Do it all again!

The new plan for Slussen is a true evidence of the fact that city planning is not intrinsically consulting firms' business. The pen is trembling in planner's hand with each single stroke on the paper in fear of harsh criticism from high-ranked decision-making authorities and public now and then.

Social Democrats are not satisfied with the proposal for new Slussen and this means that the construction will be postponed again. SD is looking for a more functional and spectacular Slussen. So many stairs will cause problems for handicaps and women with baby strollers commuting between Gamla Stan and Södermalm, they assume. They also think that there is too much room for motor traffic in current proposal considering the vision for a car-free Gamla Stan. SD will therefore ask the City Planning Board not to approve the proposal. Christian Democrats condemn SD's decision for being irresponsible regarding the delay it will cause also for speaking out so late just a couple of months before decision making.

Social Democrats put forth three major arguments for their opposition to Nya Slussen:

• Existing serene skyline will be obstructed by new additions.
• Future underground transportation route to Nacka is not taken into account.
• There is too much room for car in current plan.

Nevertheless, the problem with the 3-year delay in the project required for planning a new solution is how to cope with threatening rise in Mälaren lake's level of water. In current plan, a new water-circulation system has been devised to transfer greater amounts of water from Mälaren to the Baltic Sea ...

The thing is that planning is all a matter of prioritizing. This does not entail that an urban plan can by no means be functional, visually appealing, economical, eco-friendly and collaborative at the same time; but that the necessity for making sacrifices on some aspects in favor of some gains somewhere else should always be perceived when judging final outcome of an urban planning procedure.

Source:
http://www.dn.se/sthlm/s-domer-ut-slussenforslaget
http://www.dn.se/sthlm/s-far-inget-medhall-om-slussenforslaget

A much more adorable "lock" for the city

This maybe sounds absurd, but now I feel responsible for communicating final updates on Slussen's re-organization and reconstruction project after keeping an eye on and relating the news around it over such a long time here and in my FB profile! The approved plan is on exhibition for public at Peter Myndes Backe 3 (http://www.stockholm.se/slussen). Followed comes a summary of various elements of the new plan to replace existing perplexed structure present there since 1930's:

• a new park east of Katarinahissen with a panoramic view to Saltsjön and Skeppsholmen
• Slusstorget: a piazza in the middle plus two rectangular pools, cafés, places for sunbathing and sunshading, ...
• a comulative terminal for busses, metro and local trains for ease of change among transportation modes for commuters
• Södermalmstorg: a place for meeting and experiment
• buildings with transparent façades for utmost visual communication of inner and outer rooms and continuity of space
• two low office buildings in front of existing ones (Glashusen and KF-huset)
• project start: 2013, estimated inauguration time: 2020

Other ongoing or approved large-scale urban projects in Stockholm are as followed:

• Citybannan: a 6-km underground tunnel with stations at Odenplan and T Centeralen
• Stockholm by-pass: a 21-km motorway (18 km under the ground) linking north and south of the city with a 15-minute travel time
• Norra Djurgårdsstaden: a new energy-efficient world-class district with 10000 residential and 30000 office units
• Hagastaden: a new district to be located between Stockholm and Solna including a new university hospital, Nya Karolinska Solna

Sources: 
http://www.netcommunity.se/201105174249/BYGG/BIM/Artiklar/stockholm-ritar-om-ny-modell-av-slussenomradet-visar-framtiden-4249/menu-id-472
http://www.stockholm.se/Fristaende-webbplatser/Fackforvaltningssajter/Exploateringskontoret/NyaSlussen/Utstallning-om-framtidens-Slussen/
http://www.trafikverket.se/forbifartstockholm

Slussen

Slussen - Proposal by Foster & partners

Tuesday 12th April, the three alternatives for the future of Slussen were displayed in an exhibition at Hilton Hotel. In less than two months, there will be another exhibition and proposals will be consecutively put to public opinion by the city of Stockholm. These three are the municipality's proposal (Nya Slussen), restoration of existing structure and a third proposal Knutpunkt Slussen.   

Knutpunkt Slussen

Slussen is agreed upon almost by everyone as a problematic example of urban design. A variety of transportation modes (car, metro, bus, bicycles, passengers, etc.) have been placed together in a limited area where at the at the same time, the lock between Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren separates islands of Södermalm and Gamlastan in central Stockholm.

Reshaping of Slussen has been under discussion since 1970s and a master plan by Foster & Partners was approved by the city of Stockholm following a competition. The main emphasis of the design was separation of motor vehicles and passengers and increasing the overall height so as to compensate the excess of water level and eliminate future risks.
  

Among existing alternatives, Knutpunkt Slussen is quite radical and suggests digging all motorways and railroads down into the ground and freeing up the space for a central park and new construction. Hot debates are going on and deteriorated physical structure of Slussen urges for a resolute action.

Sources:

Wikipedia

http://www.dn.se/sthlm/slussen-under-park-i-nytt-motforslag

http://www.yimby.se/2009/04/foster-partners-och-berg-_726.html

http://knutpunktslussen.se/filer/file/Slussen%20inbjudan%20mail1.pdf