ABSTRACT
Replete with large and small parks and green spaces, swimming piers, waterfront promenades and woodsy natural areas, all directly adjacent to urban neighbourhoods, contemporary Stockholm offers a narrative spanning more than a thousand years of the complex dynamic between the application of density as a primary growth management strategy, while providing the diversity of green spaces needed to create a truly sustainable urban form. The ongoing revitalization of Stockholm’s inner core, based on a ‘city building’ policy to expand the dense, walkable, mixed-use urban form of older neighbourhoods into former industrial areas and low-density inner ring suburbs, is putting severe pressure on remaining green spaces. What can we learn from a city that is world-renowned for its green values and focus on sustainability in regard to the allocation, distribution and function of green space? As new waves of city building or densification occurs, what strategies are being used to preserve existing and create new types of green urban spaces so Stockholm can continue to evolve as a global leader in urban sustainability?
