When the Norrbotniabanan was being constructed, central Piteå also underwent development and change. In order to gain inspiration and ideas for the upcoming urban development, Piteå municipality and the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) were jointly participating in the international architecture competition Europan.
Six entries were participating in the competition, and on the 4th of December 2023, the winner was announced by an international jury. Afterward, Piteå municipality and the Swedish Transport Administration could incorporate elements from the entries into their ongoing planning for the railway and the surrounding area in central Piteå.
Competition Task
In the competition task, there were several questions to be answered in the submitted entries:
- How can the city center and the recreation area at Sörfjärden be connected in a good way.
- How can the barrier effect between central Piteå and Sörfjärden, such as Timmerleden and the railway, be overcome.
- How can green areas and recreational areas in connection wish Sörfjärden be developed.
- Where can a transportation center be placed to function as a welcoming and traffic-safe transportation hub.
Exhibition
During the period from October 20th to December 1st 2023, an exhibition featuring the six competition entries could be explored at Stadsporten in Piteå, Västergatan 10. The exhibition included both sketches and a description of each proposal.
A brief presentation of the six competition entries was available in Swedish at the exhibition, but the language used in the submitted entries was English.
Facts about Europan
The competition is an international architecture and urban planning competition for teams with participants under 40 years of age. The competition is held every other year, and the theme for this round is "Living Cities."
The competition includes 40 competition areas in Europe, including five municipalities in Sweden.
Six entries were submitted for the joint competition area of Piteå municipality and the Swedish Transport Administration - the area around Södra Hamn and Sörfjärden.
In May, participants received a digital tour of Piteå to get an idea of the competition area. At the end of July, participants submitted their competition entries, followed by a jury process in the fall. The winners were announced by the international jury on December 4th 2023.
(Translated via AI)
