Almost 6,000 new apartments, halved carbon emissions from newbuilds, reduced housing segregation and the development of new, thriving neighbourhoods. All combined with a stable economy. When the municipal company Älvstranden Utveckling sets its goals for the coming five-year period, it sets them high.
The municipal company Älvstranden Utveckling is tasked with implementing Vision Älvstaden, a vision for central Gothenburg anno 2035, developed in dialogue with the city’s inhabitants and adopted by the municipal council in the autumn of 2012.
Central Gothenburg – Lindholmen, Frihamnen, Central Station and surrounds, Ringön, Gullbergsvass and Södra Älvstranden – will see the development of 25,000 apartments and workplaces for 50,000 people over the next fifteen years. Älvstranden Utveckling is involved in this work together with other municipal departments and companies at the City of Gothenburg. The company is mainly focused on Frihamnen, Lindholmen and Södra Älvstranden, as well as Skeppsbron and Masthuggskajen.
Now, the company’s goals for the next five years have been established and presented in conjunction with the board of Älvstranden Utveckling adopting the business plan leading up to 2024.
“We’ve been working to develop a five-year plan for the company’s operations to ensure that, in the longer term, we can fulfil the challenging vision for Älvstaden. The goals are important for focusing our internal efforts into concrete terms, as well as in order to realise the vision,” says Sara Anderberg, Head of Strategic Business Management at Älvstranden Utveckling.
According to the business plan, the company is to achieve the volumes established for new homes and commercial premises in Älvstaden. This means that in the run-up to 2024, Älvstranden Utveckling will be involved in developing almost 6,000 apartments in Frihamnen, Lindholmen, Masthuggskajen and Skeppsbron. Moreover, this is to be achieved using a climate-smart approach, with greenhouse gas emissions to be halved measured over the lifetime of the block or building, from the production of raw materials to their reuse once they’ve served their purpose.
“We can’t make compromises with the climate. If we’re to remain credible in our climate efforts, we must set concrete and difficult, although not unattainable, goals. We should be able to half emissions,” says Lena Andersson, CEO of Älvstranden Utveckling.
In establishing the goals, Älvstranden Utveckling used Vision Älvstaden and the UN’s sustainable development goals from Agenda 2030. The company has selected four goals from the latter: Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action, and Partnerships for the Goals.
“Our operations are impacted by all the goals set out in Agenda 2030, but these goals are of particular relevance to our development work,” says Christine Olofsson, Sustainability Manager at Älvstranden Utveckling.
What’s more, the company’s five-year goals are not limited to a specific number of homes and a clear climate focus. They also encompass neighbourhoods with thriving street lives open to everyone, regardless of background or financial position. One important aspect of a socially sustainable city involves enabling more people to live in newly built areas, such as through new forms of home ownership that lower the financial thresholds.
Can these goals be combined with a balanced economy?
“There’s no contradiction between the climate and the economy, concrete work with sustainable urban development is both economic and ideal. The transition takes a real effort in the beginning but is rewarded in the longer term. We want future generations to enjoy the best possible conditions we can offer,” says Lena Andersson, CEO of Älvstranden Utveckling.
