Sweden builds world's largest wooden city

Sweden is implementing the largest project to date to build a sustainable urban cluster made of wood — a unique initiative aimed at radically reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry. In the southern part of Stockholm, in the Sikkla district, investors are creating a new urban environment where cross-glued wood (CLT) is the main building material.

About 12 billion Swedish kronor (about $ 1.25 billion) has been allocated for the project. The construction will cover an area of 250,000 square meters, including residential buildings, schools, offices and shops. The new architectural environment will be integrated into the industrial heritage of the district — former factory buildings will be converted into libraries, cinemas and cultural centers.

Sweden already has a rich history of using wood in construction, thanks to the fact that about 70% of the country's territory is covered with forests. However, the scale of the new project significantly exceeds the usual format of individual wooden houses. We are talking about a full-fledged urban environment made of wood, where sustainability is not a slogan, but a principle.

The construction industry remains the world's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for up to 37% of global CO₂. That is why the Swedish project is considered not only as a local initiative, but also as a potential model for global practice. According to research, buildings made of solid wood have 4-5 times lower carbon footprint compared to similar objects made of concrete and steel.

In addition to environmental benefits, wood also provides economic benefits — the speed of construction is higher, and the aesthetics of interiors form an emotional perception of the environment as "warm" and psychologically comfortable. The construction of the first 80 apartments is planned to be completed by the end of 2025. By 2027, another 2 thousand residential units are planned. Objects are designed with the possibility of changing their purpose: residential premises can be transformed into offices if necessary.

The project is accompanied by a well-thought-out transport infrastructure: trains and trams already run to the area, and in the coming years the metro line will be extended to it. These steps increase the investment attractiveness of the area, especially against the background of the recovery of the real estate market after the crisis of 2023.

In the context of a global search for new solutions in architecture and urban planning, the Swedish model demonstrates that the large — scale use of wood is not only environmentally friendly, but also economically justified.