The world’s largest urban development project using exclusively wood is set to begin construction in Stockholm in 2025
This year marks the launch of Stockholm Wood City, a groundbreaking project set to become the world’s largest urban development constructed primarily from wood. Located in Sickla, south of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, the project is a joint venture between Swedish developer Atrium Ljungberg and renowned architectural firms Henning Larsen (Denmark) and White Arkitekter (Sweden).
The development will span 25 blocks, covering approximately 250,000 square metres. The first buildings are expected to be completed in 2027, and once finished, it is estimated to be the largest community built with solid wood in the world.
This innovative neighbourhood will offer 2,000 additional homes and 7,000 commercial spaces. It merges workplaces, homes, food establishments, and retail spaces to create a vibrant and dynamic urban environment. The project includes diverse types of construction, utilizing fire-resistant solid wood. It will incorporate natural spaces, as well as areas dedicated to culture and leisure. An initial estimate places the investment at over 500 million
US dollars.
Beyond its significantly lower environmental impact when compared to conventional developments, Stockholm Wood City has sustainability in mind with its capacity to be energy self-sufficient and store surplus energy production for future use. What’s more, the project’s developers have committed to a reforestation plan of planting two trees for every one felled for construction.
Developers and builders consider wood to be an efficient material for social transformation. It is the only construction material that is renewable and can be sustainably cultivated and harvested. Additionally, wood is a carbon sink as it has the ability to sequester or capture carbon. Every square metre of a wood product stores one ton of CO2 and prevents the production of over two tons of CO2 compared to other materials.
Wood is set to play a pivotal role in transforming large cities into more sustainable places through bioeconomy. Wood, trees, and forests are the backbone of biocities, or climate-smart cities, which are designed to be resilient to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions whilst creating nature-positive, liveable environments for residents.
