Boden is responding to the growth boom with planned land for several thousand new homes. Almost 50 different housing projects are currently underway, both in central and rural areas, in a variety of housing types and unique innovative housing concepts.
The new jobs that have been announced in the North require fast feet on all levels, not least in housing, which is often the major bottleneck in rapidly growing cities and regions. The municipality of Boden was as ready as it could be even before the announcement of the planned steelworks.
“We have been working for a long time to find ready-to-build planned plots, and this work began several years ago when we were aiming to have 30,000 inhabitants in the municipality by 2030,” says Lars Andersson, head of construction and development at Boden Municipality.
The target figure for the municipality of Boden has now been raised to 33 000 inhabitants by 2030. How does a small inland municipality in Norrbotten deal with this?
Rapid reflection
The answer is to continue to make developable land available, to demonstrate a willingness to establish new businesses and initiatives, and to act quickly and flexibly in contact with potential entrepreneurs. Allowing thoughtfulness and efficiency to go hand in hand, by being open but also setting requirements that lead to long-term sustainable solutions with innovative construction for the future.
Several new establishments have testified that it is precisely the treatment, a willingness to see opportunities and access to land, in combination with all the interesting things that are happening here, that have made the choice of Boden.
Plenty of space
But where will everyone fit? In concrete terms, the plan is to achieve the housing targets for the coming years largely through the densification of existing residential environments. Thanks to generous space today, there will be plenty of space in the future compared to many other places in the country and the world.
“Varied and attractive housing types are a success factor in the long-term goal of achieving our vision and population targets,” says Lars Andersson.
Boden offers a wide range of housing options. Rental and condominium apartments and villa plots in various sizes and designs are already available today, and over 3,000 new ones are planned both centrally and in rural areas within 20-30 minutes of central Boden. Some areas are also approaching the neighboring municipality of Luleå, from both municipalities. Almost all of Boden’s growing residential areas are located in a scenic location, close to nature and outdoor living environments. With ongoing citizen dialogues in the various residential areas, the municipality’s vision of ‘The Good Life’ is also being integrated into urban and housing planning.
Construction is currently underway in many places in and around Boden.
Here are some of the projects under construction:
- Lindbäcks Bygg is building a new residential building at Björknäsvallen that will house about 90 rental apartments.
- Aulis Nanna AB is building an apartment building with 28 apartments on the Balder block in the lower part of Boden (formerly the Panelen parking lot).
- Between Sandens hälsocentral and Sturegården on Sanden, Lindbäcks Bygg is building 54 apartments for Samhällsbyggnadsbostäder (SBB).
- Right next to the traffic junction on Sävastön, Coop Norrbotten is building a new food store of 2000 square meters. The shop will open in the summer.
- Next to Boden Business Park on Sävastön, Hermelinen AB is building a new health center. The construction company is Polarrenen, a subsidiary of the Polarbröd Group, which works in renewable energy, rental equipment and real estate.
- On Sävastön, a new main building for Mårängskolan is also being built and will be ready this fall, after which the existing building will be renovated.
- A new preschool with six portals is being built in Trångfors and is expected to be completed this fall.
- JYSK is building a new store next to Lidl on the other side of Kaptensgatan.
In addition, new single-family homes are constantly being built, land is being prepared for additional construction projects, and the municipality is developing new detailed plans for both residential and commercial properties.
Recently, the groundbreaking ceremony for SBB’s apartment building in the Tuppen block next to the Sandens medical center was held, and more groundbreaking ceremonies and inaugurations are expected in the coming year.
Hear Mayor Claes Nordmark and Erik Hävermark, Head of Project Development at SBB Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget, about the initiative and the groundbreaking ceremony here:
Photo and video: KOMM/Municipality of Boden
If you are interested in coming to Boden, more information is available here:
