When the City Moves Closer A Rurban Development Framework for Säve

Abstract

Säve is a rural village of 700 people located within the municipality of Gothenburg, on the flat fertile plains of northern Hisingen. With farms and farmlands still located at the centre of the village, it still feels like it has not fully transitioned into a suburban area. This could change in the future, with the comprehensive plan of the City of Gothenburg proposing up to 12 000 new housing units in the Säve area, which would increase the population of Säve to over 30 000. A prerequisite for this is reopening the closed railway station, which would bring travel times to central Gothenburg down to 15 minutes. Most of the land around Säve is agricultural clay plains, some of the best farmland available. Agricultural land is a limited resource, and it is one that is needed more and more with the world’s growing population and increasing worries regarding the state of national security in Europe. Climate change could also mean that Sweden has to take on a greater role in the global food supply chain in the future. Building on agricultural land is prohibited under the Swedish environmental code unless the development is a ”significant public interest” that ”cannot be accommodated elsewhere.” While this law sounds strict, it is quite toothless in practice, as enforcement is minimal and it is generally left up to each individual municipality to interpret. Redevelopment of agricultural land for urban land uses is in fact increasing, not decreasing. Säve is affected by various external and internal pressures. To find a balanced path forward for Säve, one which allows the community to develop into the future while still preserving its rural feel and its productive agriculture, the context and history of Säve as well as theory surrounding agricultural land redevelopment has been studied. In the history of Säve, a traditional type of agricultural village built with the intent to conserve useful agricultural land was found. These historical villages, their land use patterns and building typologies have been studied. The result is a framework that allows new villages to be constructed, taking minimal amounts of agricultural land, while still allowing Säve to develop into the future for decades to come.