Art meets architecture: fusing Stockholm’s cultural heritage

The Purpose
The City is continually working to embed cultural heritage as part of current and future development. The purpose is to view culture and cultural heritage as the starting point for all urban design and planning activities and to recognise cultural heritage as a resource for urban development. This initiative aims to promote the integration of cultural values into development projects.

The Challenge

One significant challenge for the project is ensuring effective cooperation and communication between Stockholm’s City departments of Culture, Planning, and the City’s Development Office. These departments have different functions, objectives, and expertise; successful integration of cultural values into urban development projects requires seamless collaboration.

The initiative aligns with the Stockholm City Plan, Sweden’s national policy for the Designed Living Environment, Agenda 2030, and their participation in the New European Bauhaus.

The Solution
The City’s Culture Department serves as the expert on cultural landscape and heritage and is a referral body in city planning projects. The approach involves creating testbeds that proactively identify places or heritage sites that can be activated and developed with cultural values as the starting point. The new initiative adopts an integrated view of sustainability, encompassing environmental, social, economic and cultural factors.

The Impact
The initiative aligns with the Stockholm City Plan, Sweden’s national policy for the Designed Living Environment, Agenda 2030, and their participation in the New European Bauhaus. All of these initiatives and policies emphasise the importance of preserving, using, and developing a diverse cultural environment. Cultural heritage is integrated into urban development, creating more sustainable and culturally rich urban environments.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Images Courtesy © City of Stockholm