Gällivare creates inspiring meeting place to shine light on urban transformation

Based in Gällivare, the new Re-form information centre gives visitors an overview of the changes taking place in the area. With features including VR, video and an interactive story wall, visitors are taken on a trip from the area’s formative years, to the here and now and future scenarios. The Re-form centre is for residents, visitors and potential investors and start-ups in the area.

Situated in northern Sweden, Gällivare Municipality has undergone great change since the railway was opened at the end of the 1880s, enabling the transportation of iron ore. The town of Malmberget grew up right above the orebody, with the area known as the Klondike of Sweden during the early 1900s. However, as new iron ore deposits were discovered and mining activities expanded, it became necessary to relocate people and buildings. Following extensive dialogue with residents in 2010, the current plan was adopted. This involved closing down the majority of Malmberget and expanding Gällivare in order to accommodate new housing, business premises and public services to replace those affected by mining activities. Joining the two communities, this historic urban transformation also creates opportunities which would otherwise be almost inconceivable for an inland northern Swedish municipality, including construction of new school premises, facilities for sport and the arts and sensible development of new residential areas.

The new Gällivare which is emerging also creates considerable business opportunities linked to the urban transformation, with thousands of new housing units set to be built over a short period. The process is also expected to lead to a population increase and opportunities for start-ups. Gällivare Municipality is also investing in IT infrastructure on an unprecedented scale, with 95% of its residents set to have access to a fibre-optic connection by 2021. The total sum of investment is SEK 200 million.

An important meeting place

There are many challenges associated with a project of this scale, and since practically every resident is affected in one way or another, Gällivare Municipality is today opening Re-form, a new information centre which highlights the process of urban transformation. Planning of the meeting place project has taken one year, in partnership with Meramedia.

“We want the information to be readily accessible to residents as well as visitors. The centre’s convenient location in the heart of Gällivare makes it easy for people to enjoy the exhibition and meet others to talk about what is going on,” said Municipal Commissioner Jeanette Wäppling.

The facility provides interactive information about every aspect of the town and municipality’s development, including documentation of the area’s history and sections in which children and school pupils can learn about and discuss the changes which are taking place.

The unique changes brought about by urban transformation are illustrated for multiple senses. Through a time tunnel spanning six metres, the history of Gällivare is depicted from the Iron Age to 2032. And in the centre of the facility, there is a giant screen displaying gems from the Gällivare image archive and an overview of the projects linked to the urban transformation. In addition, a film installation enables visitors to listen to the thoughts and reflections of local residents regarding the process. The facility includes an enclosed conference section for meetings and presentations with potential investors, among others.

“I think it may be hard for a lot of people to understand the scale of the urban transformation. Re-form gives visitors a good overview,” explains Municipal Commissioner Birgitta Larsson.

“We hope it will be seen as an important meeting place, which will evolve alongside the community as time passes. I’m so pleased we can finally welcome visitors to this dynamic, inclusive facility,” adds Municipal Commissioner Henrik Ölvebo.

For more information:

Development Unit/Information Unit

Gällivare Municipality

Phone: +46 (0)970-818 000 

En arktisk småstad i världsklass

Gnistrande vinter, ljusa sommarnätter, tio minuter till allt. Gällivare ligger vackert inbäddat i ett enastående landskap 10 mil norr om polcirkeln. I kommunen bor ca 18 000 människor med närhet till arbete, service och natur. Här finns länsdelssjukhus, väl utbyggd barnomsorg, bra skolor, ett rikt föreningsliv och varierat kulturutbud. Vildmarken ger stora möjligheter till fritid och upplevelser utöver det vanliga, året runt. Från norrbottenskusten till Gällivare tar det ett par timmar med tåg eller bil och lite drygt det från Stockholm med dagliga flygförbindelser.

Här finns en differentierad företagsamhet med gruvnäring av världsklass som huvudsaklig basnäring. Just nu bygger vi nya Gällivare i takt med att områden i Malmberget avvecklas. Tidernas största samhällsomvandling till följd av gruvnäringens fortsatta expansion. 250 000 nya kvadratmeter av bostäder, kommunala verksamheter och kommersiella lokaler ska byggas under de närmaste 15 åren.