Skeppsbron ReLinked : a site specific development proposal of a historical quay

Sammanfattning: Traffic routes and parked vehicles are frequently directed to quays. This urban pattern disrupt and depopulate the unique interface of the city and sea. Research unanimously confirms the causality between new roads and new traffic. The current planning policies point out; “If Stockholm’s traffic system is to work effectively, total volumes of traffic must be reduced, particularly car traffic”. Despite this, traffic flows are planned to be canalized along Stockholm’s most central and historic waterfronts - Skeppsbron. The aim of this project is thus to provide a strategy and design underlay to decision makers, suggesting how Skeppsbron can be developed in the scope of current city planning policies. Given its central location and historical importance to the city, external and internal factors were assessed following an analytical framework. The site based analytical framework was complemented by a reference study, a workshop and parallel sketching process – supplementing the pragmatic approach. The synthesis consists of four strategies; connect the city with the quay, vitalize the street, vitalize the quay and balance historical aspects and contemporary needs. The result shows that a reduction in traffic flow is a viable solution. That also enables stormwater management to be implemented, creating a resilient and aesthetic streetscape. Furthermore, connections to the surroundings are reinforced through accessible materials and elevated passages. The proposal displays how the quay can be developed with regard to the history of the place using small measures. The pragmatic approach was practical to gather thorough site-based information. The disadvantage being that the product is at risk of becoming overcast. Consideration for many separate - at times subjective - factors can take the edge of creative design. Also, based on the amount of decisions the designer needs to make that lack objective truths, makes the output plausible to become biased. Developing a strategy and applying it should therefore be made by separate, independent instances.