Fittja is modern suburban settlement that is administratively part of Botkyrka municipality, in Stockholm region. It was built in the 1970s, and has a population of about 7 800 inhabitants, 91% of whom are people with foreign ethnic backgrounds. The settlement is located on an excellent site that is slightly hilly, and overlooking a wonderful landscape consisting of ample woodland and water bodies. Other location advantages of the settlement include a metro station, and close proximity and link to the south and north bound national E4 motorway.
The urban form of Fittja comprises of clearly defined settlement centre and residential part.
On the one hand, the settlement centre alias Fittja Centrum entails commercial and administrative complex adjacent to a public square and a small transport hub consisting of the earlier mentioned metro station and a regional bus station. The central complex consists of a recently extended medium rise building complex that accommodates some local and budget shops, pharmacy, restaurant, as well as some few institutional uses including a library, information bureau and health centre.
On the other hand, the residential part consists of a mixture of medium and low rise blocks of flats, up to nine and three floors respectively. The blocks are organized around small squares to form fairly well defined housing clusters. The uniting squares are often furnished with some seating places, some landscaping trees, lamp posts and lamps, big static planting and flower beds, and children play outfitting. The housing clusters are connected with each other and the rest of the settlement by a system of paved walkways and stairs. Individual blocks of flats are well designed with balconies that allow view of the surrounding natural landscape and beyond.
All in all, Fittja is well planned, designed and built. It has been functioning well from it's inception in the middle of the 20th century until some decades ago, when it lost popularity among users due to physical decay of it's urban solids and voids. The physical decay emanates from aging and lack of regular maintenance. The building facades and outfitting in urban spaces in Fittja have changed very little during the past 40 years or so. Floors of urban spaces, and children play outfitting in particular, have physically deteriorated or have become outdated, and therefore need urgent replacement. It is very difficult to understand, why Botkyrka municipality can neglect a settlement like Fittja, given it's obvious high urban design, architectural and environmental value.
The video above is about the modern suburban area. Take a look!
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All photos in the video were taken in 2016 by JK Freelance Images
Video by JK Freelance Productions. Article by Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy
More data about the square and other urban spaces in Stockholm Region can be obtained through e-mailing: kimaryoconsult@gmail.com
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