Social Ecological Urbanism Design Studio 2021. Volume 2. Mölndal. by Spatial Morphology Group

SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL URBANISM 2021 FINAL REPORT I VOL.2 I MÖLNDAL

Colophon

Chalmers University of Technology Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering Social Ecological Urbanism Studio 2021

Course coordinator: Ioanna Stavroulaki Examiners:

Design studio ARK 142 Meta Berghauser Pont Tutors: Studio participants (Mölndal groups): Requel Domingues Gry Hauge Pauline Lambert Evelyn Lindfors Sofia Löfgren Katarina Karlkvist Josefin Nyman Vanessa Sauerborn Oleg Sokolovskiy

Lars Marcus Ioanna Stavroulaki Meta Berghauser Pont Guest lecturers: Martin Allik, Mareld Landscape architects Johan Colding, Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics Job van Eldijk, Chalmers/Rambol Alexander Gösta, Liljewall Åsa Gren, Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics Oskar Kindvall, Calluna Anna-Johanna Klasander, White Ann Legeby, KTH Lukas Memborn, Gothenburg municipality Eva Minoura, Sveriges Arkitekten Martin Nordahl, Okidoki Guest critics: Anna Olsson, Gothenburg municipality Anna-Johanna Klasander, Chalmers/White Julia Halldin, Mölndal municipality Evgeniya Bobkova, Chalmers

Contents

Introduction Group 1 Breaching barriers

5 Group 2 In-between

General Context Problem Definition, Vision and Goals Masterplan Connected Network Green Structure Human Scale Analyses for Comparison

8 10 12 14 18 24 32

Key Projects

Green Transition (Pauline Lambert) An Urban Green Connection (Sofia Löfgren) Åparken (Katarina Karlkvist) Reawaken the Narrative (Evelyn Lindfors) Green Typologies (Josefin Nyman)

36 46 56 68 78

General context Masterplan Strategies Street network Land use Green structure Urban street life Key projects

90 92 94 96 98 104 110 114 118

Key projects Along the edge (Oleg Sokolovskiy) Liminal space (Requel Domingues) Along a lane (Vanessa Sauerborn) Urban qualities in a suburban area (Gry Hauge)

120 132 144 156

Central station

Area 2. Mölndal

Korsvägen

Tram 2/4 Linneplatsen

Chalmers

Delsjön

Bus 25/753

Safjället

Stensjön Mölndal station

Some focus areas Nature areas Water body Walk along the bus route Interesting pedestrian link

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Mölndal

INTRODUCTION

Current global urbanization processes put acute stress on urban and ecological systems. The challenge is not only how to accomplish this, but also to determine which qualities we want to see emerge, which puts unprecedented expectations on urban planning and design and brings knowledge demands that these practices are not always well prepared for. This book presents the results of the Design Studio 2021 where students, in teams, developed five Masterplans for two areas in Gothenburg. Two areas are selected for the development of Masterplans. The first north of the river starting where the new bridge lands and links the city centre to Brunnsbo, Backa and Kärra. The second location is south of the river linking the city centre to Mölndal. The challenge addressed this year was to transform these disconnected and less dense areas into more vital and connected places, where besides socio-economic performance, ecological performance is also in focus. Social Ecological Urbanism Design Studio The main goal of the Design Studio is to strengthen students’ understanding of how urban form provides a framework and creates conditions for social and environmental processes. Theories and methods in analytical Urban Morphology, especially network analysis (Space Syntax) and density analysis (Spacematrix), are used to arrive at what can be called an evidence-based-design methodology. The studio is organised around a sequence of workshops, laboratories in GIS, lectures, literature sem-

inars and a design studio. Workshops give room for experiments, lectures transfer knowledge and offer inspiration, laboratories in GIS gave the technical knowhow to conduct advanced spatial analysis, literature seminars deepened the understanding and critical reading of theories and methods, which is synthesised on the Masterplans and key-projects. This year, the studio focused on both socio-economic and ecological sustainability. For this purpose, it is crucial to understand how urban form impacts people’s movement patterns and creates different arenas for people to meet, from local squares where it is more expected to meet your neighbours, to places with a strategic role in the city’s communication and where you can meet people from all neighbourhoods of Gothenburg. To be able to foresee movement flows and co-presence patterns is key to urban design and planning, as it is the driver for other economic activities, such as the development of local markets, but also for the development of social infrastructure, such as service from schools to public transport. To also address ecological processes, the green and blue infrastructure is discussed through the lens of urban ecosystem services, including both cultural services (e.g. recreational, therapeutic) as well as supporting and regulating services (e.g. pollination, biodiversity). Masterplan (group work) During the first seven weeks of the studio, five Masterplans were developed for two areas located in what is defined as the intermediate city in Gothenburg’s Development Strategy (2014) with potentials for densification. The objective in Gothen-

burg’s Development Strategy is to add 45 000–55 000 new housing within the entire intermediate city, which asked for a proposal that allows for such densification and at the same time improves social-ecological sustainability. We challenged the students to especially take into account the ambitions in the Transport Strategy of Gothenburg (2014) to supplementing the current radial infrastructure with cross-connections in what we can call a network city. This also includes its linkage to the Mölndal and developments here. This will relieve the inner city of Gothenburg, strengthen the qualities of Mölndal, reduce the vulnerability of the system and contribute to greater equality between city districts as well as to increased possibilities for integration of the city’s parts into one whole. Urban design project (individual key-project) During the second half of the studio, individual key-projects were developed. A specific objective for these projects is that they should, in a convincing way, demonstrate that they help realise the visions set out in the Masterplan. Furthermore, the iterative character of design is emphasized, where students test different design solutions, evaluate these using the analytical tools and adapt the design proposal for the plan to support the aimed for directions in the masterplan. Through the workshops and lectures, students are supported to arrive at a solution that supports the social, economic and environmental goals, though the careful design of streets, green and blue infrastructure, building types and public-private interfaces.

GROUP 1 BREACHING BARRIERS

General Context Problem Definition, Vision and Goals Masterplan Connected Network Green Structure Human Scale Analyses for Comparison Key Projects Green Transition An Urban Green Connection ° parken A Reawaken the Narrative Green Typologies

Pauline Lambert Sofia Löfgren Katarina Karlkvist Evelyn Lindfors Josefin Nyman

GENERAL CONTEXT

Mölndal is a municipality located adjacent to Gothenburg. Over time the city of Gothenburg and the central parts of Mölndal city have slowly grown together. Historically they have been connected mainly by Mölndalsån and industrial functions along it, but today the connection consists of residential buildings, offices, local squares, tram lines and other important city functions. Infrastructure The highway and railway run north-south straight through Mölndal and Gothenburg. They are accompanied by Mölndalsån, creating a strong barrier (as seen in the map to the right and in the Connected Network – Problem Definition section) which divides both cities into east and west sides. In Mölndal there are currently only four bridges and one tunnel available to cross the barrier and reach the central parts of Mölndal. These connections are placed far apart and while they are making it possible to cross the barrier they do not bridge the east-west divide of the city well enough to make it function cohesively. Large parts of the infrastructure in Mölndal is very car-centered. Much of the city expansions surrounding Mölndal center were done during the mid and late 1900’s, when the car dependency was the norm and the planning was based on it. As a pedestrian in Mölndal one therefore does not have the best preconditions to have a pleasant experience when traveling in the city.

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Green structure Mölndal is surrounded by four large natural forest areas seen in the map to the right: Sandsjöbacka, Änggårdsbergen, Safjället and the area around Delsjön. These patches of land are protected, but the original reason for not exploiting these lands is that all four of them are very hilly. For the same reason, it is difficult to access these natural areas and there are only a few points of entry connected to Mölndal city. Apart from the natural areas, there are some city green, mainly constituted by the city park near Mölndal station. The masterplan in relation to its context The interventions in this project proposal do not change the way Mölndal relates to its surrounding context (Gothenburg and other towns to the east and south). It does not change how you travel to and from Mölndal on a larger scale (Network betweenness 15k), and it is not meant to do so. Instead this proposal focuses on local interventions, improving the conditions within Mölndal, building on and enhancing the existing qualities, such as the big natural areas and its cultural heritage, which are unfortunately often overlooked today.

Breaching Barriers

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Network Betweenness Motorised network 15k 1:10000

Delsjö area Safjället Änggårdsbergen

Sandsjöbacka

Legend Major connection Connection

Masterplan

BARRIERS

PROBLEM DEFINITION, VISION AND GOALS

UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY

PROBLEM

CAR DEPENDENCY

Problems

BARRIERS

Mölndal city is surrounded by barriers in the form of topograPROBLEM phy and the car-focused street network such as the highway E6 PROBLEM and Söderleden. The barriers create a discontinuity between neighbourhoods and between east and west Mölndal and the car dependency make some of the areas inhospitable for pedestrians and cyclists. Mölndal has a large amount of green areas, but the topography around Sandsjöbacka, Safjället, Änggårdsbergen and the area around Delsjön makes it hard to access without entry points. Currently, there are very few entry points to these natural areas.

BARRIERS

UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY INACCESSIBLE UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY

GREENERY

CAR DEPENDENCY CAR DEPENDENCY

CAR DEPENDENCY ADD MORE CONNECTIONS TO REDUCE BARRIER IMPACT

GOAL FORMULATION

TOPIC

Vision and goals

ADD MORE CONNECTIONS TO ADD MORE REDUCE BARRIER CONNECTIONS TO IMPACT REDUCE BARRIER IMPACT

The approach of the proposal is to overcome these issues and GOAL FORMULATION GOAL highway, create more connections between areas and over the FORMULATION TOPIC to improve and extend access to the greenery and to make TOPIC Mölndal more pedestrian and cyclist friendly. With a successful approach, traveling to, and in, Mölndal could be more comfortable from a pedestrian point of view. Reducing car dependency decreases pollution and noise and creates a more pleasant environment, which can increase social interaction between people on the streets. The reduction of car dependency can also mean more space for greenery and increased biodiversity. Different species can more easily and safely move from one place to another through and by the help of the city landscape. Greenery also has a beneficial impact on the human health and improves air quality.

NETWORK

DEVELOP AFFORDANCES FOR DEVELOP PEDESTRIANS AFFORDANCES FOR AND CYCLISTS PEDESTRIANS

AND CYCLISTS

CONNECTED NETWORK

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DEVELOP IMPROVE ACCESS TO AN EXTENDED, IMPROVE ACCESS TOAFFORDANCES FOR PEDESTRIANS STRATEGIC GREEN AN EXTENDED, NETWORK STRATEGIC GREEN AND CYCLISTS

GREEN STRUCTURE

HUMAN SCALE

Breaching Barriers

2 3

Barriers (Mölndalsvägen, Mölndalsån, Highway E6, train tracks, road)

Topography

Pedestrians are not prioritized in the urban form

Topography. View from the green area Safjället south over Mölndal

Car dependency, uprioritized pedestrians, topography

Barriers (Mölndalsvägen, Mölndalsån)

MASTERPLAN | Summary

The vision for the area has been translated into a masterplan, which consists of all the proposed interventions and the new vision for Mölndal. It establishes the street hierarchy and their functions, the new densification areas, and the green strategy with new green areas, streets, ecoducts and entrances. The proposal for the masterplan is based on a number of analyses of centrality, betweenness and accessibility which guided the decisions. Connected network The hierarchy and type of street correspond to the global context, in the sense that the connection to Gothenburg and Frölunda are kept as they are, and to the local context, paying attention to what it connects to and what lies in the area, for example the proximity to local markets, greenery or public transport. The masterplan means to create a city that promotes the human-scale with streets that focus on the liveability and walkability in Mölndal. Connectivity and accessibility to diverse pedestrian oriented services and uses are qualities that increase liveability in the streets, and can support both the social and economical functions of the street (Stravroulaki, Berghauser Pont, 2020).

the microclimate, for example reducing air-pollution and supporting urban floras and faunas (“Stravroulaki, Berghauser Pont, 2020”). That also gives cause to the proposed ecoducts over the highway and Söderleden, to promote different species moveability between bigger forests around Mölndal. Human scale The masterplan aims to preserve residential areas, existing functions, and buildings with specific cultural and historical value in large, but some areas have the potential to be further developed and the buildings that were removed were judged to be less important or in a poor state. The densification areas are an attempt to breach barriers in areas that are industry strongholds and that are very car dependent, but also in inbetween spaces that could help connect neighbourhoods and bring more life to the area.

Green structure Based on observations and analyses of the green areas and their poor accessibility, a number of new parks and entrances were introduced in the masterplan. To make Mölndal feel more like a green city and to connect green areas to each other to promote movement of different species, green streets were also proposed. Greenery is not only important for the street due to increased liveability, but it also acts as a necessary element and as a carrier of the ecological function with great impact on

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1000 m

Legend Main street Secondary street Pedestrian street Highway Railway Network Green street Active bottom floor Public transport Current public transport stop New public transport stop Current green area New green area Current green entrance New green entrance Ecoduct Water Current Residential New Residential Current Public function New Public function Current Commercial/Office New Commercial/Office Current Industrial Current Complementary A B C D

2-3 floors 4-5 floors 6-7 floors 8-9 floors 10-30% GSI 30-50% GSI 50%-70% GSI approx. 9 000 new dwellings

Masterplan

CONNECTED NETWORK | Problem definition

The first topic is Connected Network, where the aim is to create a locally integrated and well connected network in Mölndal. The main barriers disconnecting the network are marked in the problem map. The eastern barrier is formed by the highway, railway and other roads, which together divide west and east of Mölndal since there are few connectors over them. In general, the network is car-focused routes with very few opportunities for pedestrians to cross. Another preeminent example of this is Bifrostgatan, marked as the western barrier, that currently is traffic separated. This road has a high integration and betweenness for the non-motorised network, as seen in the maps below. It also has high values for the motorised network. It itself is very car centered, with only a few crossings for pedestrians. The mentioned barriers are strong global connections. Infrastructures like railways and highways have an important role in the larger scale, but they also have an impact in the 0

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local scale where they are perceived as obstacles. Barriers of this kind can affect the social life, health and accessibility to work and services negatively (Van Eldijk, 2020). The networks are in many different neighbouroods disconnected from each other, which creates a segregated structure within the city. There is potential for making use of and strengthening existing, strong and highly integrated local connections around the neighbourhoods to better connect the city in general. The angular integration map below shows that both the barriers marked form a clear boarder where the red, orange and yellow values turn into mainly green and yellow values, spatially separating the city core from its surroundings. The betweenness map also tells the same story. The roads crossing these barriers all have high values, meaning there is a larger pressure on these connections for traveling through the city.

2000 m

Legend Angular Integration 25-252 252-366 366-471 471-578 578-710 710-878 878-1114 Network Betweenness 0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653

CURRENT Angular Integration 2k - Active Streets

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

CURRENT Network Betweenness 2k - Well Travelled Streets

Breaching Barriers

200

1000 m

PROBLEM DEFINITION MAP showing the main barriers throughout the area and the current network betweenness, which is not creating a coherent network.

Betweenness Legend Barriers Lack of connection

Network Betweenness 0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653

Masterplan

CONNECTED NETWORK | Proposal

To create a connected network the strategy is to add more connections to reduce barrier impact. To bridge the east-west divide the proposal is to add three bridges for soft mobilities over the highway. Two ecoducts are also added and the northern ecoduct can also be used by pedestrians.

The new connections and network creates overall higher integration in Mölndal city. The high centrality in the center of Mölndal spreads over the highway to the east side, which makes the city more integrated. The bridges highlighted with a high betweenness in the proposal are connected to the new densification areas in the masterplan.

Some of the larger roads are transformed from transport streets to streets with a city character, with more opportunities for crossings. In the proposal, Bifrostgatan is transformed to one main street, instead of the previous motorised traffic separation. The new connections added stitch together the street network between different neighbourhoods.

The streets with high integration and betweenness values create opportunities for lively streets, not only along the neighbourhoods but seeping into the neighbourhoods, integrating them with each other. These changes, with increased integration, further create opportunities for increased non-motorized travel, and thus more liveliness in the central streets.

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2000 m

Legend Angular Integration 25-252 252-366 366-471 471-578 578-710 710-878 878-1114 Network Betweenness 0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653

PROPOSAL Angular Integration 2k - Active Streets

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

PROPOSAL Network Betweenness 2k - Well Travelled Streets

Breaching Barriers

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1000 m

VISION PROPOSAL MAP showing the main changes in the network and the two added ecoducts over the major roads.

Legend New connection New network Ecoduct

Masterplan

GREEN STRUCTURE | Problem definition

Inaccessible natural reserves

Disconnected green structure

The greenery in Mölndal mainly consists of the large forest areas Sandsjöbacka in the south, Ängårdsbergen in the west, Safjället and the area around Delsjön in the east. However, these areas are hard to access due to the steep topography which also results in few entrances to these rich natural areas. Another complicating factor is the local and global infrastructure in the valleys, dividing these natural areas into islands, making it hard for wildlife – and people – to travel between them.

To combat the disconnection of the green network and the lack of public urban green spaces, as well as the uniformity of said green spaces, a multitude of strategies need to be applied. On the scale of a masterplan, however, the focus lies on creating the large scale changes such as adding connections and new green spaces, which will be detailed on the following pages.

Lack of urban greenery Apart from these big forest areas, there is a city park in Mölndal center but otherwise large parts of the urban greenery are private and inaccessible. The type of greenery within the city is also not very diverse, mainly being cut grass with trees.

Housing

Pavement Parking

Local street

Parking

Grass

Main street

Grass

Local street Pavement

School

CURRENT Section of Toltorpsgatan 1:1500

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

200

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PROBLEM DEFINITION MAP showing the steep topography around the edges of the four big natural areas and the location of the current green entrances,

Legend Green entrances Barrier Green area Water

Masterplan

GREEN STRUCTURE | Proposal

The aim of the green strategy is to improve access to an extended, strategic, green network, which is achieved using three types of interventions: Ecoducts, green street typologies and new parks and green entrances. Two new ecoducts Starting with the big scale and the overall structure, the masterplan aims to bridge the disconnection between the four big natural areas: Sandsjöbacka, Ängårdsbergen, Safjället and the area around Delsjön in the east. Änggårdsbergen and Safjället are already somewhat connected, going through a smaller green area in Toltorpsdalen. The aim is to strengthen this connection by connecting the gaps with new greenery, adding entrances and paths for humans to travel between Änggårdsbergen and Safjället, as well as creating a new, strong connection along Bifrostgatan and the new park along it. Green street typologies A big change in the green network is the introduction of the green street typologies, which will be further described in the section on Human Scale. Briefly, the masterplan proposes implementation of three different green street typologies

Housing

Pavement Parking

Local street

Linear park

throughout the area. In each typology, the green function of the corridor that the street constitutes is emphasized. The street has an important function to bring green into the city, not only for human health reasons and human liking, but also to facilitate important ecological functions such as regulating the micro climate, reducing air pollution from traffic and providing habitats for urban flora and fauna (Stravroulaki, Berghauser Pont, 2020). New parks and green entrances In this category the additions consist of adding new entrances to existing green areas as well as adding new public green areas in the urban environment. The ecoducts, the green streets as well as added entrances to existing green and new parks are improving the connectivity between the green areas, creating a strong green network. It is now possible to travel from one nature reserve to another without ever leaving the green environment. All the additions made are providing people and different species with alternative green routes for moving in the city, enabling people and animals to go through green to reach green. These interventions make it possible to walk or cycle in the city and always have a certain relation to green, whether this relation is physical or visual.

Main street

Vegetation

Local street

Pavement

School

PROPOSAL Section of Toltorpsgatan 1:1500

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VISION PROPOSAL MAP showing the main changes in the green structure: the two new ecoducts, the green street typologies and the new public parks. The arrows are showing how the new green network connects the large natural areas.

Legend Green street Ecoduct New green area/park Current green area/park New green entrance Current green entrance Connection Water

Masterplan

GREEN STRUCTURE | Analyses

Land Cover The maps below show the before and after land cover division. In the current situation it is clear that the nature reserves have more diverse green compared to the city centre, where most of the cover is vegetated open land. The majority of the vegetated open land within the city is private gardens and courtyards whereas the public parks constitutes a smaller area. The private green is not accessible to the public, but plays an important role in the ecological network as part of a cohesive green network with different habitats. The non-public green also holds social values and health benefits through its visibility.

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The new green additions aim to bring more diversity within the urban scape to strengthen social and ecological values. This is shown by a larger variation of colours in the city. For example, are the green streets highlighted in the proposal. The arable land between Mölndal and Eklanda is kept, due to its high cultural, historical and recreational values, but an ecological corridor is added next to it, crossing over the ecoduct. In the city, the previous parking lots along Bifrostgatan and the areas along Mölndalsån have become new city parks with qualities for both humans and animals.

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Legend Arable Land Vegetated open land Deciduous/Berries trees Pine Forest Deciduous hardwood forest Mixed forest Water CURRENT Land Cover - ecological habitats

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

PROPOSAL Land Cover - ecological habitats

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2000 m

ATTRACTION REACH to green entrances shows that by adding new entrances to existing green areas as well as adding new green areas in the city the number of green areas that are reachable within 500 m increases to over three for almost all of the central city.

Legend >5 3-5 0-3 0-0 Densification area CURRENT Attraction Reach to green entrances within 500 m walking

PROPOSAL Attraction Reach to green entrances within 500 m walking

ATTRACTION BETWEENNESS for green entrances shows the streets that are most used when traveling between green areas. The proposal map shows that the most used streets to travel between green areas are the green streets, which strengthens the cohesiveness of the green network.

Legend 0-2330 2330-7312 7312-15475 15475-26306 Green areas CURRENT Attraction Betweenness green entrances - Social Green

Masterplan

PROPOSAL Attraction Betweenness green entrances - Social Green

HUMAN SCALE | Problem definition

The third topic the masterplan proposal focuses on is the human scale. A conclusion from visiting and analysing the site was that very little space was given to pedestrians and cyclists and that the space that was actually available for them was not very pleasant to use. Three main problems have been identified.

clists. This element emphasises once more the importance of motorised transport modes in the current structure and shows a lack of sustainable thinking in the planning of the network.

Car dependency

Finally, many plots located along main streets are currently not human-scale friendly. This means that these areas are used for parking lots or industrial use. They do not constitute safe and pleasant environments to walk or cycle by.

Scale of the built environment

The network as it is today is not well-adapted for slow mobilities such as walking and cycling, quite the opposite. Most of the network is characterised by car dependency, meaning that most of the street space is dedicated to motorised traffic. This represents a problem when considering how cities should evolve and shift from car mobility to slow mobility in order to become more sustainable.

In the vision, which will be presented in the following pages, the focus will be put on these three main issues in order to plan and design for safer and more enjoyable surroundings, as well as for encouraging people to walk and cycle more when moving in the city.

Eastern-western disconnect Secondly, very few paths connecting western and eastern sides of Mölndal are actually adapted for pedestrians and cy-

Housing

Parking

Local street

Grass

Road

Parking

Local street

CURRENT Section Bifrostgatan 1:2000

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Breaching Barriers

Housing

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PROBLEM DEFINITION MAP showing the areas and roads that have a car-centered design. The arrows show the existing connections that bridge the highway and railway barrier.

Legend Existing connection Car focused street Car focused area

Masterplan

HUMAN SCALE | Proposal

In order to achieve the goal of developing more affordances for pedestrians and cyclists, the following strategies are used.

low values of densification are kept, there should be a diversity in these values, not just low or high density.

Connections

Multimodal and multifunctional streets

As mentioned earlier, more connections between west and east Mölndal are added. These connections are specifically created to encourage and support slow modes of travel. To accommodate these mobilities and the human-scale, the frequency of the connections is increased compared to the current situation: a shorter distance is needed from one crossing to another.

Three green street typologies are implemented (see map to the right) throughout the masterplan. All three are multimodal and multifuncional streets to progressively shift from car dependency and encourage slower modes of transport. All modes of travel are present in these streets but more space is given to pedestrians and cyclists. Active travel is therefore fostered (Stravroulaki, Berghauser Pont, 2020). The multifunctional streets support both economical, social and ecological purposes thanks to each typology’s green focus. The three green street typologies will be described more in detail in the next pages.

Densification In the proposal, the areas that were previously used for industrial purposes or parking lots become areas of densification or of green infrastructures. The densified areas include not only residential buildings but also public and recreational functions. This is done to support the liveability and multifunctionality of the streets. Moreover, having a larger number of people in the urban space procures a feeling of safety to the users of the space. It is very important in the proposal that both high and

Housing Pavement

Park

Public transport Lastly, a few public transport stops are added in strategic places in the densified areas to respond to the increased population and support car free movement.

Main street

Housing with active bottomfloors

Local street

PROPOSAL Section Bifrostgatan 1:2000

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Breaching Barriers

Housing

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VISION PROPOSAL MAP showing all the different green street typologies, the existing and the proposed connections over the highway, the new areas of densification, as well as the existing and proposed public transport stops in the city.

Legend Green street typology 1 Green street typology 2 Green street typology 3 Current Connection New Connection Areas of densification Current public transport stop New public transport stop

Masterplan

HUMAN SCALE | Green Street Typologies

The proposal applies three types of green streets, the Active green street, the Social green street, and the Quiet green street. All the typologies have a green strategy in focus, but they differ in how various transport use the space. The typologies are implemented on streets in between bigger green areas. This strategy is not only connected to the theme of human scale, it is part of the green strategy, as improved access to greenery not only makes the city more pleasant to move in for humans, but also for animals.

Social green street - green street typology 2

Active green street - green street typology 1

The Quiet green street is the third typology and promotes an almost car free space, where pedestrians and cyclists have the priority, and where noise would be significantly reduced. Only residents can access these streets with cars. As these streets can be narrow in som cases, greenery might have to be included in more creative ways.

In the first typology, all modes of transport are on the same level and each have a dedicated lane, greenery is used to separate them. It is called Active Green street because it is more about movement and it suggests an effervescence of users because these streets might include more activities such as offices, local markets or schools.

In the second typology the pedestrians and cyclists share the space but are separated from cars. It is called Social green street, because the green areas can also have a social function, with possibilities to stay and hang-out, and because of the shared lane, more space might be given to social interactions. Quiet green street - green street typology 3

ACTIVE GREEN STREET Green Street Typology 1 Building

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Greenery

Cars

Greenery

Building

1:1000

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Breaching Barriers

SOCIAL GREEN STREET Green Street typology 2 Building

Pedestrians and cyclists

Greenery

Cars

Greenery

Building

1:1000

Building

Shared street for pedestrians and cyclist, with car access for residents

QUIET GREEN STREET Green Street typology 3

Building

1:1000

HUMAN SCALE | Analyses

Legend FSI Black: Current Orange: Densification areas

FSI and land use

Public transport

The aim of the proposal is not to have the same density and typology everywhere but to create diversity in the neighbourhoods. The densification areas are proposed to connect neighbourhoods together and help reduce the car dependency. Densifying an area increases trip generation and also promotes walking and cycling (Romice, 2020). The FSI value is on the lower end in the existing building stock and the typology is mostly residential, therefore the new densification areas have more diverse plots. The FSI and typology depend on the area, for example the buildings next to the highway are taller and have higher FSI, and have a land use that can function even with the noise levels, such as commercial or offices. The densification is also done by adding new floors on existing buildings to make more use of the space.

The existing access to public transport in Mölndal is already quite good. A few bus stops are nonetheless added within the network, on streets that are strategic in our proposal and in the densification areas, making the access even better to a larger number of neighbourhoods.

PROPOSAL AND CURRENT Floor Space Index

PROPOSAL AND CURRENT Land Use

Local markets In the current situation, the local markets are mainly gathered in the city center: in or close to the mall. The proposal implements local retails within the densification areas to support the functionality and liveability of the streets and the neighbourhoods. The aim is not to compete or create more centres, but rather to provide better access for everyone regardless of where they live.

0,000-0,125 0,125-0,250 0,250-0,375 0,375-0,500 0,500-1,000 1,000-1,500 1,500-2,000 2,000-4,000

Legend Land Use Residential New Residential Public functions New Public functions Commericial/Office New Commericial/Office Industrial Complementary buildings

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400

2000 m

Legend Attraction distance to public transport [m] 0-300 300-500 500-1000 >1000 new area existing public transport stops new public transport stops CURRENT Attraction Distance to public transport

PROPOSAL Attraction Distance to public transport

Legend Number of local markets accessible within 500 m walking distance >25 (up to more than 100) 10-25 5-10 3-5 0-3 0 CURRENT Attraction Reach local markets

Masterplan

PROPOSAL Attraction Reach local markets

The integration analysis of the existing situation in Mölndal in a local scale shows that the network between east and west Mölndal does not connect well over the highway, which becomes a barrier for both the motorised and non-motorised network. Neighbourhoods within the area are in many places also disconnected from each other. The current network makes it difficult for cyclists and pedestrians to move around and access different parts of Mölndal with little means. The proposal focuses on adding new bridges over the highway, creating more street crossings and integrated network where it is needed. The impact of these implementations is a network with a higher integration overall, spreading out to all corners of the area. Neighbourhoods that can have more active public functions are more integrated than the neighbourhoods with only residentials and villa areas, as the proposal aimed for.

CURRENT Angular Integration 1k - Active Streets

PROPOSAL Angular Integration 1k - Active Streets

CURRENT Angular Integration 2k - Active Streets

PROPOSAL Angular Integration 2k - Active Streets

Legend Angular Integration 1k 13-94 94-145 145-195 195-248 248-308 308-387 387-546 Legend Angular Integration 2k 25-252 252-366 366-471 471-578 578-710 710-878 878-1114

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

400

2000 m

The betweenness analysis of the global scale of the current situation in Mölndal show which streets are used to get from and to Mölndal from adjacent areas like Frölunda and Gothenburg, streets such as Göteborgsvägen, Toltorpsgatan and Frölundagatan connected via Bifrostgatan. The proposal does not aim to change these global connections but focuses instead on the more local scale. The aim is to focus the movement along the green streets within Mölndal and over the highway to increase access for cyclists and pedestrians. The betweenness analysis of the proposal shows that the green streets have been strengthened and that the connections over the highway are more spread out, giving more options to cross between east and west Mölndal.

CURRENT Network Betweenness 2k - Well Travelled Streets

PROPOSAL Network Betweenness 2k - Well Travelled Streets

Legend Network Betweenness 2k 0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653 Legend Network Betweenness 5k 0-2115051 2115051-7108159 7108159-16425612 16425612-37601640 CURRENT Network Betweenness 5k - Well Travelled Streets

Masterplan

PROPOSAL Network Betweenness 5k - Well Travelled Streets

KEY PROJECTS

As a continuation of the masterplan, five key projects have been identified. These five are all important in the realisation of the masterplan and focus on different aspects. st

The 1 is located along Frölundagatan, the street connecting Mölndal centre to Eklanda. This key project works with the agricultural land as a connector between two neighbourhoods and the green street for food production. nd

The 2 key project details a section of Bifrostgatan which, accompanied by the new park and housing, is turned into a lively urban green street. The main focus of the project is the park and the zones within it, creating affordances for humans and other species. rd

The 3 key project develops the densification area and new urban park between Mölndalsån and the E6 highway. This project tackles a difficult but important location in the city, making it into an accessible and attractive public space. th

The 4 key project is situated in the old industrial area of Forsåker. The project focuses on densification and connecting east and west Mölndal to each other. th

The 5 key project focuses on green typologies. The project maps and elaborates greenery on different scales, both in general but also how it relates to the context of Mölndal.

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

3 2

4 1

Masterplan

GREEN TRANSITION PAULINE LAMBERT This project aims to use urban farming as a way of connecting neighbourhoods, bringing people together and giving a purpose to an unattractive area.

Problem description

Frölundagatan is an important connection and a quite central street between Mölndal and Eklanda. Yet as it is right now it is not very attractive. The width and openness of the street can give a feeling of insecurity and emptiness for pedestrians and cyclists passing by. From Eklanda to the centre of Mölndal, it takes 30 minutes on foot and 10 minutes by bike through this street. This shows how close the two centres are even when using slow mobilities. However, the atmosphere of the area does not encourage these modes of transportation.

The crop field located between Eklanda and Mölndal represents a big, empty separation between the two neighbourhoods. As shown on the analysis below, people in Eklanda do not have access to many local markets within 500 meters walking distance compared to the residents of Mölndal on the other side of the field. There is then something to do about that. All these points create great potential for using this empty space for settlements and activities that invite people to gather and interact.

Network Betweenness 2k – Well Travelled Streets

Angular Integration 1k – Active Streets

Attraction Reach Local Markets

Legend

0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653

Green Transition

25-252 252-366 366-471 471-578 578-710 710-878 878-1114

Number of local markets accessible within 500 m walking distance >25 (up to more than 100) 10-25 5-10 3-5 0-3 0

GREEN TRANSITION | Urban farming proposal

Based on the masterplan and the problems and potentials of the selected site, urban farming has been chosen as a strategy to reach the goals of bringing people and liveliness to the area. The project is mostly implemented in the field between Mölndal and Eklanda and aims to create some sort of communal centre connecting the two neighbourhoods and giving people a reason to not only walk and cycle in the street but also to stay there. The street itself is also part of the project but was not the focus. The choice of the site and strategy is supported by different elements.

schools,...) surrounding the area gives an opportunity to reach different categories of people – we will get to that later. Finally, the masterplan suggests a new densification area close by that increases the population in the district. There is therefore a need to respond to an increasing population and demand for activities and services. The implementation of urban farming is not trivial, it refers to the agricultural history of the plot while bringing more flexibility and diversity to the function. It combines urban life and green. It is an opportunity for producing and selling local products, raising awareness on environmental issues, and creating social interactions in a place previously only used for passage.

First, the street’s centrality, as mentioned before. Then, the variety of land uses (residential, commercial/office,

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

200

500 m

As seen on the map to the left, Frölundagatan passes through diverse contexts between Eklanda and Môlndal centres. Different land uses are meeting each other, creating very different atmospheres along the street. One goes through a residential/commercial area, then through a residential/industrial one, and finally through a mostly residential neighbourhood. The feelings one gets while traveling on this street vary a lot. The project site is the only completely open and empty space all along the street.

a l Ce n t

nda Centre

ommer

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sid tri ent ial-Indus

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ialC

Resi

Res

Are

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Legend Network Frölundagatan Bifrostgatan Focus area Green area Residential Public function Commercial/Office Others

Green Transition

GREEN TRANSITION | Street 0

75 m

Here is a detailed plan of the area. 15 meters of the existing field are used on each side of the street. A series of buildings and greenhouses are added to support the agricultural function of the space but also social interactions and local consumption. When it comes to the question of property, the project refers to the work of Johan Colding on institutional design. These green strips are to be considered as common which means that the users/coowners manage it together as a community and define their own rules and norms. They can therefore be defined as Urban Green Commons: users do not just have access rights to the place but property rights as well. The entire field can be divided into parcels more or less big and rented by farmers to whoever wants to use them. The farmers would still be the owners and would be in charge of maintenance. Fruit trees are implemented all along the street as part of the food production system but also as a way to separate the two sides of the street.

Plan

When it comes to travel modes, pedestrians and cyclists are prioritised on the street. Buses are driving through at a very low speed. The only cars allowed are those that need access for deliveries.

Access to facilities

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Travel Modes

Breaching Barriers

Model The plot is divided based on a modular system. This allows for flexibility to use the space as desired. The smallest module is a surface of 3 x 7 m and from these dimensions different combinations are possible. The ones used in the project are presented below but many options are possible, both for the buildings and the crops parcels.

Green Transition

GREEN TRANSITION | Land use and users 200

500 m

Frölundagatan is an edible street all the way between Eklanda to Mölndal. Fruit trees are planted all along the street for people to pick fruit as they pass by.

kla

ölnd

a l Ce n t re

The different land uses along the street define four target groups: local residents, pupils from local schools, visitors, and workers from the commercial/office area nearby.

nda Centre

The project now focuses on the framed area, but in the future, one could imagine expanding and developing the urban farming concept to other parts of the streets, whether it is the edible street idea or many others.

Legend Network Green Edible Street Green area Project area Residential Public function Commercial/Office Others

Residents

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Pupils

Visitors

Workers

Breaching Barriers

75 m

The functions of the buildings are not precisely defined but it is possible to define their purpose. In this case, four purposes were defined: socialisation, education, production, and consumption. Most buildings hold several of them. Not all functions are intended for all users, workers will go to the café or restaurant, while pupils will have classes or workshops in a greenhouse for instance. The production aspect of the project will mainly be managed by the residents that are part of the community. Visitors would mostly be interested in the consumption part but could also take part in social or educational activities.

SOCIALISATION

Green Transition

EDUCATION

PRODUCTION

CONSUMPTION

GREEN TRANSITION | Street sections 0

20 m

These sections show proposals of activities/ functions centered around socialisation, education, production, and consumption. They translate the lively feeling of the street.

Section – Flower shop

Section – Greenhouse

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

20 m

Section – Market

Green Transition

AN URBAN GREEN CONNECTION SOFIA LÖFGREN An urban green connection for health and recreation in a growing part of Mölndal

The urban green connection in the masterplan

This key project details the transformation of Bifrostgatan — a traffic separated car road with heavy through traffic and few crossings — into an multimodal, multifunctional urban street with frequent crossings. Land currently occupied by parking lots is used to create a new park improving human and ecological health and build 1300 new homes and 4,000 sqm commercial area.

Urban potential

The basis of the key project stems from the general aims of the masterplan which are to add more connections to reduce barrier impact, improve access to an extended green network and develop affordances for pedestrians and cyclists.

The betweenness analyses below show that the number of people using Bifrostgatan to pass by is high, locally (2k, left map) and globally (5k, right map). In other words, the park will be passed by people from the immediate surroundings, but also by visitors from other neighborhoods or visitors from outside the city. Therefore, Bifrostgatan has high potential to have urban buzz and commercial activity. A finer street network mesh, added crossings over Bifrostgatan, the new densification blocks and the new park will contribute to the sense of a connected city where the urban fabric is healed, the neighbourhoods more connected and the area more walkable.

Ecological and social green potential

The intersection of urban and green

There is a need for a bigger park and more urban green in Mölndal, and this location was chosen in the master plan green strategy (below right) due to the possibility to tie together two of the entrances to the natural areas Änggårdsbergen and Safjället. The goal is to create a strong green connection, which analyses (below left) confirm. The park should connect the two areas ecologically to create a strong ecological network and support biodiversity, but also help people navigate to the big natural areas, making the green seep into the city and people’s everyday lives, thus improving mental and physical health.

The betweenness (to which extent people travel along the street) is very high in the project area, both for urban (social/ economical, maps below) and green (social/ecological, maps below left column) reasons. The park and street is therefore important in both the urban and green perspective and has great potential for an urban park.

MASTERPLAN Attraction Betweenness 2 km green areas and Green strategy

MASTERPLAN Network Betweenness 2 km and 5 km non-motorized network

Intentions of the masterplan

An Urban Green Connection

THE SITE TODAY Today, the site is pierced by a highly trafficked car road, Bifrostgatan, with neighborhoods from 1960s on the southeast side and neighborhoods from 1970s on the northwest side. The areas are planned in a modernistic way, with wide parallel roads for local car traffic and inward-facing blocks with big courtyards. On the outside of the blocks, there are big parking lots and some garages. The urban scale is adapted for car traffic and not suitable or inviting for pedestrians. There is currently no public green in the area.

AN URBAN GREEN CONNECTION | Urban design proposal

TOLTORPSDALEN SAFJÄLLET

TRAFFiC PASSiNG BY

ÄNGGÅRDSBERGEN

Current and added attraction points in the area MÖLNDAL CENTER

Within 500m walking distance from the park, there are three schools (preschool-3rd grade, preschool-6th grade and 4th9th grade), two current kindergartens and one proposed kindergarten, a church and two elderly homes. Where Bifrostgatan intersects Toltorpsgatan (which leads to Mölndal center for all traffic modes) and Frejagatan (which leads to Mölndal center for pedestrians and cyclists) there are bus stops, which increases the intensity of visitors in their surrounding. A multifunctional, multimodal street

TOP The new park is along a busy road with two major intersections, close to entrances to Änggårdsbergen and Safjället. BOTTOM Types of ecological land cover. The park adds ecological diversity to the area.

Legend Attraction points Outlined: proposed addition Housing Preschool School High school After school activity Elderly home Church Parking garage Offices Park Square Bus stop

The street is multimodal, it accommodates pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars, with a focus on slow mobilities. The street is also multifunctional, meaning it does not only provide space for traffic, but also has a social, ecological, economical and technological function (Stavroulaki & Berghauser Pont, 2020).

CURRENT & PROPOSAL Attraction points

New housing and commercial floor space The proposal adds 128,000 sqm multi-family housing floor space, 4,000 sqm row house floor space, 2,000 sqm offices next to the square, 4,000 sqm business floor space (of which 2,500 are for a supermarket and gym in the ground floor of the parking garage) 16,000 sqm parking garage and one preschool. A park increasing health for humans and the earth The park adds diversity in ecological habitats and provides ecosystem services such as rain water treatment and lowering of air and noise pollution; the park increases the ecological health of the area. The park also brings people closer to nature, increasing mental and physical health. The distance to a park affects the frequency one visits it a lot. One sees a decrease even at very short distances (Grahn, 2005). A linear park is therefore providing more people with direct access. Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

PROPOSAL Modes of transport Car Bus Pedestrian

Restricted access for cars

Breaching Barriers

100 m

V VII

V IV

VII

IV VII

III

III IV

III

II VI

III VI

IV IV

VI IV

IV V

IV IV

II VI

IV II

ILLUSTRATION PLAN

Urban design proposal

New park area New yard New square New pond Existing yard Existing green area Existing natural areas

VI IV

Legend

New housing New commercial facility/parking New offices New restaurant Walking path Plot border

Entrance Parking garage entrance

AN URBAN GREEN CONNECTION | Urbanity

Concentrating pedestrian flows to achieve urbanity The new street network is designed to concentrate pedestrian flows along the main street to support local markets and active bottom floors, but also to keep the open yards in close proximity to the busy street private. Visualization of different types of flows through the park and along the street. The red line in the middle represents pedestrians and cyclists passing by, who will use the green, fast commuting lane. The yellow line represents people who have time to stop by at one of the cafes or shops or deviate into the park while moving. The green line represents people who want to take a stroll or walk the dog, which is fitting to do on a winding path in the park.

Walking people travel in lines, preferring a straighter path from A to B. Therefore, the configuration of urban space is the main contributor to movement flows (Hillier, 1996). A higher angular integration value (red in the angular integration maps to the right) has been proved to correlate with higher intensity of people (Marcus, personal communication, September 23, 2021).

MASTERPLAN Angular Integration 2 km and Network Betweenness 2 km for the non-motorized network

The masterplan proposed two streets parallel to Bifrostgatan, which proved to be almost as well travelled as the main street (the top two analyses to the right), which means that the flow is evened out on these three streets. However, this is not desirable when aiming to create a city buzz as well as provide the new housing with calm, private yards. In the analysis of the configurated proposal, we see how a discontinuation of the eastern parallel street and a winding of the western parallel street results in the concentration of flow (and number of people) to the main street, as desired. The east-west crossings are also strengthened in the configuration, which is desired. People frequently crossing the street slows down traffic and contributes to the urban buzz of people traveling in all directions.

CONFIGURATION Angular Integration 2 km and Network Betweenness 2 km for the non-motorized network

The urban street contributes with challenges to the park A city park should provide opportunities for recreation, socialization, relaxation and an escape from the urban stresses such as noise and air pollution. Bifrostgatan being a well integrated, busy street provides challenges for the park. However, the regular intersections and use of differentiating ground materials creates an environment adapted to the human scale and slows down car traffic, which lowers noise and air pollution. 50

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Another result of the high integration is a lot of visitors in the park, which is a goal, but that also means that the wear and tear from people visiting will be more prominent which requires clever choice of ground materials, vegetation and other equipment (Marcus, 2018). The strategies on the opposite page answer to the conditions created by the street network and are used to create different zones suitable for different uses. Breaching Barriers

Zoning strategies

URBAN GREEN

URBAN

BUSY

TRANSPORT

SOCIAL

SECTION A Only some vegetation is used to shield the park from the street to keep the park and square inviting to passing people B

ECOLOGICAL

Entrances and types of flows along in the park and on the street

CALM

GREEN

TRANSPORT

URBAN

SECTION B Topography secludes an ecological, calm zone in the park from the street. Topography and vegetation improve air and noise conditions in the park and on the street.

Since the park is quite narrow and stretches along a busy street, strategies to create calmer and more ecological focused zones are needed. The starting point for zoning is however analyzing integration and betweenness of paths, as done on the left page. Paths are dimensioned by the flow of people passing by. Areas within the park which do not have paths with high betweenness have the potential to become bigger calmer spots. Topography and vegetation can accentuate these zones.

Rain water treatment and flood containment is an important ecological function of the park; the ground is permeable and the lowest point in the area. In case of heavy rain, the park is designed to be flooded to save the built environment. Vegetation Vegetation is used in a refined way to create the best conditions, socially and ecologically, for the park and area. It is used to:

Topography The area around Bifrostgatan is very flat. Land masses from construction of new buildings can be used in the park, a more sustainable option than transporting it away. Topography is used to create a visual boundary and a noise barrier towards the street. Topography is also used to create sense of space and a physical boundary against the street from the playground.

Urbanity and zoning strategies

» create a visual, semi-permeable boundary between the park and the urban buzz of the street » create a noise barrier, lowering the noise levels of the park » lower air pollution levels in the park (and on the street) » introduce calming sounds from nature » create shifting conditions of sunlight and shadow » highlight the seasons and passing of time, by choosing species with different seasonal variations

Legend Path for strolling Ecological, calm Path for passing by Transport Path for urban life Urban, social Park Entrance

WiLD

RiCH iN SPECiES

AN URBAN GREEN CONNECTION | Park zones

SERENE

MON

SKATE PARK

SPACE

FESTIVE

OUTDOOR GYM

PLEASURE GARDEN

SQUARE

The Eight Nature/Garden Room Characteristics Festive Places to hang out and gather, such as a square, restaurant with outdoor seating, fountain or big seating area facing south. Common Open grass to gather with friends, go out sun bathing in the summer or play games.

COMMON

OPEN GRASS

DIVERSE VEGETATION

The zones within the park derive from what is outside the park such as the street network and land use. Zones (and combinations of zones) have different potential. By defining these according to The Eight Nature/Garden Room Characteristics (Grahn, 2005), suiting functions can be placed in the park.

SPACE

POND SERENE

Pleasure Garden A safe and enclosed space, allowing for relaxation, curiosity and play. An explorative world for all ages. COMMONworld. Vegetation Space A coherent area perceived as another and elements such as topography and water are important.

Serene An area of peace and quiet. Focus on natural elements such as water, wind and vegetation. No disturbing people.

RICH IN SPECIES

Rich in species Diverse vegetation supporting diverse animal life, an area which is not overcrowded by human visitors.

SPACE

PLAYGROUND

PLEASURE GARDEN

Wild Nature which is minimally maintained, where the ground is covered by vegetation and leaves are left to compost. Cultural Highlighting the place’s history and historical value.

COMMON

The more visited zones, festive and common, need to be reinforced by harder ground materials and provide a spatial differentiation of staying and passing, while the less visited zones, serene and wild, need softer ground materials and natural elements with softer boundaries (Marcus, 2018).

PARK ZONES Zoning of the park according to The Eight Nature/Garden Room Characteristics.

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

PLEASURE

Breaching barriers

IV VII IV V

Examples of park activities III

Square — the social focal point The square is the focal point for the new social area the project proposes. In the bottom floor of the parking garage there is a super market and a gym. The corner is accentuated by a tower providing office space. During the day, businesspeople can grab a lunch in one of the cafes along theIV street and find a place to sit down in the park or on the square. Another option is the restaurant in the transition between square and park. The square is a natural meeting point, right by an interchange bus station. Motion is present at the square: a lot of people are passing by, and a skate park is located next to it.

II VI

VI IV

IV IV

POND Provides ecosystem services

Legend

Plot border

III

SQUARE The social focal point of the proposed area.

In the southern most end of the park, where traffic intensity is the lowest and the park the widest, a big playground is intertwined with the nature. Topography introduces natural elements into the playground area, such as a hill to play VIon and slide down from. The preschool has a generous yard, but they can also do an excursion to the park playground for variation.

New park area New yard New square New pond Existing yard

Playground — exploration in nature

III

Pond — a social green space The pond and it’s surrounding open grass is a place to hang out with friends in the city buzz: play physical outdoor games or go sunbathing. The pond provides habitat for flora and fauna and the grass fieldsIVserve as a flooding buffer in case of heavy rain.

Entrance Parking garage entrance

New housing New commercial facility/parking New offices New restaurant

PLAYGROUND A place where playground elements are intertwined with natural elements.

Park zones and examples of park activities

III

1:2000

AN URBAN GREEN CONNECTION | Park and building intersection c

B Private meeting public The ground floor apartments in the existing multifamily housing on the park’s north west side currently have small terraces towards the parking lots. In the proposal, the private outdoor space will be elongated to the curving street. The curving street provides access for cars and rescue vehicles to the buildings and in combination with vegetation, both on private and public land, the private is shielded off from the public. A clear division between the two is created, which makes both the public and the private more used, since people feel more comfortable using the space when it has clear boundaries (Minoura, 2016).

Division of land into different types of goods: the private, public, club and common good. The ground floor apartments have a private yard towards the park.

SECTION C The private yards are divided from the park by a street and vegetation

Existing housing

Park

SECTION B (elongated)

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

1:300

Multimodal street

The street does not have through traffic due to its winding shape, it is simply too troublesome to take so many turns. Instead one takes the straighter path following the main street. This result is confirmed in the analyses of betweenness on the urbanity spread.

New housing with active bottom floors

Existing housing

Urban building rules

B The set back areas constitute a common good, where the land is owned by a private actor, but the public is allowed on the land.

Building set back create a protected zone in the urban environment

Different ways of creating a setback was explored

Street and building interface

Ground floor land use

By altering the buildings’ alignment with the street, common goods suitable for restaurants and public functions can be created. The new residential buildings along Bifrostgatan have underground parking, which require a wider strip of the ground to be dug up than for the building. By utilizing that width and setting back parts of the building, nooks of rest or outdoor seating are created. By tucking away outdoor seating and entrances, the street gets easier to navigate and follow, for example for visually impaired people (ASLA, 2022).

The ground floor towards the street should have commercial and social activity in strategic places (a corner or a sunny spot). Entrances and functions such as bike storage are facing the street to create movement on the building’s urban side and decrease movement directly into the yards from the street network. Movement to and from entrances contributes to the urban buzz, which is important since the street is not integrated enough to host commercial activity throughout all bottom floors. Closed, open yard

Another issue with the current housing blocks in this area is the huge scale. Blocks are 70-80 m long and the new blocks are following the same structure. However, the indents create a segmented facade, which creates a more human scale in the street scape. The same is true for the yards, which get a more cosy shape. When following this rule of street alignment, the density (gsi and fsi) stay the same as a straight block.

The project has explored different ways of creating an irregular facade, with a yard that is as much as possible closed off from the street in the narrow strip of land provided (iteration sketches to the right). The hugging shape of the new densification and the street network’s concentrating effect on flows result in quite well closed-off yards.

Legend Public good Common good Club good Private good

Breaching barriers

° PARKEN A KATARINA KARLKVIST This project aims to make the wedge of land between the highway and Göteborgsvägen, where the stream Mölndalsån runs, accessible for the public. This public space will be lush and green and hold many different park characteristics to suit many different preferences.

INTRODUCTION | Putting the Park in Context

Mölndalsån The stream Mölndalsån that runs along Mölndal center and the highway E6 is an important blue structure for not only Mölndal, but the entire Gothenburg area. In this masterplan the area also holds important values as a green connector, both in the north-south direction and east-west as the eco duct, connecting Safjället with the Delsjö area, lands in this park.

the park in two parts, as someone traveling north-south would need to cross a car road to access the other half of the park. Further, there are pedestrian bridges that span the highway to the east, and also smaller bridges to the west that cross the stream. These different connections are collected below in an abstracted diagram of the park in its entirety.

Entire park area

Spatial delimitations The entire park area as you can see at the top to the right is marked from Mölndal center, where the public transport hub is situated, to the municipal boarder in the north. The stream continues into Gothenburg and might hold qualities as a public park there as well, but for this masterplan and key project Gothenburg has been disregarded, as the delimitation is based on the municipal boarder. The park itself is further delimited by the highway on its east side and Göteborgsvägen on its west side. However, this key project takes the surrounding barriers and areas into account for its design. Below the map with the entire park area there is a map showing the area handled in this key project, as the park in its entirety is too big for the purposes of this course at Chalmers.

Key project area

Public space and connectivity The park constitutes a large strip of public space with green and blue elements. This strip, due to its shape and location, has many important east-west connections going into it and through it. These connections are of very different kinds and, thus, generate very different conditions for the park. For example, the ecoduct has a certain set of demands for the space, the bridge in Lackarebäck that holds both cars and pedestrians has another set of demands. This connection effectively splits

CONDITIONS | Flows and Hotspots

the different potential origins of flow of people to the park. There are many different areas around the park. In a large scale they can be summarized by land usage. These different types will have different needs and level of usage. The office/ commercial areas might use the park during office hours, for lunch and breaks, whereas the residential areas might use it all day with extra spikes after office hours. In the origins of flow map, these areas are shown together with bus stops as these also indicate a movement of people.

Integration and important roads In the bottom left corner there is an integration analysis of the pedestrian network with a 2 km radius. This shows what roads are more likely to be intensely used and, thus, what roads are important for the area. The integration for pedestrians is especially high along Göteborgsvägen and across the bridge at Lackarebäck. It is also high on the bridge north of Mölndalsbro. This analysis information was simplified and the important connections were summarised in the map next to the integration.

Flows and hotspots These mappings are combined in the map to the right, which is a map with hotspots and summarized estimations of flows to and from the park.

Origins of flow Next to the important connections map there is a map showing

Integration analysis 2 km

Important connections

Origins of main flows

Integration legend 127 - 365 365 - 544 544 - 648 648 - 747 747 - 844 844 - 952 952 - 1101

Origins legend Residential Office/Commercial Public service Public transport stops

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Flows and hotspots

NECTED WORK

UMAN CALE

BARRIERS

PROBLEM

UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY

PROBLEM

GOALS | Detailing the Masterplan BARRIERS

Reformulation process PROBLEM

PROBLEM

CAR DEPENDENCY

BARRIERS

CAR DEPENDENCY

BARRIERS

Masterplan goals

PROBLEM

BARRIERS

UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY UNACCESSIBLE GREENERY UNACCESSIBLE PROBLEM GREENERY

The three goals formulated for each theme on the masterplan scale were reformulated, as shown by the circles in the CAR DEPENDENCY diagram to the right, for the key project scale by asking the question: What do these goals mean in the context of this key CONNECTED CONNECTED NETWORK NETWORK project area?

CAR DEPENDENCY CAR DEPENDENCY CAR DEPENDENCY ADD MORE CONNECTIONS TO REDUCE BARRIER IMPACT

Masterplan rules GOAL FORMULATION

SPATIALLY ADD MORE THE INTEGRATE CONNECTIONS TO PROJECT AREA REDUCE WITHBARRIER THE WEST IMPACT SIDE OF THE STREAM

Key project goals

SPATIALLY IMPROVETHE ACCESS INTEGRATE TO AN EXTENDED, PROJECT AREA STRATEGIC GREEN WITH THE WEST SIDE NETWORK OF THE STREAM

Movement hierarchy diagram

MAKE THE IMPROVE ACCESS PROJECT AREA TO AN EXTENDED, INTO AN STRATEGIC GREEN ACCESSIBLE NETWORK PUBLIC PARK

MAKE THE PROJECT AREA GREEN INTO AN STRUCTURE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PARK

GOAL FORMULATION

Apart from the goal formulations the masterplan dictates TOPIC some additional things for this area. Firstly, it enhancesTOPIC MAKE THETHE MAKE THE SPATIALLY SPATIALLY SPATIALLY the importance of Göteborgsvägen as a main street andSPATIALLY MAKE MAKE THE MAKE THE MAKE THE DEVELOP DEVELOP ACCESS ADDINTEGRATE MORE PROJECT AREA A ACCESS PROJECT AREA A IMPROVE INTEGRATE THEACCESS IMPROVE ADD MORE IMPROVE IMPROVE INTEGRATE THEACCESS ADD INTEGRATE THE ADD MORE THE MORE PROJECT AREA PROJECT AREA PROJECT AREA GREEN PROJECT AREA communication route. Secondly, it defines the building height AFFORDANCES AFFORDANCES HUMAN HUMAN TO AN EXTENDED, CONNECTED CONNECTED TOAREA DESTINATION AND DESTINATION AND TO AN EXTENDED, PROJECT AREA CONNECTED TO AN EXTENDED, TOAREA TOCONNECTIONS AN EXTENDED, PROJECT AREA CONNECTIONS TO GREEN PROJECT CONNECTIONS TO CONNECTIONS PROJECT INTO AN INTO AN GREEN INTO AN STRUCTURE INTO FOR AN PEDESTRIANS FOR PEDESTRIANS SCALE SCALE GREEN NETWORK REDUCE BARRIER A SPACE FORSTRUCTURE A SPACE FOR STRATEGIC GREEN WITHSTRATEGIC THE WESTWITH NETWORK STRATEGIC GREEN STRUCTURE REDUCE BARRIER and shape NETWORK to act as a noise and pollution barrier against the GREEN WITH THE WEST REDUCE THESTRATEGIC WEST REDUCE BARRIER WITH THE WEST BARRIER ACCESSIBLE ACCESSIBLE ACCESSIBLE ACCESSIBLE AND CYCLISTS AND CYCLISTS NETWORK IMPACT MOBILITIES SLOW MOBILITIES NETWORK THEIMPACT SIDE OFNETWORK THE SLOWPUBLIC SIDE OF THE IMPACTof the park, SIDE OF THEIMPACT SIDE OFNETWORK PARK PUBLIC PARK highway. Finally, it defines the continuity as well PUBLIC PARK PUBLIC PARK TO TRAVEL TO TRAVEL STREAM STREAM STREAM STREAM as the rhythm within this continuity with the park/building GOAL promptsGOAL GOAL interplay.GOAL These masterplan are all implemented FORMULATION FORMULATION FORMULATION FORMULATION within the key project. TOPIC

TOPIC

GREEN STRUCTURE

TOPIC

MAKE THE MAKE THE MAKE THE MAKE THE DEVELOP DEVELOP APROJECT AREA A PROJECT AREA A DEVELOP DEVELOP PROJECT AREA A PROJECT AREA AFFORDANCES HUMAN AFFORDANCES HUMAN AND AFFORDANCES HUMAN AFFORDANCES DESTINATION AND DESTINATION AND DESTINATION AND DESTINATION SCALE FOR PEDESTRIANS SCALE A SPACE FOR A SPACE FOR FOR PEDESTRIANS SCALE FOR PEDESTRIANS A SPACE FOR A SPACE FOR To the far right is a diagram showing the difference betweenFOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AND CYCLISTS SLOW MOBILITIES AND CYCLISTS AND CYCLISTS SLOW MOBILITIES SLOW MOBILITIES SLOW MOBILITIES the faster flow of people on Göteborgsvägen on the west TO TRAVEL TO TRAVEL TO TRAVEL TO TRAVEL

Movement hierarchy

side of the stream compared to the stroll-like flow inside the park. This diagram relates to the third goal for the area (blue circles), as well as the precondition of Göteborgsvägen as an important communication route. It explains the part in the third goal (blue circle) that refers to making the space into a space for slow mobilities to travel, clarifying what type of travel is intended, in relation to the already existing northsouth travel routes.

THE PARK | Plan proposal

Main idea The suggested built structure for this location is shown in volumes down below and in the plan to the right. The structure takes the directives from the masterplan scale and shields the city from the highway through its shape. The public space is integrated with the west side through a series of bridges and connects to existing public spaces in front of the town hall and the hospital. The buildings are pushed as close to the highway as possible, giving maximum space for the park and streamscape. In this lush environment visitors can stroll, have a “fika” or events and gatherings. Park proposal The park being long and narrow, has been divided into a series of zones defined by the shape of the buildings. These zones contain different activities, creating a diverse park scape that Axonometric view of suggested building volume relations

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caters to different target groups. The linear character of the space is broken up by greenery and by the use of different path types and materials along the stream. Building volumes proposal The building volumes are varied in height to break up the visual impression of there being one large wall. The average height, however, lands around 8-9 floors as the masterplan suggests. The buildings are higher towards the highway and lower towards the park, to meet the human scale better and to meet the scale of the existing built stock on the west side, which averages around four floors in height. The intended densification areas on the east side of the highway from the masterplan are also schematically modeled here for context. All of the park activities and the building typology specifics will be further detailed on the following spreads.

250 m

VI VIII

IV XX

VIII

II VIII

VIII

IV VI

VIII

Legend New Commercial/Office Current Commercial/Office New public function Semi hard surface Open green space Greenery Zoom-in area

Plan 1:5000

STRUCTURE | Building Typology Footprint

Building typology concept sketch

Soft

Hard

Building footprint and plot division

Block 1

Block 2

Municipal office + Extension Block 3

Site generated typology requirements

GSI and plot structure

Building next to the highway means dealing with very specific requirements. The masterplan defines the buildings there to act as a noise and pollution barrier by being continuous and tall. To pair these requirements for the built structure with simultaneously shaping the public park space through the built structure makes for even more specific and restrictive requirements. The typology needs to have a hard boarder to the highway and a softer boarder towards the park, allowing the two to define each other, as the diagram to the left illustrates.

There are four plots to build in that correspond to block 1-3 in the diagram to the left, with the addition of the extension of the municipal office. The GSI of each building plot is close to 1 as the plot structure follows the building footprint, with an allowance to differ up to 3 meters inside or outside the edge to accommodate flexibility in building depth. Such a GSI is extremely high. However, with this specific building typology where the public park is defined by the buildings and vice versa, and in such a narrow location, this kind of precision is necessary.

The park itself has a difficult shape, being narrow and long. To break up the space the built structure has to help divide and zone the space to make it more usable. Each space in the sequence is around 75-125 meters wide. These distances and the zone areas they generate are carefully selected to improve the usability in relation to appreciated park characteristics which will be detailed on the next spread. As the location has a difficult shape in combination with a need for parking spaces as a consequence of the high number of added offices and commercial businesses, the parking solution had to be integrated with the building typology. The big black squares in the diagram to the left are those integrated parking garages, with roof top terraces to be used by the offices in the building. There is one in each large block. Another thing that the building typology and its footprint needs to relate to is the stream itself. The built structure should be as far away from the water as possible, due to increasing flood risks. Further, this enables having larger green areas that can withstand and mitigate floods all the way along the river. The only building breaking this rule is the existing municipal building, which is kept and extended, away from the water, in the proposal.

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If the entire key project area is regarded as the plot instead, the GSI becomes very different. Then it lands at 0,2-0,3. Had these plots been targeted at housing, calculating the GSI for each plot would probably be most useful. As it is, the intended land use is offices and commercial facilities which do not require a private court yard, for example, in the same manner as residential functions do, making the latter way of calculating GSI equally informative of its qualities. Height and volume flexibility While the footprint of the building is extremely fixed, the heights of the buildings are not. The masterplan suggests 8-9 floors on average to secure a certain density. This average density can be achieved, and is in fact encouraged for this location, through quite a variation in building height. This height variation is important to mitigate the visual impression of the buildings in this location as one big wall, since this is an inherent (and necessary) functional quality in the typology. However, through the footprint there is apart from the parking garage structures also two preparations for towers, one at the top of block 1 and one at the bottom of block 2. These towers

have a wider base than the surrounding lamella structure as the tower typology benefits from a slightly wider depth. Their location is next to the two most important bridges that land in the area and the towers can serve as a visual orientation aid when trying to find where to cross the highway on foot. The specific height of the towers, however, is not regulated. As seen in the diagram below, this key project proposes and exemplifies the building heights, in grey in the diagram below, but allows flexibility in this regard for the future developer to shape the heights as they see fit.

be any type of operation, including those that serve the public, such as Skatteverket, creating a hub of social and public functions with the municipal office near by and the police and fire station across the bridge. The commercial functions should to a large part be cafés and lunch restaurants as there will be many new employment opportunities in the area which require such services.

Active bottom floors

The cafés, restaurants and other commercial functions should be situated in the bottom floors, facing the park. In this way the soft boarder to the park is enhanced more as the buildings gain some permeability, as the diagram below shows. The active bottom floors are focused near the hotspots identified from the expected flows. Their placement, see the diagram to the right, also correlates with the intended park activities and characteristics explained on the next page, supporting them and interacting with them. Public and private division The boarder between the public and the private space is quite rigid along the facade of each building, as the park runs all the way to the building boarder. Through building depth allowance, as mentioned on the left page, there might be a small buffer zone created, where cafés and restaurants could have outdoor seating that benefits from the park qualities.

Land usage The location next to the highway restricts the land use. In this location the masterplan puts offices and commercial functions with some room for public functions. In this key project the public function is proposed to be a high school. The offices can

THE PARK | Park Zones and Characteristics

Park-building interplay

The importance of green environments It is a well known fact that green outdoor environments are beneficial for human health. Parks in urban environments have the ability to help with concentration, lower stress levels and reduce irritation (Grahn & Stigsdotter, 2003). These benefits are more or less prominent depending on the design of the green space in question. Grahn (2005) states that: “...certain design characteristics seem to facilitate health effects.”. Grahn has identified eight such characteristics, displayed in a table on the next page. Park size and characteristics The park along Mölndalsån is in its entirety around 22 ha. The park in my key project area is around 8 ha in size. All of the zones in the key project are around 1-2 ha each.

The park-building interplay creates a series of smaller park zones or potential for zones along the stream, like beads on a string.

There are two park size types that are commonly appreciated by humans. Those are parks of 1-5 ha and 10-50 ha. A park of 1-5 ha is more suitable for the characteristics Culture and Festive, and the larger size is more suitable for Serene, Space, Rich in Species and Wild (Grahn, 2005). This key project park, depending on how you look at it falls into different categories. If one considers each zone as a bead on a string (as shown in the diagram to the left), each bead falls into the first category, while all the beads on the string together form a larger park that falls into the latter category. Depending on the size and shape of a park, different activities are more or less suitable for that space. The characteristics Serene, Space, Rich in Species and Wild are more sensitive

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in regards to the shape of the park, and are more suitable for round shaped parks (Grahn, 2005). To make a park appealing to people it should contain many different characteristics, since that encourages different activities, thus catering to different individuals’ wants and needs (Grahn, 2005). Due to the shape and preconditions of the park along Mölndalsån this key project does not include the characteristics Space, Serene and Wild. Rich in species is implemented in a small scale close to the eco duct since strong ecological values will be prominent there. The park mainly contains the characteristic The common, varied with Festive in the south and The pleasure garden in the north. In the center of the park the Culture characteristic is included, where installations, information board and interactive features can tell the history of the stream’s importance to Mölndal, giving the visitor a glimpse of another time and a cultural heritage. Zoning elements The building shapes are an important part of forming these smaller park zones within the park. However, equally important is the greenery and the landscape architecture itself. The park should contain a variety of large and smaller trees that help shape these park rooms. Smaller structures could also be implemented inside the park, such as gazebos, for example, to really make it feel like a series of spaces and zones rather than one long park stretch.

Park zones The park has been divided into approximate zones, as can be seen in the map to the right, which all have been assigned a set of characteristics based on the appreciated characteristics presented by Grahn (2005). These characteristics and their descriptions are presented below in the table.

Eight nature/garden room characteristics

Characteristics of the nature/ garden room

1. Serene

Peace, silence and care. Sounds of wind, water, birds and insects. No rubbish, no weeds, no disturbing people.

2. Wild

Fascination with wild nature. Plants seem self-sown. Lichen and moss-grown rocks, old paths.

3. Rich in Species

A room offering a variety of species of animals and plants.

4. Space

A room offering a restful feeling of ”entering another world,” a coherent whole, like a beech forest.

5. The Common

A green, open place with room for vistas and stays.

6. The Pleasure Garden

An enclosed, safe and secluded place, where you can relax and be yourself and also experiment and play.

7. Festive

A meeting place for festivity and pleasure.

8. Culture

A historical place offering fascination with the course of time.

Park characteristics in each zone 3, 5, 6 5, 6 3, 5, 8 5, 6, 7 5, 7 5, 7 5, 7

VIII

ZOOM-IN | Plan and section 0

100 m

Culture

This space has the characteristic Culture assigned to it. The river in itself is a historical thing, important for Mölndal’s history. Here, by the water there might be space to celebrate this history by information, art installations, etc, to glimpse the river’s historical importance.

VIII

The Pleasure Garden

This is a place where the paths wind their way between different greeneries. There can be flower beds, small hidden nooks etc, where you are faced with a new impression around each bend.

Festive

This open semi hard surface is imagined to host small events of different kinds, such as markets and food truck events. The bridge that connects into the park right next to this space suggests that many people working in the existing and the new offices on the other side of the highway might come here for lunch, as it is quite closely located, which makes food a suitable focus for this small plaza.

B IV

II VIII

X Legend New Commercial/Office Semi hard surface Open green space Greenery Green wall

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Plan 1:2000

Plan

Sections

On the page to the left a zoom in of a part of the park is visible. Three areas are marked that represent three different park characteristics that are exemplified in the context of Åparken.

In the sections below two different cuts through the park are displayed. The top one shows a wider context and the surrounding topography to the east and west. The bottom section focuses on showing the different types of traffic flows around the park and the general division of spaces is made more clear.

hospital area

road tram

road

Section A-A 1:2000

1:1 000 Legend

Section B-B 1:1000

Building Green space Side walk Public transport stops Car lanes Water

REAWAKEN THE NARRATIVE EVELYN LINDFORS Forsaker becomes a new part of Mölndal, with close connection to its neighbours Mölndal city and Kvarnbyn. With new dwellings, offices and public functions, people can live, work and meet, and the industrial-cultural heritage area comes to life. Let’s reawaken the narrative!

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

General context

The key project is situated in east Mölndal next to the highway, in the old industry area of Forsåker. Forsåker have been host of a successful paper production industry since the 1600, but that closed down in 2006, and since then the activity in the area have been small-scaled (Forsåker, 2021). Due to its proximity to Mölndals city centre, the station and the cultural heritage village Kvarnbyn, the area was decided in the masterplan to be a good place for development. The implementation of the new bridges and street network in and to the area is expected to increase the integration and betweenness of Forsåker, both in an east to west connection, 0

500

but also in a north to south connection, according to the masterplan. Street space is the basic core of all urban public space forming a connected network by which everything is linked to everything else (Berghauser Pont & Haupt, 2010). The streets are then perforated by buildings which together generates movement and flow. Connectivity, pattern form and hierarchies are important aspects to consider when designing a network, which is further explored in the design proposal and has the previous integration and betweenness analysis as foundation.

Angular integration 1k

1000m

25-252 252-366 366-471 471-578 578-710 710-878 878-1114 Kvarnbyn Mölndal centre Forsåker

Network betweenness 1k 0-142090 142090-415925 415925-937589 937589-1859653

Reawaken the narrative

REAWAKEN THE NARRATIVE | Design proposal

The calculation of an “island” includes all lots and the border is defined by the surrounding public streets (Berghauser Pont & Haupt, 2010).

FSI = 2,7 GSI = 0,5 OSR = 0,2 L = 5,5

The design proposals main idea was to implement and connect the design to the existing neighbourhood around Forsåker basically in between a villa area and the highway E6, create a green strategy - both social and ecological, and make use of the narrative that is Forsåker – the industrial heritage buildings and the water running through the area. The new development should not be an island in the middle of the villa area, but find ways of including and adapting to the current context. In an attempt to accomplish that, higher office buildings are placed facing the highway to protect the buildings within from noise and air pollution, and some of the residential blocks that face the villas have been fitted with a row of townhouses. There are three types specified for each position, one with an active bottom floor, one with a closed off façade with a buffer zone to the street, and one with a bigger private setback on the front. The townhouses interact with the existing neighbourhood and creates a varied environment to the block and the street.

FSI = 1,7 GSI = 0,3 OSR = 0,4 L = 5,5

FSI = 1,6 GSI = 0,4 OSR = 0,4 L = 4,5

According to Minoura (2015), urban development requires several territories to coexist, and research says that dividing blocks into smaller plots can influence how many actors have an interest in the area which can predict diversity over time. To follow this principle and to create a difference in aesthetics, function and use, the building blocks have been split up into smaller plots, which is visible in the building height, façade and roof. The height spans between 4-8 floors and the width of 0

FSI = 1,2 GSI = 0,6 OSR = 0,3 L = 2 FSI = 0,9 GSI = 0,5 OSR = 0,6 L = 2 FSI = 0,8 GSI = 0,4 OSR = 0,8 L = 2

Section A-A

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100 m

the plot between 20-50 meters approximately. Lower building heights have flat green roofs and heights over 5 floors gets an angle which would be fitted with solar panels. The masterplan states that greenery is an important aspect in Mölndal and is therefore a significant part of this design proposal. The aim is to have a possibility for a “green movement” throughout the area. Between public parks and private yards, using trees, bushes, and grass, on the streets to get from one place to another. This accommodates both the social and the ecological green strategy to encourage people to walk or bike and to help different species live in the city landscape (Berghauser Pont & Stravroulaki, 2020). The yards are sizable with clear boundaries between public and private, which according to Minoura (2015) creates a high use- and ownership-utility if they are not over- programmed. The yard should be bottom-up appropriated by the residents if frequent use is desired, which is also considered in the design proposal. Larger trees are planted in the middle of the yard because of the placement of the underground garage that stretches underneath the buildings and around the edges of the yard. This according to a discussion on Alexander Göstas (2021) lecture about trees which need space for their root system which causes problem when placed on top of a garage. The green movement between the territories are possible for species that cannot fly thanks to the small opening on the bottom floor which tilts upwards due to the height difference.

100

500 m

Roof strategy

Plots vary in height and width

Blocks with townhouses

Water as a boundary

Types of townhouses

Green movement strategy

Legend Motorised network Non-motorised network Current building New building Public greenery Private greenery Water Green walkthrough Plot Entrance Public transport

Reawaken the narrative

REAWAKEN THE NARRATIVE | Urban rules

Section B-B

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

100 m

Street system The streets are divided into two- and one-way streets, which depends upon if it is a main street or only intended for residents. Two way street One way street Pedestrian/ cyclist street Parking Direction Public transport stop

Territory The territories aimes to be clear from a street perspective. Boundaries are made up from buildings, height differences, vegetation and the water.

Street system

Territory

Public good Common good Club good Private good (Minoura, 2015)

Building characteristics The building characteristics depend upon functions, light conditions and type of street. 8 floors 7 floors 6 floors 5 floors 4 floors <4 floors Plot Entrance

Functions The function is based on where the buildings lie in connection to either main or secondary streets that support different

Building characteristics

Reawaken the narrative

Functions

Residential Office Public Active bottom floor

REAWAKEN THE NARRATIVE | Life in Forsåker

Forsåker as stated, has a cultural-industrial heritage going back to the 1600. A part of this is the old paper factory buildings and the water running through the area. The masterplan declared that the buildings should be saved and that the water should once again have an importance in Forsåker. The design proposal implements the water line as a part of the public realm, but also in the building blocks, working as a part of the yard and as a yard boundary. Three different strategies to connect to the water have been incorporated in the design – one for public centre, one for public park and one for private yard.

This perspective gives an idea of the main street flow going through the area. The bottom floors of the residential buildings are fitted with public and retail functions such as cafes and shops and the sidewalks are generous in size to appropriate these functions. The streets are aligned with greenery such as bushes, trees and grass. At the end of the main street lies the public centre of Forsåker.

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The public functions are centred around the main streets, the water and the industrial buildings. These buildings will work as the public centre of Forsåker, by giving them new functions such as exhibition space, cafes and restaurants, retail and offices, art and dance studios, the area will reawaken. The buildings will be interconnected to each other via small streets aligned with seating areas, greenery and water installations.

100

300 m

Public centre B

Public park

Private yard

Legend Motorised network Non-motorised network Current building New building Public greenery Private greenery Water Green walkthrough Plot Entrance Public transport

Reawaken the narrative

REAWAKEN THE NARRATIVE | Connection to water

This perspective and section shows how it might look walking along the water next to the public centre and the residential yard. The territories are basically open, but some design choices declare separation between the realms, for example the water, lack of bridges from public to private, the height difference and the buildings.

Section B-B

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30 m

Public square

Perspective and section through the new square in between the public buildings that were the old paper factory. The area will have functions such as retail, cafés, studios and exhibition space. It will not compete with Mölndal centre, but support it and its neighbouring areas.

30 m

Section C-C

Reawaken the narrative

GREEN TYPOLOGIES JOSEFIN NYMAN The key project maps and elaborates green typologies, and how greenery in different scales can be implemented in urban areas.

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Background and Conditions

Masterplan conditions The masterplan proposes a strong and cohesive green network. This is highlighted in the green structure vision map to the right, where the current and proposed public green is marked. Compared to the green street typologies, described with the human scale topic for masterplan, the green areas are more undefined. This project will therefore focus on green areas rather than on green streets.

Legend Green street Ecoduct New green area/park Current green area/park New green entrance Current green entrance Connection Water

To achieve the goal: “Improve access to an extended, strategic green network” and also create social-ecological synergies, the type of greenery needs to be detailed and diverse. It is also important to include the non-public green to the strategic network. Thus, this key project aims to further detail green areas. Green structure, vision map

Key project The key project is important from both a social and ecological perspective and focuses on mapping and elaborating green typologies, both in general but also how it relates to the context of Mölndal. The project will also propose how greenery in different scales can be implemented.

Legend Main street Secondary street Pedestrian street

Three “new” green typologies will be explored more in detail. These are the Lekotop (Playotope), the Vertical Park and the Nature Park. The Nature Park is also detailed with a design proposal.

Green street Active bottom floor Public transport Current public transport stop New public transport stop Current green area New green area Current green entrance New green entrance Ecoduct Water Masterplan

Green Typologies

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Mapping Diagram

Mapping Green Typologies To understand and get an overview of existing green typologies they have been mapped in a diagram. The diagram is based on four different categories and the mapping shows the relation between different typologies. Concept of Mapping Diagram The concept diagram, to the right, show how the mapping diagram on the next two pages works. The mapping diagram is a two-dimensional representation of the concept diagram, where the four layers is placed on top of each other. The x-axis spans from social to ecological green. The y-axis spans from small to large, which indicates the size of the green area. The different coloured layers represent the territoriality of the green space as goods. In the mapping diagram this is shown by coloured dots. The goods are divided in four categories: “1. Private goods, e.g. rivalrous and excludable, 2. Club goods, e.g. non-rivalrous and excludable, 3. Commons, e.g. rivalrous and non-excludable, 4. Public goods, e.g. non-rivalrous and nonexcludable” (Minoura, 2016). The fourth dimension of the diagram is the Open Space Ratio (OSR). The OSR (spaciousness) gives a hint of the intensity of people in the non-built space (Berghauser Pont & Haupt, 2010). The numbers are undefined in the diagram, but it spans from lower to higher OSR values. For example, a higher OSR allows more space for ecological systems since the social pressure then is lower.

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Concept Diagram

Breaching Barriers

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Mapping Diagram

Mapping Diagram Step by step, green areas or surfaces have been placed within the diagram. For example, a square is a public social space with a low OSR which means that the space for greenery is limited. A forest is also public, but very ecological compared to social places. With its large size and high OSR the greenery and ecological systems can thrive. The mapping shows a gap, where no green typologies are located. This is marked with a green circle and is situated in the ecological section of the diagram. The gap indicates a lack of different ecological green typologies, especially in urban areas since the very ecological typologies are rare within the cityscape. Urban rewilding Urban rewilding is a strategy in current architectural and urban planning to counteract the loss of nature and greenery, which is a global issue (Harris, 2021). The existing greenery is also often monofunctional. Harris (2021) describes rewilding as: “Rewilding restores an area to its original, uncultivated state and can also incorporate new elements of architectural or landscape design.” Apart from being important for the biodiversity and the ecological network, rewilding also have a beneficial influence on human health (Harris, 2021). The concept of Urban rewilding is used to find new typologies within the gap, on the next page.

Green Typologies

Legend Public Common Club Private

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Mapping Diagram

New/Uncommon Green Typologies New and uncommon green typologies are proposed within the circle. Some are a more ecological version of existing typologies, like green streets, green courtyards, and green pocket parks. Some examples of how these typologies can be transformed to be greener are shown on the next page. Nursery gardens is an uncommon typology that can be used more often, for example in a smaller scale in urban areas. The Lekotop (Playotope), Vertical Park, and Nature Park will be described more in detail on coming pages. All typologies mapped each hold different qualities. Together with the “filled” gap, the diversity of green typologies, can create social-ecological synergies in an urban context.

Legend Public Common Club Private

Social-ecological Urbanism 2021

Breaching Barriers

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Green components

TREE FRUIT TREE

Green components

BUSH

The green components, on the right side on this page, can be implemented in various scales to increase the biodiversity and strengthen the ecological network. For example, birds like fruit trees such as cherry and rowanberry trees. Flowers, meadows, and insect hotels are important for pollinators and a lot of species live in dead wood and wetlands. Different species like birds and bees also thrives better when the greenery is growing naturally instead of being maintained and cropped (Harris, 2021).

TREE

BERRY BUSH LAWN

NETWORK OF INSECT HOTELS

MEADOW

FLOWER

LAWN

ALLOTMENT GARDEN

ALLOTMENT

Which green components that are suitable for the “new” green typologies, the Lekotop (Playotope), the Vertical Park , and the Nature Park, will be shown on the pages describing the typologies in detail.

ALLOTMEN

INSECT HOTEL

BIRD HOUSE

Small interventions Small interventions or transformations can be done by combining different green components in various ways in relation to the context of a location. The goal can also be to strive for a more ecological green typology. For example a lawn can be transformed to a green pocket park or a meadow. Compared to cut grass, a meadow requires less maintenance but is more beneficial for biodiversity. Different examples of what a small green intervention can be is shown in the axonometric diagrams to the right.

BUSH

FLOWER

LAWN

BIRD HOUS

MEADOW

DEAD WOOD

WETLAND

WETLAND LAWN

POCKET PARK

GREEN ROOF

Small interventions

GREEN WA

GREEN WALL Green Components

Green Typologies

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Network of green typologies

Green typologies

Legend Sport Field Square Playground School Yard Allotment Front Yard Meadow Field Lawn Garden Courtyard Residential Park Public Park Forest

To get an understanding of the diversity of greenery in Mölndal, most of the different green typologies have been mapped in the map to the right. The most common typologies in Mölndal are gardens, parks, forests, and courtyards. Some typologies are more suitable for transformations. These are lawns and parks, but also hard surface areas that are not mapped as green typologies. Public–private green The public–private green in Mölndal is mapped to give an overview of the territoriality of the green spaces. In general, smaller interventions are more relevant for the private and club green whereas larger interventions can be done for the public and especially the common green. A lot of “unused space” is common and thereby suitable for transformation. An exception is school yards that are common, and should not change typology even though more greenery can be present in the yards.

Green Typologies in Mölndal

Location criteria

Legend Public Common Club Private Building Green Street Typology 1 Green Street Typology 2 Green Street Typology 3

Some location criteria and spatial characteristics are described, on the next pages, in relation to where the “new” green typologies can be implemented. These criteria and values are guidelines, and is based on the location’s centrality (integration analysis), density/spaciousness (FSI analysis) and territoriality (goods). The values should rather be on the level of a fabric and not on an individual block. A location can fulfill these requirements but still be inappropriate for transformation if the location serves an important function within the city as it is. Thus, it is important to understand the specific context of a location when transforming it.

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Public–Private Green in Mölndal

Breaching Barriers

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Lekotop (Playotope)

Lekotop (Playotope)

TREE

TREE FRUIT TREE

The Lekotop (Playotope) is a place where the focus is to explore, play and learn in the nature. Water and other nature elements are recommended for this typology. This typology is a new term used by Urbio, a Swedish landscape architecture company. With the Lekotop (Playotope), they want to explore how spaces for play can co-exist with urban ecosystems and how this can be planned and designed in our cities (Urbio, 2021).

FRUIT TREE

BUSH BERRY BUSH

BUSH

FLOWER

BERRY BUSH

Location Criteria The centrality for this typology should be low–medium, since it is a place where children are playing but it should also be accessible for many people.

MEADOW

This typology requires a low–medium density and by that a medium–high OSR. These spatial conditions give enough space for implementing the playotope. The most suitable good for this typology is the common and the public.

BIRD HOUSE

MEADOW

INSECT HOTEL

BIRD HOUSE

Possible Locations in Mölndal Examples of possible locations where this typology can be implemented are shown with black dots in the map to the right. These are from left to right: a public lawn/path connecting a villa area with the forest, a common lawn close to a school and preschool, and a public lawn close to a school and preschool.

FLOWER

FLOWER Possible locations, Lekotop (Playotope) ALLOTMENT

DEAD WOOD DEAD WOOD

BIRD HOUSE

WETLAND DEAD WOOD GREEN ROOF Reference: Lekotop (Urbio)

Green Typologies

GREEN WALL

WETLAND Suitable Green Components

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Vertical Park

Vertical Park

TREE BUSH

FLOWER

ALLOTMENT

The Vertical Park consists of vertical structures with greenery that can be arrange in different ways, for example as a vertical wall or a square structure with several “walls” combined (like the reference to the bottom right). This typology is suitable on hard surfaces and where the space for greenery is limited. On a square, where the hard surface is important for the function, the Vertical Park can work well since it has a low footprint on the ground but instead a high green density. The green structures can also function as a green buffer, for air pollution and noise. Location Criteria

INSECT HOTEL

The Vertical Park is suited where the centrality is medium– high. This is due to its capacity to work well in small and crowded spaces.

Possible locations, Vertical Park

As mentioned above this typology works where the density is medium–high and thus a low–medium OSR. BIRD HOUSE

For this typology a common or a public good is recommended. It can also be a private good, if it is used more as a vertical farm. Possible Location Mölndal GREEN ROOF

Three examples of where the Vertical Park can be placed in Mölndal are: a common lawn close to a main street and industries (to the left in the map), and two public squares in the centre, one is more closed and smaller, and the other is bigger and more “open”.

GREEN WALL Reference: Salón verde (MVRDV)

Suitable Green Components

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GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Nature Park TREE

Nature Park

TRE

TREE FRUIT TREE

The Nature Park is a completely new typology that I propose, and therefore there is no reference image representing this. Instead, there is a design proposal for the typology on the next spread using the north location marked to the right.

FRUIT TREE

BUSH BERRY BUSH

This typology has an ecological focus and the diversity of green within the park is essential. It is an ecological contributor in urban environments that can give importance values for biodiversity. The Nature Park is mainly for different species and animals, but humans can be allowed to experience the park on a wooden or restricted path.

BUS

BUSH

FLOWER

BERRY BUSH MEADOW

Location Criteria The Nature Park requires as low centrality, so the ecological systems do not get disturbed by the urban life.

Possible locations, Nature Park

ALLOTMENT

To give space for this typology a low density and a high OSR is necessary. This typology can be either a private, a common or a public good depending on its context.

FLOW

FLOWER

MEADOW

INSECT HOTEL

BIRD HOUSE

INSECT

BIRD HOUSE

Possible Location in Mölndal Possible locations for the Nature Park is from left to right on the marked maps: a private field close to a larger field and industries, a public lawn between a forest and a residential area, and a common area with a mix of lawn and forest.

DEAD WOOD DEAD WOOD WETLAND

DEAD W GREEN ROOF Possible locations marked on Integration Analysis, Nature park

Green Typologies

GREEN WALL

WETLAND Suitable Green Components

GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Nature Park

Design Proposal The public lawn proposed to be transformed into a Nature Park is situated next to a forest, a dog park and a residential area. It can work as a transition from the wild forest area to the more strict green in the courtyards nearby.

Angular Integration 1k The location fulfills the requirement of a low integration on the lawn. The integration around the area is a bit higher, but since there are no main streets within the residential area it should not affect the ecological systems negatively.

All green components relevant for this typology are used in the proposal. The ground is mostly covered with a meadow and three wetlands. The park also includes trees, fruit trees, bushes, berry bushes, dead wood and bird houses. The plan shows how the park relates to its surroundings and the section and the perspective (on the next page), give more detail of the atmosphere the Nature Park can create where different species can thrive in an ecological green environment. Plan 1:400, Nature park

FSI analysis Compared to the residential blocks the area where the Nature Park is suggested has a low density and thus high OSR. Section 1:100, Nature Park

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GREEN TYPOLOGIES | Nature Park

Perspective, Nature Park

Green Typologies

GROUP 2 IN-BETWEEN

General context Masterplan Strategies Street network Land use Green structure Urban street life Along the edge Liminal space Along a lane Urban qualities in a suburban area

Gry Hauge Oleg Sokolovskyi Raquel Domingues Vanessa Sauerborn

GENERAL CONTEXT | Site description

stretches from Korsvägen to Mölndal station through Mölndals dalgång - Mölndal valley. The street runs parallell to E6 and Mölndalsån. It carries several bus lines and the trams 2 and 4. Today this road is mainly lined with big scale industrial facilities and hard surfaces. The street’s location and it’s connection to two important points for travel makes the area interesting for both cities and their relationship.

Mölndal Mölndal is a municipality located south of Gothenburg, in the west-coast of Sweden. It’s the third largest municipality in Västra Götaland county and has a strategic location in close proximity to the major communication routes Söderleden as well as E6 and E20 - the two European highways that cross the area (North to South).

Toltorpsgatan Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen Toltorpsgatan (5-8) on the other hand is a more narrow and less trafficed road that leeds more or less straight to Linnéplatsen, another important point for travel. It is mosly lined with residential plots although often closed off with wooden fences.

The two main streets shaping this masterplan project are widely different in character. Mölndalsvägen (1-5), that changes name to Göteborgsvägen when entering Mölndal municipality, is a relatively straight road, approximately 4.8 km long and

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Map showing our interpretation of the general context. Linnéplatsen, Korsvägen and Mölndal central station are all three important nodes for travel and therefore they are used to clarify the ends of the connections the project focuses on. The two roads, Göteborgsvägen/ Mölndalsvägen 1-5 and Toltorpsgatan 5-8, lead almost directly from highly central spots in Gothenburg, to the heart of Mölndal.

An important landmark to note is Safjället that acts as a natural barrier between the two city centers while also being an access to the area.

8 2

6 4 Legend Project streets

Main street structure Highway Non-motorized network Buildings Water Green areas

General context

VISION AND MASTERPLAN

The main idea guiding the masterplan of this project is to strenghten the connections between Gothenburg and Mölndal city centers. Therefore, the project does not focus on any area in particular, but rather the connections that lie in-between. Those connections being Göteborgsvägen/Mölndalsvägen and Toltorpsgatan; two streets that are widely different in character but both lead more or less directly from Mölndal city center to important crossroads for travel in Gothenburg. Beyond creating a more integrated street structure, this masterplan suggests a framework for developing other aspects of the two lanes and bringing in qualities that make them more integrated, varied and accessible for pedestrians in particular. The proposal includes adjusting the scale, streets, crossroads and bridges to promote pedestrians and decrease car use.

With consideration for the aim to promote pedestrian traffic and introducing more residential areas (along Mölndalsvägen/ Göteborgsvägen), the masterplan suggests new “local centers”. Those contain commercial functions for everyday necessities within walking distance from the new residential plots. As a part of changing the character of large parts of Mölndalsvägen, the masterplan also includes measures to make greenery more acessible and an integrated part of the city. In short, the masterplan aims to transform the lanes from mosly a travel distance, to a destination in itsef; lined with lively and diverse set of functions for everyday life. The masterplan will go from large scale analysis based proposals to envisioning what those changes would mean for the “human” in the environment - the pedestrian and the soft values that make up a social everyday life.

Street network

Land use

Green structure

Urban life

Analysis based street network proposal with a large scale focus that aims to strenghten the connections between Gothenburg and Mölndal.

Land use and building typology proposal and reasoning for densififying and diversifying building typologies along both roads where possible.

Analysis based green structure proposal that aims to make green areas an accessible and integrated part of the city.

The last section aims to on a closer scale envision how the previous sections come together into diverse and lively areas for quality everyday living and visit.

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Korsvägen

center_copy center Legend new_busstops

Linnéplatsen

buss Existing stops centers Local centers local_centres

open_blocks Existing bus stop closed_blocks Added bus stop E6_wall

other

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Primary street network Closed blocks StreetE6network 34 wall Other cut_highway

MASTERPLAN

mölndalsån network waterPrimary 2021street update

Secondary street network

3to5_floors

E6 Highway

6to8_floors GSI_0.4-0.6 3-5 floors GSI_0.15-0.35 6-8 floors A_business GSI 0.4-0.6 A_housing GSI 0.15-0.35 A_historical_heritage

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Buildings_Baselayer_5km Housing greenstreet Historical heritage Social functions parks_greenareas_2021_copy Existing buildings

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Mölndal City Center Masterplan

Existing greenery Added greenery

STRATEGIES

To achieve the vision, the projects makes use of following three cathegories of strategies: Street network, Built environment and Green Structure. Note that the strategies are presented in more detail on the pages where they are applied. Also, the fourth chapter does not contain a strategy, but is the combined result of the other three, focusing on softer values.

B: Built environment

A: Street network

The crossroads the four streets meet each other are particullarly interesting for considering local centers and the diversification of functions, (see Angular integration analysis.)

The connections between the two city centers is strenghtened; streets and blocks along the streets are simplified and connected to allow better flow along and over the street, making it more integrated. Two east-west connections are strenghtened to lead between the two main streets, aiding in heightening the integration of the main streets as well.

Area with potential for development of built environment are found or created. These areas are where the master plan suggests densifying and diversifying building typology and functions (see land use)

C: Green structure Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsävgen together with Mölndalsån is transformed into a green lane. Green connections are made between existing green areas. Green areas such as parks are added, as to meet the need for accessible green. These consider both social and ecological functions to an extent.

General legend - Existing Main street structure Existing green structure Important nodes for the project

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Strategies A: Street network

Strategies C: Green structure

Strategies B: Built environment

Legend

North-south connections

Densification areas

Green lane

East-west connections

Local centers

Green connections Additional green areas

Strategies maps

STREET NETWORK

Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen

Toltorpsgatan

The analysis shows Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen as being an overall highly central connection from Gothenburg to Mölndal, however the high values drop before the street reaches Mölndal center. There is potential in improving the interconnectedness of these streets to make them continuous strong links between the two city centers. This would also create well located opportunities for both cities to expand with new neighborhoods and city functions along the streets.

The analysis also hints at Toltorpsgatan’s potential to become a direct connection from Mölndals center to Linnéplatsen. Today, some redirections and gaps are disrupting it’s continuity. The higher values also do not reach Mölndal center.

Connecting streets on either side of the road also show much lower values, mirroring the experience of the site visit; the road is very much a distance one travels along, not one with many opportunities to interact with the surrounding. Additionally, there are long sections with few crossroads and few bridges to cross Mölndalsån. There is potential seen here in connecting the west side of the road to the bridges, as well as adding more bridges to improve the flow of traffic - improving the presence of Mölndalsån as well.

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There is potential in redirecting traffic along an existing, more direct course, but any widening straightening or future densifiaction along the road will be a bigger challenge along Toltorpsgatan because of its narrow nature and the residential plots lining it.

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The network betweenness analysis (5k, non-motorized) of the area today.

Delimitation for this section: Both streets are largely adapted for car use and there are several other aspects related to the street network causing that; There are qualities that affect a pedestrians movability, such as low variety of functions, no shield from weather and wide open spaces leaving one feeling exposed. Those are considered later on, in a closer scale in “Land use” and “Urban life”.

Mölndalsvägen

Toltorpsgatan

Mölndalsån

Göteborgsvägen

Legend Network betweenness 5k (nm) 0 - 1622108 1622108 - 5564217 5564217 - 12384446 12384446 - 23449462 23449462 - 67024760

Buildings Water Green areas

Street network I Spatial analysis

STREET NETWORK

The two streets are widely different in character, which gives different amounts of leeway when it comes to changing the streets themselves and the structure surrounding them.

Toltorspgatan is located at the base of it, where one of three parallell streets have been removed in favour of new plots for densification. This way traffic is also concentrated.

Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen

The east-west connections are also strenghtened and concentrated to lead traffic between the two streets on either side of Safjället.

Dead ends have been connected to create better flow long and across the street as well as in the relation to the bridges over Mölndalsån. Crossroads have been simplified and there are now more pedestrian crossings, helping make the street more integrated. Toltorpsgatan Changes couldn’t be made to the same extent along Toltorpsgatan since the street itself is more narrow and it is lined with residential buildings. However, the biggest change that affects

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Mölndal center Since the connections between the city centers are the focus area for the masterplan, limited amount of changes were made to Mölndal center itself. However, it goes to show that there is potential to improve the values of the center as well, using the connections of the two streets and potentiall other’s from sout and east, from outside the scopes of this masterplan.

Small means

Creating block structure

Concentrating traffic

Crossing the barriers

Straightening

Where possible, connecting/ adjusting streets that are already there, making more use of existing bridges and crossroads.

In addition to adding conncetions over the streets, adding a block structure along it as well, removing dead ends and creating better flow of traffic.

Deleating one of three roads at the base of Toltorpsgatan, making space for additional park and city area and concentrating traffic.

Crossing the barrier to allow for more straight connections and pedestrian friendly crossings, particullarly along Mölndalsvägen.

Aligning streets and connections to them as well as removing roundabouts, with the ambition of making more direct, simple connections.

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With the suggested changes the Network Betweenness analysis shows the two streets becoming more central and continuous where there were previous gaps. They become more direct lanes from Gothenburg to the heart of Mölndal. The same is true for the east-west connections.

Legend 0 - 2789181 2789181 - 10637120 10637120 - 23925392 23925392 - 66667968 Current situation | Network betweenness 5k (Non-motorized)

Proposal | Angular betweenness 5k (Non-motorized)

The Angular Integration analysis shows boh streets becoming notably more integrated, as well as carrying those values all the way towards Mölndal city center in the bottom right corner. Note the high centrality and integration at the crossroads where the four streets meet, as described in “Vision and masterplan”.

kp2_new_Street_network_40_proposal_n Legend 405 11 --404 405 --734 740 404 734 740 --1098 1116 1098 1116--1518 1537 1518 1537--1982 1980 1982 1980--2467 2445 2467 2445--3652 3588 Current situation | Angular Integration 5k (Non-motorized)

Street network I Comparison

Proposal | Angular integration 5k (Non-motorized)

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STREET NETWORK

Public transport is necessary in cities that strive towards sustainable development. It makes it possible to create attractive cities where human lives are enhanced. In cities with extended public transport networks, more people have space to live, work and prosper. Better use of resources is another benefit of good public transport, as car use is decreased and constraint on public roads is reduced. In cities with less cars, air quality is higher and therefore longer life expectancy. It is important that planning of new public transport comes early in the process as it can be hard to adjust afterwards.

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The area included in the masterplan is well covered by public transport. Several bus routes go along the main streets as well as a tram line. Despite that, during the attraction distance analysis of the proposed street network, it has been identified the weaker values where the distance to the public transport stops is longer than 200 meters. In the proposal we add several bus stops along the existing bus routes, in locations where new buildings are added. The proposed change in street network includes a new street parallel to Göteborgsvägen. The proposal adds several bus stops along the street. The added public transport stops bring the proposed areas closer to the other functions and to each other.

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Current situation: Streets to public transport AD

Proposal: Streets to public transport AD

Proposal: Schematic

Legend

Existing bus stops

Added bus stops

Added bus stops Primary street network Non motorized network Water Green structure

Street network I Comparison

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LAND USE

Today, Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen is dominated by industries and big retail like car shops. The plots are large with big oversized buildings and a fair distance to the street. The area is rich in parking lots as well. Toltorpsgatan is almost the opposite, with small plots and single-family housing, though still a fair distance to the main street. The area in general is very divided by functions, which partly comes from Mölndalsån being used by industries in the past.

Both streets are inaccessible to pedestrians with the percieved distance to Mölndal, Korsvägen and Linnéplatsen being quite large. The areas are divided by certain building typologies, where Toltorpsdalen has single-family homes and low residence buildings, Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen has big industry buildings and some tall office buildings and central Mölndal consists of block structures. Krokslätts Parkgata and the surrounding area consist of single-family residence buildings.

areas

GOT_NMS_190611

Buildings_Baselayer_5km

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The map roughly show how the building typologies are divided in areas. For example, a big area north of Safjället consists almost exclusively of villas, areas south of Änggårdsbergen is mostly open blocks, and the buildings along Mölndalsån are very large scaled compared to all other areas nearby.

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This map shows the current housing plots. The area is dominated by housing, except for along Mölndalsån and in the forest areas. The difference in size of the plots gives an idea of where there are multi-family buildings and where there are single-family homes.

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Social plots like schools, sport halls, Business and industry plots shown religious buildings and others are more on this map very clearly highlights concentrated in the central areas. Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen as an industrial lane.

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Buildings_Baselayer_5km GOT_NMS_190611 Industry plots Businesses plot Housing plots Social functions plots water 2021 update

Legend Buildings Buildings_Baselayer_5km Non-motorized network GOT_NMS_190611 Industrial plots Industry plots Businesses plotsplot Businesses

Housing plots plots Residential Social functions Social functions plots water Water Land use I Spatial analysis

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LAND USE

The areas we have chosen to densify, shown on the smaller map, are chosen based on a few criteria. The focus of densification is mostly along Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen and Toltorpsvägen. Parking lots and spaces where infrastructure is becoming obsolete is being used, and also industry plots and big retail plots.

A school is added on Mölndalsvägen close to a park and Mölndalsån, to increase access to schools when new residents move into the area. Along Bifrostgatan, a space is added next to the school for sports activities. Along Mölndalsvägen in a local centre, a social space is added as a small square with an existing tram stop.

The building typology is chosen based on surrounding areas and our goal for the area. Along Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen, blocks are placed for an urban and dense character. Blocks next to the river will have a more open structure, while blocks close to the highway that are not protected by the office wall or on the other side of Mölndalsvägen will be closed. This will give the residents a private yard, and maximize the potential of Mölndalsån.

In the local centres, mixed use buildings with retail and service in the bottom floors and housing on top are placed. The factories identified as having a high cultural value are preserved and has potential to be turned into having other functions.

Map showing chosen areas for densification.

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6to8_floors 3to5_floors Street networkLegend 32 GSI_0.4-0.6 GSI_0.15-0.35 open_blocks closed_blocks E6_wall other

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closed_blocks GSI 0.4-0.6

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water 2021 update Housing A_business Historical heritage A_housing Social functions A_social

Existing industrial Industry plotsplots Existing business plots Businesses plot Existing housing Housing plotsplots Existing functionplots plots Social social functions Water water

Land use I Proposal

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IN-BETWEEN | Green structure

The main type of green spaces in the area are natural areas, including areas like Safjället and Änggårdsbergen. Only one park was found during the site visit, which was Stadshusparken at Fässberg church. Most of the vegetation in the area therefore consists of forest, though there are also a lot of private green spaces in the form of yards for single-family homes and apartment buildings.

Accessibility to green spaces in the area is limited, because of the height differences and structure of the natural areas, and lack of parks. Most buildings in the area are closer than 500 metres to green areas, but you have to take into consideration what these green areas are. The vast amount of forest and green areas are a real potential, and could be a great feature in the area with higher accesibility.

Some of the streets, for example Mölndalsvägen/ Göteborgsvägen, are lined with greenery such as trees and narrow patches of grass.

There is potential in develping green struture with consideration to Möldnalsån, the river that runs alongside Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen. Even though it runs parallel to the street, it is not always visible and there are few occasions where it is approachable.

Möndalsån

Krokslätts torg

Along part of Mölndalsån is a smaller green area with Greenery on the square. some bushes and trees.

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Möndalsvägen Rows of trees and strips of grass along Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen

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LegendGreen Entrances_UPD_Molndal Non-motorized network GOT_NMS_190611 Contour lines Contour_lines Water water 2021 update Green structure ParksGreenAreas_UPD_Molndal

Green structure I Spatial analysis

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GREEN STRUCTURE

It is concluded that the area does not lack greenery, but access to greenery. The masterplan aims to increase access to greenery, working with a few different methods explained further down below. Seen on the map to the right is the existing and the added greenery in the area, as well as existing and added entrance points.

The green network is now more connected, mostly in the westeast direction where connections were sparse. Some bigger areas have been added, as well as many connections in the form of green streets. The street network also plays a role in the proposed increased green connectivity by strategically connecting and strengthening green areas.

Social greenery

Mölndalsån green lane Along Mölndalsån, a park is added to increase access to it as well as dealing with flooding.

Pocket parks ocket parks are added along Mölndalsvägen/ Göteborgsvägen to increase access to greenery in an urban way.

Connecting green areas To have a certain continuity, and to increase biodiversity and opportunities for plant and animal life, greenery is connected, both with parks but also with green strips along streets in the form of trees and bushes.

Parks connected to forests To contrast the wild forest, more controlled green areas like parks are added alongside the forest. This can also invite people to use the forest areas more.

Mölndalsån green lane Creating a green lane along Mölndalsån can attract geese, as well as hosting plants that are not usually found in the city-scape. It can also help with flooding.

Ground vegetation By choosing what ground coverage to have, insects and pollinators get better conditions. Using flowers and not cutting the grass too often will increase biodiversity in parks and other green areas in the city.

Increased connectivity By connecting several green areas with parks and green streets, birds, insects and bats can move more easily between existing forest areas.

Access points to forests To utilize all the forest that exists in the area, access points in forms of paths and stairs are added to increase accessibility.

Ecological greenery

Trees with berries By choosing trees like rowan, apple or cherry, birds and bats gets an extra food source.

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LegendGOT NMS 190611 Added streets

Non-motorized GOT NMS 190611 Added streets Green_Entrances_2021 Existing green entrances Green_Entrances_2021 green_entrances_new Added green green_entrances_new water 2021entrences update Water water 2021 update parks_greenareas_2021_copy Existing green areas parks_greenareas_2021_copy Parks_GreenAreas_2021 Added green areas Parks_GreenAreas_2021 parks_greenery_added

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GREEN STRUCTURE

Access to Greenery The network betweenness analysis (5k, non-motorized) of the area today, on page 15, also shows that green areas aren’t easily accessible, because of terrain and the few entry points. For the proposal, the street network needs to connect green areas as a natural part of the whole city network. Spatial analysis The top two images show the attraction distance before and after changes. There is great improvement along Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen, and some improvement in Toltorpsgatan. Overall, the attraction distance to green areas was fairly good even before interventions.

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The bottom images show the attraction reach within 500 metres to green areas before and after intervention. Here, the strongest improvements are seen around Safjället, specifically along Krokslätts Parkgata and Bifrostgatan, the east-west connections. Overall, the access to greenery is greatly improved in the area. What is not seen in the analyses are the increased number of access points and streets leading to and through green areas. The character of Toltorpsgatan is mostly kept, but with added green streets and areas to highlight the east-west connections and improve the area in general. Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen is better equiped to handle residents and workers with the increased access to greenery and with the river accentuated.

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Legend 0 - 300 300 - 500 500 - 1000 1000 - 11879

Non-motorized network Water Green structure Current situation | Attraction distance

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Non-motorized network Water Green structure Current situation | Attraction reach 500 m

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Proposal | Attraction reach 500 m

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URBAN STREET LIFE

From observations it has been understood that the context, a space “in-between“ city centres, appears formulated from spaces in transition. Where urban and social life is lacking, particularly in the main streets from the connection centres, the space is empty and free of interactions, from people to nature. Detached and car oriented the result are plots with big scale where industrial functions exist here, like in somewhere other context. Even though, we see value in some industrial spaces that bring identity to some areas. Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen is clearly an example of this emptiness in social interactions. “Cities are constituted by many processes social, economic, ecological and technological.” From our 1st lecture within the course SEU In this context we see that many of these processes are lacking, especially if we start to understand the urban form: public spaces where social interactions are possible are almost invisible or even inexistent. And when we understand that every-

Dominance of parking areas

thing is connected then we see how this space is fragmented. “The concept of ‘spatial configuration’ — meaning relations which take account of other relations in a complex.” Hillier, B. (1996), Space is the machine - A configurational theory of architecture, Cambridge. The main problems identified are the wide streets intended mainly to accommodate traffic, parking lots that occupy the empty areas around the large industrial lots and the few small and isolated green areas. Furthermore, Mondalsån, which despite being a value for the area, is almost inaccessible and invisible. The proposal aims to transform the monofunctional plots into areas with a greater variety of uses, with the aim of serving the inhabitants, inviting pedestrians to use the street, promoting encounters between the community, and improving connections to natural environments and Mondalsån.

Large Industry plots

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Large Industry plots

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Sections of the street profile showing the existing intersection between Mölndalsvägen and Krokslätts parkgata, where is visible the monofunctional street character.

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River almost innaccessible

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URBAN STREET LIFE

We envision our proposal as places where people use the space in more close relation with all functions such as housing, mixed use, green areas, and the river. Giving more areas for pedestrians and creating greenery along Mondalsån bringing values to the existing industrial heritage. “Places are not local things. They are moments in large-scale things, the large-scale things we call cities. Places do not make cities. It is cities that make places. The distinction is vital.” Hillier, B. (1996), Space is the machine - A configurational theory of architecture, Cambridge.

New bridges and connections along the river give more access to pedestrians to use Möndalsån river as a recreational space and a social green corridor. The street is designed to incorporate new functions, with the aim of diversifying activities along the main streets, creating a clearer path, and having more pedestrian spaces and paths on both sides. Parking is created along greenery and among trees. Pedestrians have priority in the use of the road, and it is possible to cycle adjacent to the green areas. The street is a living space and more than a traffic area, it is also used for social gatherings.

The proposal aims to give more space for pedestrians and bicycles along the Mölndalsvägen, creating green areas where people can sit and stay and access green spaces.

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More space for green areas and cycle

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Section of the street profile and Detail showing our proposal, where different functions make the street multifunctional.

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KEY PROJECTS

“Along the edge”

”Along a Lane”

Key project 1 will focus on the area between Mölndalsvägen and E6. The area has a lot of hard spaces and large scale buildings that can be given more urban character, since it is close to Korsvägen. The intention is to add more mixed use functions, such as housing, businesses and entertainment as the area is dominated by the closeness to Liseberg and Evenemangsstråket (Eventstreet). The area also includes several historical buildings that are of cultural value.

Key project 3 includes tying the greenb lane, park, mölndalsån, a public bottom floor and residential buildings into one cohesive local center, imagining the activities that it could attract all times of day and considering how it interacts with surrounding areas as well as Mölndal city center.

“Liminal Space” Key project 2 will focus on creating a more continuous urban street, the relation between urban green areas/parks and approachability to the Mondalsån river, creating urban conditions with access to natural habitats. The project aims to investigate the relations and transitions between public vs private and how to build a sustainable green and blue recreational corridor, along a specific area in Mölndalsvägen.

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“Urban qualities in a suburban area” Key project 4 will focus on how Toltorpsgatan connects from Mölndal to Linnéplatsen and how the street is experienced by residents and travelers. The project will also include how the green streets will look, and how the new residential area will relate to the existing buildings.

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The key projects were chosen along the two main streets with consideration to the local centers and different qualities and challenges that could be focal points

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ALONG THE EDGE OLEG SOKOLOVSKYI The area has a central location in Gothenburg and is proposed to be transformed into a mixed-use area with housing and service. The noisy motorway is blocked by a wall of office buildings.

Problem description

The main problems that have been identified when analysing the area are close proximity to the motorway and railway, lack of clear street structure and green places and in general large focus on motorized traffic infrastructure. The area today is dominated by large scale industries and parking lots. It is surrounded by Liseberg park, railway and Mölndalsvägen, which make the area isolated. Mölndalsvägen is a wide road for trams and cars and is a divider between residential area and industries.

Proximity to motorway

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Few connections and large plots

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ALONG THE EDGE | Urban design proposal

The design proposal is based on the masterplan that requires a buffer zone along the motorway, in the form of an office wall. The main building typology in the area is block, both open and semi-open. The blocks closest to the river are open towards it, which will let the residents take part of the nature. The blocks closest to the motorway are semi-open and consist of high office buildings and residential houses. The main pedestrian flows in the area go along the river that is strengthened by the park and a promenade which will give the residents more access to the greenery. A new bridge over the river is added, to create a better connection with Mölndalsvägen. The bridge is situated near the old industrial area that is transformed into an office and cultural cluster and together with a new square becomes a new attraction point in the area.

An office wall protects from noise and pollution

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The park on the other side of Mölndalsvägen adds more greenery in the area and creates new pedestrian paths thus leading people to the main node in the area. The southern part of the area consists of existing industrial buidling with cultural value, that are transformed into offices, cultural hubs and restaurants. A parking garage is placed to block from noise and pollution from the motorway. A green path along the river continues south and residential open blocks are faced towards it.

A more accecible blue and green structure

New street structure with more connections

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ALONG THE EDGE | Pedestrian and car flows 0

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Pedestrian flows The main pedestrian flows are along Mölndalsvägen and the river. The area is in close proximity to Korsvägen and Liseberg entrance, thus large flows are expected in south-north dierction. The cultural cluster in the middle is an attraction node, with a square and restaurants.

Car flows Mölndalsvägen today is an important connection and is added more urban character with less lanes and more greenery. It is the main car connection in the proposal, together with a new street between the proposed blocks. The square in the middle is pedestrian only thus discouraging use of private cars in the area.

Legend Primary flows Secondary flows Attraction spots

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The angular integration analysis shows the integration situation with current and added street network in the area. Streets with high values are Mölndalsvägen and Framnäsgatan which are important pathways for reaching the proposed area. The proposal adds an integrated street network, which is more defined in its grid and creates more connection to Mölndalsvägen which also increases integration values.

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ALONG THE EDGE | Plots and stories 0

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The office wall is in accordance to the master plan higher than the rest of the buildings. The buildings become lower the closer to the river they are, this is to maximize amount of sun hours. The typical blocks in the area are relatively dense, despite openings towards the water. For the chosen block FSI is 2,54 which is higher than average and GSI is 0,55 which is also higher than average.

FSI - 2,54 GSI - 0,55 OSR - 0,18

Legend 6-8 stories 4-5 stories 2-3 stories existing buildings plots

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Offices are mostly situated between the motorway and housing. Closest to the river there are cafés and restaurants. In the old factory buildings it is suitable to locate different functions that will bring life to the area, such as ateliers, cultural hubs, cafés and restaurants. The plan also create possibility for active frontages that face main streets. Accessibility to services within walking distance is an important factor for liveability of an area (Berghauser Pont, Stavroulaki, 2020:5). Daycares are located in the calm parts of the area. A parking garage is placed to block noise from the motorway and take care of the parking places without taking too much ground space.

Legend offices cafés and restaurants culture facilities grocery stores active entrances daycare parking garage

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ALONG THE EDGE | Zooming in 0

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The focus area shows in depth how pedestrian flows will be guided towards the new square in the old industrial area. Different types of paving are used to differentiate the “path” and the “square” spaces. The path is also more defined with trees, vegetation and benches. The place is blocked from motorway noise by office buildings and is a shared space for cars and pedestrians. The open space gives opportunity for activities and the openings toward the river bring nature closer.

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Section above shows relation between a courtyard and the river. Since the courtyards are open toward the river, it is important to give the residents sense of privacy. This is achieved by making the courtyard higher by 1.5 meter. Section below shows a new central street in the proposed area. To encourage urban life the sidewalk is extra wide, which will make possible for outdoor seating along the street. Difference in building height creates diverse environment and exciting views.

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LIMINAL SPACE RAQUEL DOMINGUES Focus on creating a more continuous urban street, the relation between urban green areas/parks and approachability to the river, creating urban conditions with access to natural habitats. The project aims to investigate the relations and transitions between public vs private and how to build a sustainable green and blue infrastructure as a recreational corridor, along a specific area in Mölndalsvägen.

The idea of liminality appears in the theoretical concept of architecture as a transitional state or defined threshold for what exists between, involving the interrelationship of two phenomena as a need to discourse to reconcile spatial polarities.

General context and masterplan relation

Mölndalsvägen is one of the main streets that shapes our Masterplan, being a central connection with closeness to both cities, Gothenburg and Mölndal, today the road is mainly lined with big scale industrial facilities and hard surfaces. From the Masterplan it was understood that there is a potential in developing existing green areas, making them more accessible and connecting the existing one, both for social aspects but also ecological, including Mölndalsån that is an interesting and valuable part of the existing structure with the intention of making greenery and the river part of the city. According to the Masterplan, a school is added close to a new park and Mölndalsån, to increase access to schools when new residents move into the area. Along Mölndalsvägen some social spaces are also added, and a small square near an existing 0

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tram stop. Offices and mixed-use buildings with retail and service in the bottom floors and housing on top are proposed. Urban life in Mölndalsvägen must correspond to a city that is livable, and the street needs to be more than a road for transport. As a result, pedestrians and bicyclists are given more space on the streets. Historically, Mölndalsån has been of great importance to the area. Utilize the potential of Mölndalsån as a green/ blue corridor will also be one of the main strategies for my key project. An important note about the location of my key project is the fact that the boundary of Gothenburg and Mölndal Municipalities is at the center of my project, intersecting the location space and making it even more relevant considering the concept of Liminality that I will investigate further. 0

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Map showing the the context, site located between two main connections of the Gothenburg city center: Korsvägen and the center of Mölndal, where there is the central station. Legend Project streets Main street structure Highway Non-motorized network Buildings Water Green areas Map showing the new functions added from the Masterplan, the context of the proposal within the Masterplan and the hierarchy of the important flows: - Main flows - street more public. center_area center_area -Secondary flows - crosses and street center_area connections. center_middle - Tertiary flows - street more private. center_middle

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LIMINAL SPACE | Urban design proposal “The pattern of the grid of roads in a town or region is a kind of playboard that sets out the rules of the game. The rules outline the kind of game; but the players should have the opportunity to use to the full their individual skills whilst playing it.” (Martin, L. 1972. “The Grid as generator.”) “ The rule is that instead of keeping these problems at the edge of our field of vision, and accepting them as anomalies, we should bring them center stage and make them our starting point. We should, in effect, start from what we cannot explain rather than what we think we can.

Concept of Liminal space or Liminality

Key project

“The concept of liminality in architecture is defined as “ephemeral relationship between people and spatial environments.” Liminality or the liminal refers to transitional space – “neither one place nor another, but a third space inbetween.” If we observe space as “an interrelationship between physical attributes and different temporal, philosophical, political, social or historical dimensions”, (Smith, C. 2001) than architecture could be defined as a process of articulating relations between space and these non-spatial elements.” (Marić, M. 2012. Liminal Field of Architecture In – Betweenness)

How can the typology of the buildings create conditions for different functions coexists such as housing and offices or industrial uses? How to create integrated solutions? The objective of my key project, also based on the objectives defined in the masterplan, is to develop links between the river valley and green areas along it, enabling the connection between existing green areas, using parks and green lanes, and creating a new green and blue infrastructure (GBI). These links that I call ST (structures) not only will promote social sustainability but also, they will help create a new urban identity to the area, transforming this Liminal Space into new qualities to discover.

Urbanity, we suggest, is not so mysterious. Good space is used space. Most urban space use is movement. Most movement is through movement, that is, the byproduct of how the grid offers routes from everywhere to everywhere else. Most informal space use is also movement related, as is the sense and fact of urban safety. Land uses and building density follow movement in the grid, both adapting to and multiplying its effects. The urban buzz, or the lack of it when it suits us, is the combination of these, and the fundamental determinant is the structure of the grid itself. The urban grid through its influence on the movement economy is the fundamental source of the multifunctionality that gives life to cities.”

Revitalization of an urban space defined as liminal, to transform it to act as shared grounds cohabited by multiple species, while functioning as an interactive public space. 134

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Map showing the key project design proposal.

The barriers such as the highway create different intersections, this project will look upon on how these intersections in Mölndalsvägen can be unique and how to develop quality in neighborhoods. The area is a matter of transitions. How to transform the area into recreational spaces that can be sustainable lived? Green corridor can be wider to accommodate different activities.

Legend New buildings Existing buildings Blue corridor - river

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LIMINAL SPACE | Green Blue infrastructure

Globally population is increasing, in a world that is dramatically changing, we are seeing an increase in people living in cities. In the 20th century, 10% of the world’s population lived in cities. Continuing at this pace, it will become 75% in 40 years (2050). Sweden’s population increased in 2020 by 51,706 people and in Mölndal increased 537 people, having reached to 69 901 total people, within the municipality where 97,2% live in urban areas. (Source: Statistics Sweden). “Green and blue infrastructure (GBI) - a particular type of green infrastructure emerged as climate change impacts became more evident and stormwater management became increasingly challenging in urbanized areas.” (Liao, Deng and Tan. 2017. Blue-Green Infrastructure: new frontier for sustainable urban stormwater management.) “IPCC estimates the sea level is likely to rise between 0.26 m (lower level of RCP2.5) to 0.98 m (higher level of RCP8.5) until the end of the 21st century worldwide (Church et al., 2013). In addition to the estimates made by IPCC, other scientific research has made calculations where the estimations differ, and some of these models indicate that the mean sea level might rise by 1.5 meters until 2100 in Sweden (MSB, 2017).” (Eriksson, E. 2019. Planning for sea level rise in Sweden)

As cities grow and expand to accommodate the increasing population, natural areas are being disrupted by impermeable surfaces such as asphalt roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and other types of constructions from urbanization processes. These hard surfaces don’t allow the infiltration of water into the soil, result in increasing pollution degraded water quality and excessive flooding. Urban developments are decreasing the connectivity of natural habitats impacting negatively ecological diversity and reducing ecosystems resilience but also having impact in human wellbeing and urban livability.

One strategy to address these problems are green and blue infrastructures that have been seen as a positive way to decrease traditional grey infrastructure offering benefits in urban areas. Mölndalsån has historical, ecological, and social value, but it is inaccessible and visible to people, having almost no places to enjoy its shores. The river today presents itself as a green link between north and south, being rich in species but found in an almost entirely urban landscape.

Mapping the User

Mapping the Activities

Who are the Actants:

The activities are proposed in a form of links/ structures that go from Stillness to Motion:

- Residents. - Non-residents (every day workers in the area). - Visitors. - Ecological users: having species on focus (Birds: Woodpecker and European Robin, Geese, Bats.). - Students from new school.

ST 01 - Green Slope. ST 02 - Contemplation Stage. ST 03 - Yoga Mat. ST 04 - Playground/ Outdoor Gym. ST 05 - Pedestrian Stone Path. ST 06 - Walking Path. ST 07 - Wooden Bridge.

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visitors nonresidents (every day workers)

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Diagrams showing the mapping of the users and the different activities proposed.

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ST 05 Pedestrian Stone Path

ST 02 Contemplation Stage

students ST 01 Green Slope

ST 03 Yoga Mat

ST 04 Playground/ Outdoor Gym

ST 07 Wooden Bridge

ST 06 Walking Path

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Map showing the different activities proposed to be functioning along the green and blue recreational corridor. (GBI) Each activity shown in the selected sketches, will be characterized by a different type of links and structures here called ST:

ST 04 ST 03

ST 02 - Contemplation Stage

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ST 03 -Yoga Mat ST 05 - Pedestrian Stone Path

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ST 06 - Walking Path

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ST 07 - Wooden Bridge Along the river the street with just pedestrians will have soft surfaces and most of the hard surfaces will be taken out.

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The river area will have a wet land area (1,5 m) for prevent flooding. Vegetation will be planned according to the guidelines from the Masterplan where trees with berries will be prioritize since it gives birds and bats: extra food source; ground vegetation using flowers and not cutting grass will increase biodiversity; and the intention will be also to have easier connection between different green areas to increase connectivity to birds and insect allowing them to move easily between the forest areas. The hand sketches show the livability possible in the area, creating a green and blue recreational corridor. Aiming to restore and reclaim nature in the city. Areas and path for people walk or stay along the river. Bridges and wooden structures increase access to blue corridor, in different levels that allow adaptation depending on water levels.

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LIMINAL SPACE | Urban form and social territory 0

The urban design proposal intended to propose the blocks with the idea of a Green Blue infrastructure as a central and common space that would bring unity and define character to the neighborhood. And this idea become stronger during the process of the current investigation and design. How to transform Liminality and preserve some qualities of the place? The conclusion result in the idea that this wouldn’t be a city center or even a new center “in-between”, rather it would be a “Neighborhood”. Capacity

Table showing the four categories of goods based on the Eva Minoura research.

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Excludable

Control

“We have seen that spatial variable interplay to affect the utility of the territories thus produced, depending on factors such as size and enclosure. At this point, it should be clear that how we label spaces, whether as semi-private, private, semi-public, and so forth actually says very little about how the spaces perform territorially. Density matters to both use and sense of ownership, as does the way in which the density is distributed, but in different ways. If we want to support the use of yards, we must be mindful of preserving the size and spaciousness of the open spaces but, for ownership, smaller spaces may be more easily appropriated.” (Minoura, E. 2016 “Uncommon Ground”)

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Based on the literature from Eva Minoura and the learnings from the Workshop 3 and 4, this key project deals with plots where the urban character is accentuated in the form of a big plot, and some questions were raised: “The first question could be, in terms of multifunctional uses, what will the new housing look like here? If we consider mixed use, how would the dynamics be decided in different types of territories? The aim will be an effective balance between density and open space. Transitions are decided from private to public.” (Workshop 3 and 4)

Non-Excludable

“To study how territorial mechanisms in urban contexts actually work, we need to understand the relation between urban form and social response as is proposed in Émile Durkheim’s conception of social morphology: “the form of society determines the form of ideas held by people within it” (Collins 2003, 69). Such an understanding of space considers the built form as not simply a backdrop to life but as having performance characteristics with consequences for human behavior in terms of social, economic, and environmental or other consequences (Berghauser Pont and Haupt 2010, Hillier and Hanson 1984, Marcus 2000, Marcus and Koch 2005).”

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First map shos the green areas proposed, the second map shows the degree of privacy and the types of yards in relation to the blocks.

Buildings are placed in a modular grid of a 12x12 m and design based on that. And the office buildings will have a higher dimension: 17m depth.

Map showing the new plots and the new building footprint proposed with respective values shown in more detail.

“Yards are Affordances”

Closed blocks, where most of the uses are Housing, allow more privacy within the courtyards. Open boundaries (such as courtyards entrances) allow entrances that are open during the day and if possible, closed at night, creating different levels of accessibility over time. (Club good).

GSI for the area is approximately as in the masterplan (0,40/0,60) and values are between 0,32 to 0,53.

“The affordances of the environment are what it offers the animal, what it provides or furnishes, either for good or ill. The verb to afford is found in the dictionary, but the noun affordance is not. I have made it up. I mean by it something that refers to both the environment and the animal in a way that no existing term does. It implies the complementarity of the animal and the environment.” (Gibson, J. 1976. “The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception”) The courtyards where planned based on what defines a good yard from (Minoura, E. 2016 “Uncommon Ground”): -Planned early on (enclosure, spaciousness, clarity, flexibility); -For residents (seen as part of housing, thus not for everyone); -Flexible (allows for multiple uses at once, provides privacy and pleasant microclimate); -Complex (use topography and has a variety of green, including big trees if possible). Legend Public parks/ Public Good Semi public/ Common Good Private garden courtyard/ Club Good Street and sidewalk/ Common

Some blocks when the plot didn’t allow closed blocks, but where Housing is still predominant, are open blocks. Here the ground floor has more public access and a central space is created (Common good) with lower control but still with high in capacity, this is a private property with public access and can result in a park. The Offices blocks are open blocks and form a barrier to the highway and the train lines, helping to reduce noise and pollution. This blocks also have a semi-public garden that result in a Common good, that can be used also by residents and visitors but mainly offer a park to the workers closed to each office building. The open blocks are for more social activities like the school and the green areas near these functions. The Social functions such as the new school, proposed in the Masterplan give more importance to the need of the public spaces around the GBI and become more connected to these public areas.

FSI values are higher in Offices blocks also where the densification was more needed, according to the Masterplan.

Tables showing the values for each block and the total values for all area within the key project.

Even working with large plot there was a need to divide the blocks in smaller plots (property line) this can result in one or more property owners but also improve flexibility and sustainability, that is translated in resilient density.

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LIMINAL SPACE | Spatial analysis and Distribution of flows 0

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The Angular Integration analysis shows Mölndalsvägen street becoming more integrated from Gothenburg towards Mölndal city center. The comparison shows the difference between the current situation and the key project proposal, overall, the area for my key project has high integration values.

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Current situation | Angular Integration 5k (Non-motorized)

“Integration is usually indicated to how many people are likely to be in a space and is thought to correspond to rates of social encounter and retail activities.” (Hillier, 1996) Angular Integration (Angular closeness centrality) highlights centrality cores – area (cores of centrality “to movement”). How “close” is each street segment to all other street segments?

kp2_new_Street_network_40_proposal_new_AI_5k 744 - 1124 1124 - 1552 1552 - 1997 1997 - 2461 2461 - 3588

This map of angular integration analysis uses a rainbow-colour from blue to red, where warm colours (red, orange) are the most integrated lines and blue is the most segregated. Meaning the red streets are closer to others, least angular and very well connected to others, not by metric distance. Here is analysed the NMN (pedestrians) in 5k (every street is analysed in 5 km in all direction - global connection).

kp2_new_Street_network_40_proposal_new_AI_5k 405 - 740 740 - 1116 1116 - 1537 1537 - 1980 1980 - 2445 2445 - 3588

kp2_new_Street_network_40_proposal_new_AI_5k Legend 405 1 -- 405 405 --740 740 405 740 740 --1116 1116 1116 1116 --1557 1537 1557 1537 --1980 1980

Key project proposal | Angular integration 5k (Non-motorized)

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First map shows the distribution of flows within the key project proposal. Legend Highway Train line Tram line Car - all traffic Car - only residents Cycle Pedestrian only Public transport stop Second map shows the main functions, the building uses, the entrances in each building and block. Legend Building entrances Courtyard entrances Housing Bussiness (Commerce) Offices Social Third map shows the ground floors with the active frontage and the property line of each block. The active frontage exists only at the ground floor level in mixed use buildings. Here it is also shown the name/nr. of blocks and the building heights proposed. Legend Active frontage (Ground floor) Property line

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The street profiles show two sections crossing Mölndalsvägen.

Important design tools were taken in consideration when designing blocks and each building. As already explained in the building density rules, blocks facing the highway and train line will have higher density and higher floors, to act as a barrier for noise and pollution. To balance that, in terms of form, the blocks are opened and offer wide courtyards with lower OSR then the closed blocks. These blocks are for Office functions. Blocks for Social functions are also opened and offer lower density and lowest heights, to have a more human scale approach. These courtyards are closer to the public areas and can act as extensions, complementing the public parks, with activities nearby. Housing blocks are the more closed blocks, with more variety in heigh of the buildings, allowing a variation of the urban street and providing a vibrant corridor along the routes. The buildings in these blocks have variation in facades (building setback) to indicate hierarchy and visual interest. Buildings facing the main road (Mölndalsvägen) offer mixed use functions, with commercial floors at the ground level, small shops to serve the residents. The new street towards the Office buildings will be car traffic only for residents and workers, this will serve the residents and users of every day but promote decreasing car usage, expected to give more space for pedestrians and cycle. Towards the less agitated street the blocks will have two open arched building (entrances) to the courtyards. In all blocks the heights were decided also according to sun exposure (3d studies were conducted) and better views, for so, the heights are higher towards north orientation and lowers towards south, and lower again towards west (river), to

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Park with activities (ST 04)

Car lanes reduced

Paths along the river

Street profile section BB’ - Proposal

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Street profile section AA’ - Proposal

r (ST 07)

Public park with activities (ST 03)

(ST 01/ ST02)

Liminal Space I Urban life

Active frontage with Mixed use

Cars traffic only residents/ local workers

Open blocks in Office functions

Office block form a barrier

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ALONG A LANE VANESSA SAUERBORN This key project develops a linear local center along Göteborgsvägen, integrating the qualities of the street itself with the introduction of a park, access to Mölndalsån and other functions and qualities that consider pedestrian movement as well as ecological aspects.

Spatial Morphology Design Studio 2018

ALONG A LANE | Problem description 0

500 m

The local center this key project revolves around is located along Göteborgsvägen*, just within walking distance from Mölndal center. As shown in previous analysis, this key project is situated on a crossing where plenty of traffic will be passing through. Locating everyday necessities and qualities at the intersection would therefore benefit a large portion of the surrounding growing population. One of the main challenges is that the area is cut through by a highly trafficked road that acts like a barrier for pedestrians. For a pedestrian, this section is therefor perceived very much as a distance one travels along to other destinations, without much incentive for interacting with ones surroundings.

The pedestrian is prioritized, providing qualities of comfort in both movement and stay. This includes the redirection of motorized traffic and the introduction of qualities to interact with.

Motorized traffic is the rule, and pedestrians the exception. This project investigates ways to transform the area closer to the opposite. The challenge is therefor to not only stifle the dominance of motorized traffic but to create qualities, affordances, that steer pedestrian traffic to this location as well as keeps them within it, freely moving between the two sides of the road. As presented in the master plan, there are several opportunities to create green links between existing green areas and added parks. There is potential in creating such a link between Safjället and the park planned within this key project, allowing smaller species to move between. The connection could also highlight the presence of Safjället, inspiring to visit.

Mölndalsån is given room to breathe with the addition of the new park as well as being made accessible for approach.

The vision is for the area to become a convenient spot for everyday errands, spontaneous stay and leisure time visits, where pedestrians are comfortable in an environment that offers a merging set of qualities ranging from commercial functions to natural environment found in the park, the ecological link and the river.

Mölndal city center

Along a Lane

• The street will be referred to as Göteborgsvägen throughout because the project area in this key project is located within Mölndal municipality, unlike in the master plan where it was referred to it as

A green link is created between the nature of Safjället nature reserve and the diverse greenery of the park along Mölndalsån.

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ALONG A LANE | Urban design proposal

The project proposes closed facades around private yards communicating clear boundaries for public and private spaces as well as framing the local center together with the park giving the space physical limitations, (Minoura, 2016)

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Car traffic has been limited by turning the car lines singular, therefore slimming the overall width of the street. Car traffic has been kept where necessary, but where possible, redirected away from the local center and the park.

There are active bottom floors located Göteborgsvägen and at the corners of residential blocks at intersections reached by one east-west street from Göteborgsvägen. These facilities add functions for everyday need and whim, attracting pedestrian traffic and allowing pedestrians to communicate with their surrounding. In addition to the commercial functions, the park is another added quality to the surrounding, inviting recreational activities, social gatherings as well as small animals.

To prevent Göteborgsvägen from continuing to act as a barrier for pedestrian movement, there are clear zones for pedestrian crossing. The project suggests altering ground material in the main crossing to a tiled pavement to signal to all that pedestrians are expected to move across it.

Through the creation of the park, the river Mölndalsån is no longer limited between hard surfaces, which allows it to “breathe” and benefit its ecological values. For pedestrians, this also means one now has access to the river, as an enriching sensory element.

Redirecting motorized traffic to free up pedestrian area.

Lining up lines of sight along

Adding ecological and visual links of trees from Safjället to the park.

Diversify public space by creating enclosed ones,

Adding paths and bridges specifically meant for

Clearly communicate pedestrian crossing

Suggesting ways of approaching the water.

Activating bottom floors.

Surround the river with as much soft (green) ground as

Placing a wall off offices towards the highway as a

Social-ecological Urbanism Social-Ecological Urbanism 2021 2021

In-between

200 m

To the left is a schematic map of built environment placement, their typology and floors. This is a schematic map showing the attributes of the built environment. In the map the plots are sectioned off as to include the buildings itself as well as any accompanying yard or space in front of public functions. The plot principle for the yards could however be varied by extending the plots as to give option to extend buildings in the future, particularly of interest for the bigger blocks, allowing for 40% of the extended plot to be built, while reserving a section as common yard.

FSI 2,2 GSI 0.42 OSR 0,26 Plot FSI 3,06 Plot GSI 0,59 Plot OSR 0.13

Legend Visual connection Visual connection over bridges Residential Entrances to yards Common Commercial Public, cultural or educational

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ALONG A LANE | Built environment

About plots: The project suggests splitting blocks into several plots, each housing a building, passage entrance and where possible room for private yards for the bottom floor apartments or space for future building extensions according to one of the two principles to the far right. The plot size may vary to either only include one building and accompanying yard, or two thirds of the residential buildings within a block. The choice to have the blocks split into smaller plots is to ensure variation along the long closed facades, to divide a large space through smaller visual elements lining it. However, varying it with some larger plots provides conditions for bigger future change.

The main principle of placement of buildings along the edges of the park and public functions is to physically enclose the space, limiting it and shaping it into a space rather than a corridor.

better meet the proportions of the open space in front and provide more area for residential use on top of the commercial with a view over the park.

Residential buildings are set to 4-6 floors high, varying within the blocks for a more dynamic city skyline which is not only seen from within the yards but will also be experienced when residing in the park, viewing the facades on the other side of the river.

As stated in the master plan, the edge along the highway (east part of map) is lined with a “wall” of offices. These buildings range from 6-8 floors high, also depending on proportion to yard size, and act as a noise barrier towards the residential buildings, yards and park.

All blocks contain yards private to the residents surrounding it. Their facades are designed to be clearly closed off to public streets.

There are a few corner shops or “food and beverage outlets” located at the corners one meets when crossing the bridges to the east, acting as an active entrance to the east promenade.

The buildings along Göteborgsvägen are slightly higher, to

Guests of Quality hotel (Existing building) can be expected to also use and activate the park.

Indents where private entrances are located. Can be gated. Possible for car to pass through.

Car road has been removed in favor of the extension of the public park with softer soil for the

Option for creative freestanding public building with cultural, educational purposes. Might be designed as part of landscape, with option for outdoor seating and steps built into its form.

The public are now stretches to the largely public facades, which is handled by the facades being closed and yards clearly private.

The section to the right stretches from the edge of Safjället to the beginning of the highway. Colours of buildings correlates to colours used in the map to the right, signifying their uses.

Section A-A

Social-Ecological Urbanism 2021

In-between

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To the left is a schematic map of built environment placement, their typology and floors.

This is a schematic map showing the attributes of the built environment. In the map the plots are sectioned off as to include the buildings itself as well as any accompanying yard or space in front of public functions. The plot principle for the yards could however be varied by extending the plots as to give option to extend buildings in the future, particularly of interest for the bigger blocks, allowing for 40% of the extended plot to be built, while reserving a section as common yard.

Plots limited to private bottom floor yards.

Plots with option for future building extensions.

Legend Residential Entrances to yards Common Commercial Public, cultural or educational Private (residential) yards Common yards Commercial plots

Along a Lane

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ALONG A LANE | Private and public use

Since buildings with active bottom floors have been pulled in from their plot edge by 4-5 meters, this space is left for outdoor extension of the businesses inside, such as open air café or restaurant seating. These are marked as semi-public. Their purpose is to create a visually stimulating environments to interact with for pedestrians, and bring prolonged stay and activity in the open space.

center itself. Therefor, the project suggests that the block structures themselves create a clear and harsh boundary between public streets/areas and private yards. Residents should perceive that they have a yard that belongs to them. (Minoura, 2016). At the same time, these clear boundaries, shaped as closed facades, help defining the big open public space in between.

As a complementary space to the open public area, there is an enclosed alley between two blocks, shielded from wind and lined with further businesses, shops and cafes.

Entrances to the private yards are shaped as passages with several floors above, to serve as a clear boundary to the public street and businesses just outside. If necessary they can be gated.

Since the local center is located by a highly central street and contains everyday functions, it is expected that it will be visited during a big portion of the day by people from outside of the

Social-Ecological Urbanism 2021

In-between

200 km

The map to the left shows an overview of a spectrum of private and public spaces. Worthy of mentioning is that although streets, spaces in between blocks and parks of different character are all considered public, they could still contain other set of characteristics that influence a person’s experience of public environ-ment. For example, the pavement along businesses is perceived as more public in the sense of people one crosses, than maybe a built in spot with seating in the park where one might not have visual connection to with all surrounding movement. It is of value to vary the size of spaces within the open space., Allowing for people to discover spots that they can connect to and call their own over a few hours visit in the park for example. The same thing happens in outdoor serving.

Legend Public streets Public green area Outdoor business extensions Private yards, residents common Private backyards

Along a Lane

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ALONG A LANE | Green zoning

The park within the project area is connected to the green lane, Göteborgsvägen, the river promenade and Safjället. Previous analyses have shown that there are few occasions for social, easily accessible green spaces. With it’s central location and connection to other green spaces, this park has the potential to become a place easy to visit by choice, and just as easy to visit by chance. To the right, a suggestion has been made for how to section off the green space to provide a variation of qualities suited for everyday stay and passing, as well as connecting the park to Safjället both visually and ecologically, even though the steepness of the terrain make entrances unlikely within this key project. A majority is marked as Maintained green, free use, which suggests kept growth that is easily accessible and available for

Natural path, packed earth/ (stenmjöl) close to water level, surrounded by green, soft ground that can absorb water.

Splitting levels where the promenade continues higher up, serving as protection against floods while secluded spaces or alternative promenades are created closer to the water.

Social-Ecological Urbanism 2021

picnics, playing fetch, having snowball fights etc, or for setting up special occasions, such as light exhibitions in the winter and the maypole in the summer. The darker green are suggested zones for “organized social green”, where the municipality or nearby business may put out fixed seating for spontaneous stay or convenient spots for lunch breaks for the office employees. Pale green indicates the promenade, kept more natural, letting the river breathe and regenerate. Structures may be built, but with consideration for leaving the soil and occasionally rising water levels, (see below). A darker warm green indicates a location with possibility to let wilder flora and fauna reside, just alongside the river.

Stairs to the water integrated with seating that can be enjoyed even when water level may vary. Closer to areas with urban character.

Wooden piers that create alternative paths or pocket like spaces along paths where. Creating a space obviously meant for pedestrians, detailing the surroundings and adding

Seating an nooks on bridges, for stopping and watching the water and the sun in the south without being in the way of traffic.

In-between

200 km

To the left is a schematic map of green zones differentiated by their use and level of maintenance required. A pavilion for cultural or other public service is located in the middle of the park, sectioning it off in a northern and a southern part. The northern is in general left more natural and less choreographed. The southern part, with it’s closeness to more functions, is proposed to contain more fixed seating opportunities, perhaps built into the landscaping. The green connection between park and Safjället might have an urban quality since it is part of the local center and surrounded by businesses on the bottom floor. It does however serve the purpose of opening up the view towards Safjället, giving it a clear presence, as well as bridging over a possibility for ecological life to travel between Safjället and the park. Note green fading in along the tram rails closer to the big crossing, as a complement to change in pavement to signal pedestrian crossing. Pavement between street and park suggests being of same sort as paths in park, to naturally invite and include passing pedestrians to the park.

Legend

Rush hour

Along a Lane

Weekend

Maintained green, organized social Maintained green, free use Natural green, promenade Natural green, ecological Maintained common, private social

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ALONG A LANE | Movement scenarios

Since a main part of the vision and goal for this key project has been adjusting it to accommodate everyday life and allow for comfortable movement by foot, this section is to show how said movement could appear in different times of the day and year.

During summer more people might take spontaneous walks both along the river and along the urban functions themselves. It is also to expect that people might make use of the park environment for picnics, playing fetch or other more organized summer activities such as celebration and gathering. The river promenade is also a good place for exercise. What is special about summer weather is that people are expected to stay for longer where seating is provided, such as in the park and in open-air-cafes. During winter cold and weather, one can expect straighter, shorter, paths of movement, more focused on end destination and on bus-/tram stops. Some might come to let children play in the snow, and some might still walk and exercise along the river as long as it is well lit. Although less people are expected

Social-Ecological Urbanism 2021

to be outdoors at any time, there’s reason to believe people will move in all different parts of the area through the day. During workday residents will move along the main streets on their way to work of to pick up their children. People working in the area, such as in the business “wall”, might instead be the ones to come out during lunch to enjoy the park in fine weather. During weekends, people both travel to other destinations and run errands, both of which might result in traffic along Göteborgsvägen and next to the businesses. The park will likely be used for recreation and hangout, meaning both movement and stay.

In-between

Movement scenarios 0

200 m

The maps to the left show the key project focus area, comparing expected movements within it at different times of day and year. This is not based on any collected data, but on probable assumptions. For easier comparison’s sake, the sun conditions in all ground maps are set on the same time, (12.00 in March). What has been important to show here is that although not all areas are equally used at all times of the day and year, it is still diverse and usable for there to always be someone using and moving within it. What has been a realization at the end of the project is that the area has the potential to transform a lot over the year, but never be still. Summer

Winter

Pedestrian traffic Work day

Along a Lane

Weekend (varies depending on season)

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URBAN QUALITIES IN A SUBURBAN AREA GRY HAUGE The project addresses an interesting meeting between a highly central connecting street and a suburban area, creating an urban street in a suburban residential area.

Problem description 800

2000 m Korsvägen

The masterplan addressed the two main connections from Mölndal to Gothenburg Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen and Toltorpsgatan. These streets have very different conditions, where Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen is very urban and central, while Toltorpsgatan is more suburban. The masterplan focuses on strengthening these connections and the scale of the area, which is further developed in the key project. The masterplan has goals relating to less car traffic and increased access to greenery, which is taken into account in the key project.

Linnéplatsen

Toltorpsgatan

Mölndalsvägen/ Göteborgsvägen

The biggest condition that has changed is the centrality of the street. The connection between Linnéplatsen and Mölndal centre is strengthened, leading to different conditions for the street and the traffic on it. The street and area around it needs to be better adapted to a higher centrality, while still remaining a suburban area. This is the main focus of the key project. Furthermore, the key project includes the added local centre, green streets, and bridging the gap between the two sides of the road, consisting of villas and apartment complexes.

Specific conditions for the key area and for Toltorpsgatan are a bit different compared to Mölndalsvägen/Göteborgsvägen which is the main focus in the masterplan. There is no water or highway close to Toltorpsgatan, but the biggest differences lie in scale and function. Toltorpsgatan is small-scale and has a low density with residential buildings, both villas and apartment complexes. There are almost no industries or businesses. However, even though the scale of the built environment is small, the streets are oversized and disconnected from buildings. There are no urban fronts and pedestrians and cyclists are not prioritised. The traffic is separated. Greenery is somewhat accessible along Toltorpsgatan, even moreso after implementing the masterplan.

Legend

Mölndal centre

Urban qualities in a suburban area

Key project area Main street network Added greenery Existing greenery

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URBAN QUALITIES IN A SUBURBAN AREA | Strategies 0

500 m

Street network The main street is Toltorpsgatan, which connects Mölndal and Gothenburg. It is highly trafficked, including public transport. Measures to lower the speed and increase urban life on this street are taken. Building typology Buildings are added to frame the street and create urban fronts, while still being mainly residences. Since the building typologies on the southwest and northeast side of the street vary a lot, as well as the distance from the buildings to the street is large, the buildings added bridges the difference and heals the urban fabric. Local centre The local centre is as per the masterplan placed in the intersection between Toltorpsgatan and Bifrostgatan. It consists of a square with a few businesses, and a new building for the church that lies there today (seen in brown). The businesses are low-key and cater to everyday needs, for example such as a small grocery store, health care centre, pharmacy, café, dentist’s office or similar. Apartments on the higher floors.

Primary, secondary, tertiary streets and paths shown with different thickness.

Densification shown in colour, number of floors shown in light to dark.

The local centre shown as orange.

Green areas and streets.

Green areas The larger green areas are connected through parks and green streets, as decided on in the masterplan.

Legend Main street network for key area Added buildings Local centre Added green Existing green Residential green

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Final proposal 0

200 m

Toltorpsgatan is the main street in the area. Buildings are placed facing the street, defining it and creating urban fronts. The added tertiary streets connect to the residential area and are one-way streets shared between non-motorised and motorised traffic, to reduce motorised traffic and further signify the main street as the main connector. Toltorpsgatan and Bifrostgatan becomes green connectors by adding vegetation integrated in the streets. Entrances are placed toward the street, as well as openings leading to the courtyard, which is raised by 0,5 metres to create a clear boundary of where one can go. The openings offer passerby's to see, but not enter. Openings are not placed so that one can see through the entire block or through to another courtyard, to discourage shortcuts. Apartments are raised from ground level for privacy, while more public spaces like laundry rooms are placed at street level to create a non-commercial urban front.

create an open and pleasant public space with lots of greenery, and without a commercial focus. The church is moved into a new building on the square, and is accompanied by services like a grocery store, pharmacy or dentist and the like. Apartments on the higher floors help to increase movement around the square at all hours. The average block GSI in the area is 0,4 and the average block FSI is 1,2. The rowhouses serve as a barrier for the single family houses behind them, as well as softening the gradual increase in density, change in building typology and defining the street. The added buildings connect both sides of the streets, as seen in the picture below, by connecting to the street and creating a softer gradient between the villas and the apartment buildings.

The park and square flow into each other to

Illustration showing building volumes

Legend IV III II

Urban qualities in a suburban area

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URBAN QUALITIES IN A SUBURBAN AREA | Street sections The main street section shows what the street will look like as well as examples of the surroundings. Buses and cars will share lanes, which can help slow traffic. On one side of the street, the rowhouses have a small sidewalk where you can step off the bus or go to your house. The rowhouses have a three metre wide private front yard. On the other side of the street, the sidewalk is much wider. The bike lanes separate cars from the people walking, and in front of the buildings there is a 3 metre wide flexible zone. The zone will be further explained on the next page. The green lane in the middle of the street serves as a barrier between the cars and the pedestrians, as well as a safe space for people to step off the bus. For the smaller bus stops, there will not be a pocket for the bus, forcing cars to slow down and stop.

Raised courtyard

Groundfloor apartment entrances

Main entrance

Secondary street example section

Tertiary street example section

The secondary street section shows what Bifrostgatan looks like. It is more narrow than Toltorpsgatan, and bicycles share lanes with cars. There is still a zone in front of the buildings and a green lane in the street. Green lane and bus stops

The tertiary street section shows what the one-way streets in the area will look like. There is no separate lane for cars, and pedestrians will always have the right of way.

Active ground- Flexible zone floor

Private yard

Main street example section

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In-between

Land divisions and public/private 20

50 km

The plot structure on the first image will be completed with rules such as building 3 metres from the property line towards the main street, and keeping the courtyard open and shared between plots. There will be plenty of public spaces added, like parks, a street with increased urban life and a square. The courtyards will be club goods with clear boundaries to keep a high sense of ownership. Bottom floor apartments will have ground floor private patios.

Plot map

Entrance to ground floor apartment

The bottom image shows a sketch of what the meeting between the building and the street will look like. An active street front is created without businesses by having entrances to the courtyard, laundry rooms and bike rooms facing the street with big windows. Bottom floor apartments will have separate entrances directly out toward the street, while still having the apartments 1 metre up from the street, creating privacy even on the bottom floor.

Private/public map

Entrance to courtyard

High windows to residencies Bike room

Entrance to apartments

Laundry

The flexible space between the building and the street can be used for things like smallscale farming, seating areas, bike parking, tree plantings and scooter parking. This space can change as needs change and be what the residents have a need for at the moment. The mobile scooter parking might not last forever, but since we can’t guess what the next trend will be, there is already a space prepared for it, whatever it may be.

Legend

Small-scale farming Bike parking

Seating Scooter parking

Urban qualities in a suburban area

Tree plantings

New plots Private good Club good Common good Public good

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URBAN QUALITIES IN A SUBURBAN AREA | Courtyards 0

The majority of the added buildings are open building blocks. The blocks close to the square are more closed, while the ones further away are more open as one can expect less traffic there. The buildings vary in height to create more variety and interesting facades from the streets, and the blocks have lower buildings placed in the south and in the middle of the courtyards for optimal light conditions. The bigger courtyards are also divided by buildings to allow for several activities simultaneously.

50 m

Activity zones in the courtyard Raised courtyard for privacy

Activities on the courtyard vary in more active or more calm zones. The courtyard is raised 0,5 metres from the street, creating a clear boundary to the club good. Some entrances on the courtyard increase the activity at all hours, and offer a zone between the public street and the private entrance. New building for existing church

Legend IV III II

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Courtyards The top three images show how the shadow falls on different times of day at autumn equinox. The height of the buildings as well as the openings are planned to allow as much light as possible in the courtyards. The volumes can be better understood in the left lower picture, creating variety and interest along the streets and between blocks. The bottom right image shows an example of a courtyard entrance, allowing visibility but not access from the street.

Autumn equinox 09:00

Urban qualities in a suburban area

Autumn equinox 12:00

Autumn equinox 17:00

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Social Ecological Urbanism Design Studio 2021. Volume 2. Mölndal.

Articles inside

Key Projects

Urban street life

Introduction

Street network