Public spaces

The City’s public spaces – streets, squares and other public places – are one of Stockholm’s biggest and most important assets.

Our public spaces should make it possible to access the City’s rich offering and be places where people should want to spend time.

The City’s public spaces are there for everyone

It is fundamental in a democratic and equal society that public spaces are safe, inviting places for all people. There is a need for vibrant urban environments throughout the City, where everyone feels welcome and can move around and spend time freely.

People are the most important element in an attractive urban environment. There needs to be good conditions for walking, standing, cycling, sitting, watching, listening and talking. Public spaces are necessary for those who want to participate in an event or those looking for solitude. Places must also enable efficient operation, so that they are well-managed and safe.

A City that is attractive to spend time in

As the City grows, there are more people sharing public spaces, which increases the potential for interaction. Public spaces should invite visitors, create interaction and uphold public safety.

The City of Stockholm’s strategy for public spaces emphasises the aspects of social interaction. The strategy is a complement to the City’s accessibility strategy, which focuses on transport, movement and the balance.

How we develop Stockholm’s public spaces

The City’s overall mission is to enable people to access and spend their time in the city. The City of Stockholm is rebuilding and developing the quality of social interaction on our streets. The design of public spaces should facilitate flexibility.

Read more about ongoing and completed projects in different parts of Stockholm.

Stockholm is growing

A Vibrant Stockholm – an investment in our public spaces

A Vibrant Stockholm aims to bring the City’s public spaces to life by creating pleasant outdoor environments and an attractive urban life. Every year, temporary measures are taken to decorate streets and squares to create pleasant summer and winter places.

Street of the Future – a pilot project when the street becomes a place for activity

Street of the Future is the City of Stockholm’s initiative to turn streets into nicer and safer places. The goal is to be able to perform rapid transformations of streets into multifunctional, inclusive and aesthetic urban environments on a limited budget.

Quay Strategy for the City of Stockholm

The quay strategy is developed by the Transport Department and the Ports of Stockholm in collaboration with many of the City’s departments and companies. It is about how the City can better utilise the potential that the quays offer, and how the quays can create added value for residents and visitors in the following areas:

food, drink and shopping
travel and transport
swimming, recreation and exercise
events and urban strolling
culture and co-creation.
The quay strategy contains focus areas and planning principles describing how the quays should be developed to create vibrant, attractive places with good conditions for the needs of shipping. It also includes an annex with local development opportunities.

A Greener Stockholm – invest in our parks

A Greener Stockholm is a special initiative to develop the City’s parks, green corridors and natural areas.

A Greener Stockholm, Stockholm is growing

Traffic and streets

The accessibility strategy describes how the City prioritises street space to deal with future traffic challenges. The strategy is valid until 2021, and the City’s strategy for public spaces serves as a complement.

Traffic and streets