Creating by incubating
Urban vacancy and entrepreneurship in Umeå
Jonas Bäckström
The area of Östra Station is a place between two parts of Umeå, the traditional centre of Umeå and the university area. Due to its location, this is in fact the centre of the population distribution in
Umeå making it an important node. At the same time, the area as it is today has come to be no more than parking lots and urban dead spaces. The railway splits Umeå between its city centre and the university area. Two bridges, Svingen and Sjukhusbacken connects the two parts of the city but has at the same time created an urban dead space in this in-between area. How can this area be improved and activated?
The plan to develop the area of Östra Station indicates that this is an area with potential and increasing activity and human interaction.
Parallel to the issue regarding urban vacancy, Umeå also faces challenges regarding entrepreneurship and how to get university graduates to stay in the region.
Business incubators such as Uminova and BIC Factory in Umeå have proven to be successful ways of encouraging and facilitate entrepreneurship and start-ups. Due to its proximity to the university, the train station and the centre of Umeå, the area of Östra Station is a node and a perfect location for a business incubator directed towards creative activities.
This project presents a possible future for the area below the bridges that includes spaces for
meeting, pitching ideas, networking, coworking and activities that can be of use for the people living nearby. The ground floor would be public space, exhibition space, bicycle community and a grocery store. The 2
ndfloor hosts a restaurant and a lecture hall, the 3
rdfloor, meeting rooms and the top floor, coworking space, offering outdoor recreational spaces and visual connections to the university and the river.
Urban Vacancy Studio 2
Reclaiming urban space Jonas Bäckström
Two of the biggest challenges that we face in the contruction industry are climate change and the need for sustainable development. In Umeå, a lot of urban space is currently vacant. Instead of exploiting natural enrivonments around the city’s fringe, we need to re-use and activate existing urban sites to support the growth of our city
By reusing existing urban spaces and mix programmes and functions we can enhance sustainability and at the same time offer a solution to urban dead spaces. When starting a new project, instead of looking at areas where there is space to build, an alternative strategy is to look at the already existing urban spaces. This could slow down the urban sprawl frequency and contribute to less segregation and more unified cities. The contemporary strategy in architecture should be to look at the landscape that is already built, both urban and suburban, and asses how it can be redefined or improved, instead of cutting down forests and cover new ground in asphalt.
The story of the Östra Station area is the story of connecting but also the story of dividing. The railway splits Umeå between its city centre and the university area. Two bridges, Svingen and Sjukhusbacken connects the two parts of the city but has at the same time created an urban dead space in this in-between area.
The area that today consists of parking lots will be developed into a new neighbourhood with housing, offices, shops and parking garages. Although the area of Öbacka have historically been the outskirts of the city, after the establishment of the university, the hospital and the train
station, it will find itself to be the centre of the population distribution. However, the new plan for Östra Station will not include the vacant space below the bridges. The usage of this space-in-
between could be architecturally defined and integrated with its context. By its location next to the train station and serving as a border between the old Umeå and metropolitan Umeå it has the potential to become a meeting place, locally and regionally.
The area of Östra Station is an ideal spot for the future of Umeå to strengthen the connections within the city, and to other cities connected to Umeå via railway, and to activate an urban dead space. In response to the plan by Balticgruppen and Wingårdh Architects, the area could be activated and improved by taking into account values that are not just commercial. The
connections between the city and the university, as well as the rural areas such as Tomtebo should be improved and articulated. The programmes and activities could be about taking advantage of people’s competence in Umeå and projects that can benefit society.
CREATING BY INCUB ATING
Activating | Connecting
Jonas Bäckström
Bachelor’s project 2020
Umeå School of Architecture
I
Site
II
Program
Umeå LinköpingÖr ebr o
JönköpingLund Göt ebor g
Malmö Uppsala Stock holm Percentage of entrepreneurs in university cities
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Umeå LinköpingÖr ebr o
JönköpingLund Göt ebor g
Malmö Uppsala Stock holm Percentage of college graduates staying in the regional labour
market
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
4 out of 5 jobs are created by small businesses
143
Startups
143 87%
Startups
In Västerbotten
143 87%
794
Startups
In Västerbotten
Employees
1:1000
1:1000
1:1000
1:1000
III
Proposal
FAIRFOOD
Cykelverkstad
How to business
The young professionals
Universitetet Sjukhuset
