Project

Cultivating city bazaars for a sustainable, employment-creating urban development

Cultivating city bazaars run innovation for sustainable urban development in Helsingborg, Landskrona and Stockholm. The unique cooperation has been developed by a consortium of cities, associations, academics as well as companies with the ambition of providing new, green workplaces and growing companies. The vision is about sustainable and integral neighborhoods through urban cultivation, which is a strong trend in large cities around the world.

For more information about the project’s partners, click here.

Pilot projects in Helsingborg, Landskrona and Stockholm

During fall 2017, vegetable crops will be erected by Helsingborg company Scandinavian Silver Eel and at Helsingborgs Bryggeri (Helsingborg’s brewery). Another cultivation pilot is being established by Nya Rågsveds Folkets Hus in Citycon’s city center property in Högdalen, in the south of Stockholm. In Landskrona, Serneke works for an innovative transformation of Fröfabriken and its nearby district.

Exciting test beds are made available to young innovation companies who have solutions for cultivation, green walls and property renewal.

Under 2018, the cultivating city bazaar project is to further develop and create new workplaces for people who are today far from the labor market. Interesting showrooms will be made available to customers, students and residents starting 1 November when both pilot facilities are in place.

The growing city bazaar in the middle of the metropolis aims to inspire and support the development of local markets for locally produced food and services. It will also provide climate-driven property owners with good investment models. The focus is on the future production, sustainability and industrial symbiosis of the city, which is being researched by KTH and SLU.

The project is supported by Vinnova’s program “Utmaningsdriven Innovation”together with 18 partners.

Questions and answers

Which global trend lies behind the project idea?

Behind the idea is a global trend aiming at running urban, climate-proof cultivation in vacant real estate and creating more living and sustainable neighborhoods.

What are the needs to be addressed?

• Lack of workplaces for low-skilled unemployed workforce
• Vacant real estate with untapped resources such as energy, water and waste
• The need for climate renewal and integration of outlying areas

What is innovative with the project?

• A unique cooperation between municipalities, social enterprises, property owners, labor market authorities, food producers and technology companies
• Innovative technology is used and promoted in open test beds

What are the three most important initiatives nationally and internationally in that space?

In Sweden

• Workplace project Stadsbruket in Gothenburg and Malmö
• Real estate development projects at Vasakronan, AMFastigheter, and many others

In the world

• Cultivation and incubator company The Plant in Chicago
• Rooftop cultivating space Godham City (NY)
• City cultivation in abandoned factories in the Netherlands
• Urban cultivating projects in real estate properties in Japan

Which long-term benefits does the project create?

• New jobs and companies are established.
• Property owners can adapt and add value to older properties.
• Rest energy and water in real estate are used.