Arctic town Kiruna is colder after the move

When mining forced Kiruna to relocate, the city planners took the opportunity to modernise. But with a large square, city streets and tall buildings located in a depression, residents have already begun to complain about the “new” city, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. Kiruna has become colder.

What is important to consider when building a city in an Arctic climate? Building in a location with elongated hours of  sunshine and protected from cold winds when placing buildings and streets. These principles have given way to other considerations, it seems, when designing the new Kiruna.

“Decision-makers did not optimise the design for the urban climate when they planned the city,” says Jennie Sjöholm, a built heritage specialist at the University of Gothenburg, who has been following the work on the city's relocation for 25 years. “But it was known that the conditions would be worse than when city planner Per Olof Hallman drew up the city plan for Kiruna in 1900.”

Located on a south-facing slope

Hallman selected the best location in terms of climate. Kiruna was located on a south-facing slope, close to the mines and with a favourable aspect and microclimate. Streets followed the terrain to avoid wind tunnelling and to maintain beautiful views for the residents. Here, instead of a large square or park, Hallman chose to create smaller green spaces at the street intersections.

During the 20th century, LKAB's mining operations moved closer to the southern slope, and Kiruna was eventually forced to move. After considering several locations, the choice fell on an area close to existing infrastructure (roads, water and sewage pipes). However, the area is in a depression where cold air collects, especially during the winter. Compared to the previous location, the average temperature in the new town can be as much as 10 degrees colder in winter. The new streets are laid out in a grid pattern, and in the centre, the buildings are so tall, and streets so narrow, that the low sun has difficulty reaching the ground for many months of the year.

“Bloody wind tunnel”

“Although urban planners have added value in the form of a commercial centre with three shopping centres, a square and a new town hall, they have also created ‘a bloody wind tunnel’, as one resident put it to me about the square facing the shopping street,” says Jennie Sjöholm.

In her study, Sjöholm emphasises that Kiruna likes to market itself as a winter city, with long, snowy winters that provide opportunities for many outdoor activities. That is why it is strange that the city itself has now become a less pleasant place to be in winter, she says.

Priorities and ignorance

Knowledge about good architecture and urban design for Arctic conditions has been around for a long time. When Kiruna grew during the post-war period, architect Ralph Erskine was commissioned to design a new residential area. He designed tall buildings that created shelter for the courtyards of lower buildings without overshadowing them too much, rounded the corners of the buildings to avoid wind tunnel effects, and arranged for snow to be used as insulation on the roofs.

“Decision-makers have now prioritised other things than fully protecting the microclimate in the new Kiruna. But it is also partly a matter of ignorance; playgrounds and balconies have been built on the north side of certain neighbourhoods in the new city. The new Kiruna is not yet complete, and it is possible to compensate, to a small degree, with tree planting and street furniture,” says Jennie Sjöholm.