Re-think Ystad

Project idea

Design site is located in the city of Ystad, south of Sweden.
The water front of the city is dominated by a harbour area, which has been an important economical driver of the city. In recent years some parts of the area has been cleared and the city now has a possibility to connect its centre to the water again. The task is to develope an integrated and sustainable part of the city for the future.

Project description

The economic basis for Ystad's laying of the cornerstone in the 11th century was fishing. The industrial structures date back to the middle of the 20th century. They were part of the storage and utilization cycle of the productive agriculture in the surroundings of Ystad.
Considering global change processes and challenges, the concept envisages a re-programming of the existing structures in order to establish them as drivers for the new port development. The program is based on the history of food production and interprets it in a future-oriented way. The stressed ecosystems of water and soil in the periphery are protected and recultivated by new urban food production in the port. Future urban sprawl is counteracted by a dense building structure. A Research Centre is established, which is linked to the existing research network at regional and international level. (University Lund & Malmö, Baltic Seafood Association, local schools). The residential areas and the new ferry terminal are also part of this new metabolic loop. The existing structures are used as anchor points for the new development.
The new district is interwoven with the existing city on a physical and metabolic level. The zone around the existing railway line will be transformed into a connecting axis that complements the existing (public) urban elements with a new open space structure and the Visitor Centre. On the metabolic level, the new area is connected with the existing city and its inhabitants via food production, energy supply, waste recycling and knowledge production. Consequently, there will be a new understanding and awareness of global and local challenges. This is also manifested in the way flood protection is handled. A height-adaptable open space structure, which adapts to the sea level, functions as temporary flood protection. In this way, the change in sea level and its effects can be experienced and perceived spatially at the local level. The Rethink Ystad concept thus tries to raise the residents' awareness of the consequences of their daily actions and to create new responsibilities.

Technical information

Challenges: unused harbour infrastructure (silo, port, mobility infrastructure)
sea level rise; 500 - 2000 housing units are necessary to ensure financial feasibility for the government.