowledge Center houses both upper secondary school, adult education and SFI. It was inaugurated in 2020. Photo: Kent Wingsund.

In Gällivare, work is under great pressure. While the establishment of Hybrit entails the need for planning for the facility, and a great need for an expanded housing stock, the dismantling of most of Malmberget is also underway. The homes that are being demolished are to be replaced with new homes.

– It's all about replacement housing. We're working aggressively to develop new areas, but everything is being taken up by replacement housing. It's not possible to build faster than you can dismantle it, says Zetterqvist.

Many national interests

In Gällivare, Hybrit will build its demonstration plants for fossil-free steel. The first part will be completed in 2026. Steel production at SSAB accounts for ten percent of Sweden's carbon dioxide emissions. In Norrbotten, 80 percent of the emissions come from SSAB. These are the ones that will be eliminated with Hybrit's new manufacturing method.

Vitåfors, where the plant is to be located, has previously been regulated as an area for the mining industry. This means quite generous regulations. Nevertheless, there is a lot to take into account when planning the steel factory, the hydrogen factory and the pipeline between them. The location is affected by a long series of so-called national interests.

National interests are a way for the state to influence and monitor interests of particular national importance within community planning. Here, conflicts of interest may arise that the municipality must somehow manage.

In Vitåfors there are:

• National cultural environment. Here is an old mining community that reflects different eras.
• National interest The Armed Forces. The area is a low-flying area.
• Reindeer husbandry is of national interest. Consultations are being held with the affected Sami villages.
• National interest in the natural environment

Orchids and swallows

– There are orchids and barn swallows that will be affected by the establishment. We are seeing if we can move the gas pipeline so as not to disturb the barn swallow colony, the same with the orchids. You would think that there shouldn't be such great natural values ​​in an industrial area, but there are, says Sofie Rynbäck, who is planning coordinator in Gällivare.

As if that weren't tricky enough, it requires a large power line and a large switchgear.

– It's a huge issue, there will be enormous power lines and a switchgear that may be 600x200 meters large. It's very difficult to solve within the framework of the detailed plan, says Sofie Rynbäck.

Sofie Rynbäck talks about all the challenges that come with the Hybrite establishment in Vitåfors, which will spread out much like in the picture. 

It is a gigantic puzzle that needs to be put together, consultations must be held and interests must be weighed against each other.

– Whatever we do, we have these challenges to deal with. Putting national interests against each other is difficult for the municipality. It would have been good if there was someone who could split the wind. These are national issues, I would say, says Marcus Zetterqvist.

Cozy Christmas feeling at Dundret

In parallel with the plans for Vitåfors and housing, a completely different major project is underway: to build the Dundret ski resort together with the city of Gällivare. The municipality purchased Dundret in 2019 and sees great development potential. A developed Dundret could increase Gällivare's attractiveness.

– Dundret is physically close to the community, but is perceived as far away. We will create a ski-in, ski-out route to the community, says Tobias Larsson, operations manager at Dundret.

There is buildable land available and can be developed. The plans include an extended slope that will open up opportunities for World Cup competitions in Super-G, a retail area, integrated ski rental, spa and playground. Work to complete the detailed plan is underway in collaboration with the contractors.

– What is important to us is not just skiing, we need excitement and atmosphere. We want the cozy feel, the feeling of constant Christmas market shopping in the area, lots of natural materials, a break in the roof and colors. Decoration, lighting, says Tobias Larsson.

Another person who works with spatial planning within the North Sweden Green Deal is Emma Lundqvist.

– Within the project, Boden Municipality is working to enable increased housing construction. We are also collaborating with Luleå Municipality to develop guidelines for sustainability in land allocations, she says about her work.

"Valuable opportunities"

At the meeting in Gällivare, Emma Lundqvist gave a brief status report on the work in Boden and the detailed planning processes there.

– I see that we have many common points of contact with Gällivare. It has been exciting to be able to take part in their work when it comes to housing supply and their community planning. The project gives us valuable opportunities to exchange experiences with other municipalities and in this way find collaborations and common issues to pursue together, she says.

Madelein Keskitalo participated from Kiruna. Among other things, issues surrounding the impact on the reindeer industry, but also contractor housing, were on the agenda.
– What does it look like, what effects does it have, how can we make it smarter going forward?, she says.

Madelein Keskitalo participates in the spatial planning work package on behalf of Kiruna. Photo: Pär Bäckström.

Johan Wirtala spoke about the work underway in Piteå. Flights have been made to map the community development processes. A travel habits survey for planning sustainable transport is underway. An action program for better air quality has been launched.

– Here we have brought in SMHI so that we can think correctly, says Johan Wirtala.

Time for external reconnaissance is scarce, but the project provides an opportunity to learn how others have done things in certain areas.

– There are a lot of new ideas coming for us, says Johan Wirtala about the collaboration in the North Sweden Green Deal.

Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa

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