Sweden Street Moves

Imagine that you could shape your street according to your own needs… Sounds too good to be true? Sweden makes it possible and – most importantly – simple! Sweden’s vision of a hyperlocal city is based on the goal of connecting communities, prioritizing walking and cycling over driving, and transforming local streets into green and sustainable public spaces. Swedish architecture firm ArkDes Think Tank in cooperation with other designers has developed sets of wooden street furniture called “Street Moves” that are tailored to the size of the on-street parking spaces. The sets resemble Lego-blocks and can be equipped with plants, bike or scooter racks, children’s play areas or e-charging stations. During the testing process in the summer of 2020, residents were able to actively transform their neighborhood. As a result, street mobility increased by 400%. Residents are happy with the changes, even though parking spaces were removed.