Swedes move the city 3.2 kilometers

Kiruna is the northernmost city of Sweden, 145 km above the Arctic Circle. Twenty thousand people and so difficult to deal with the harsh climate of Lapland, and in recent years added another problem. The fact is that Kiruna gradually falls into the ground. In the literal sense of the word. This is due to the iron mines, because of which there are voids under the city. It is impossible to stop mining, because it is practically the only source of funds for the city and the place of work of the majority of residents.

According to experts, by 2050 most of the urban buildings will be underground, so the authorities of Kiruna made a bold decision to move the city three kilometers to the east . Together with all residents.

In 2004, knowing that the city was doomed, the state-owned mining company Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB announced a worldwide project competition for the relocation of the city. The competition won the project Kiruna 4 Ever from the company White Arkitekter AB.



The project provides for the complete transfer of three historic buildings, while the remaining 3000 houses, schools and hospitals will be rebuilt using materials from old buildings.



To date, the project has already spent more than half a billion dollars , and this amount will still grow at least twice, but within two decades, all residents will move into new homes.



Every resident received the right to choose. Either he receives from the company Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB a monetary compensation in the amount of 125% of the market value of his house, or he receives a new house for free. Residents should be satisfied, because the new houses are made according to modern projects , they are certainly more beautiful and more comfortable than the old ones.



The complete relocation of cities is not such a rarity, although they have never done such a show and did not hold an international competition of projects.

For example, a hundred years ago, residents of Hibbing in Minnesota (USA) moved their city three kilometers to the south, also because of unstable soil.



And during the construction of dams and the planning of reservoirs, the transfer of cities is generally commonplace. The residents of the Australian Tallangatta also moved to new places along with the houses .



Apparently, moving the city to another place is a good idea. In this way, you can immediately solve a lot of accumulated problems with infrastructure and roads, make a more compact and convenient urban center, design the entire city design, taking into account the needs and requirements of residents.

Would you like your city to be moved to another place?