Index Activities in Sweden Pilot Town Ystad in Sweden Problems in Ystad

Problems in Ystad

The current urban preservation plan is now old. Much has happened in the city in the last 20 years and the plan needs to be revised. The old plan only surveyed the inner city and only about two-thirds of the buildings there. As is the situation in many Swedish cities the multitude of building plans creates a mosaic and the intentions for the city as a whole are not always clear and obvious. Some plans date back to the 1930´s and are in fact a direct threat to preservation as they often allow a higher degree of development than today and even allow new buildings to be situated in contrast to the medieval street pattern. More modern plans have a clearer intention regarding the intent to preserve older buildings and environments but they are often too rigid and therefore do not allow imaginative solutions that could not be perceived when the plan was ratified. The support that plans and legislation provides us is not always enough to regulate necessary details such as colour, doors, windows and the use of different building materials. A big problem in Ystad, for example, is that many roof windows are often too big for small houses. Legal procedures do not always give us predictable results, which sometimes means that decision-makers are often afraid to say no for fear that their decision will be overturned in a higher court. In addition lawyers are more often protective of the individual’s rights and are not as schooled in aesthetic and cultural heritage. In Ystad there is no real platform to discuss urban preservation issues with the general public.

The target in Ystad

The start of the new urban preservation plan has involved finding good role models. The building ordinance of Arboga is such a role model. The SAVE method in Denmark and Norway’s “Stedanalys” (town analysis) are studied. With the help of a consultant Ystad has conducted its own town analysis. The analysis involves a study of geography, history, building patterns, open spaces, traffic, social life etc with the aim of pinpointing weaknesses and strengths, threats and possibilities. One of the early conclusions of the study is that Ystad is a real “town” with a clear border to the surrounding countryside. The history of the city is also clearly decipherable in its buildings and urban landscapes. An important factor is that the administrative and commercial functions are still situated in the city centre.

The new urban preservation plan will include buildings that pre-date 1975. The city has been divided into 6 areas. The work involves three steps. The first step is the survey. The second step is the actual plan and the third step is the rule book, a separate one for each area.

The survey in the medieval part of the city is now finished and involved 850 buildings. The survey will now continue with the other 5 areas. The survey results are compiled in a database with photographs – both interior and exterior – and a written text. There is also a large amount of older photos. They will be linked into the database and the whole material will be available to the general public via the internet.

The actual plan seeks to express the cultural historical values in such a way that everyone can understand them and be inspired by them. Another aim is to provide a knowledge base for everyone – the general public, business people and authorities – allowing everyone to pull in the same direction. One section of the plan will try to explain how useful our cultural heritage is in the future development of the city. Last but not least the plan will give us a tool we can use in the planning process and ratification of building applications.

The possibility of including a research project is discussed. An enquiry will show how citizens of the municipality - both those living in the city and those living in surrounding smaller towns and villages – perceive the city, how important they think the cultural heritage is and what the future of the city will be. The town also needs to find a way of getting feedback from the city’s inhabitants during the whole process.