Accessibility and proximity

As Stockholm grows, so does the amount of travel undertaken in city. This necessitates efficient and fair use of the city’s streets. Stockholm’s accessibility strategy outlines how urban spaces should be utilised to accommodate space-efficient and high-capacity transport modes, enhancing the quality of public areas.

Stockholm Royal Seaport is evolving into a dense and accessible district where everyday services such as schools, preschools, grocery stores, and public transport are all within a five-minute walk from people’s homes.

2023 Highlight:

Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport

In Stockholm Royal Seaport, priority is given to walking and cycling, followed by public transport and delivery transports. This approach enhances traffic safety, health, equality, and reduces climate impact. Every resident has access to parks within 200 meters of their home.

Inspired by the “15-minute city” concept, a “five-minute city” approach has been developed for Stockholm Royal Seaport. This ensures that everyday services such as grocery stores, public transport, preschools, and schools are all accessible within a five-minute walk (about 400 metres) of people’s homes. Proximity to schools encourages children to walk to school. Making a five-minute city a reality requires an integrated approach that connects public space design with the availability of services.

Given the ongoing construction in Stockholm Royal Seaport, significant emphasis is placed on safe school routes and traffic safety and accessibility for all pedestrians and cyclists. High-quality pedestrian and bicycle paths are being built. The extension of the pedestrian and cycling bridge in Värtahamnen was completed in 2023. A temporary bridge between Värtahamnen and Gärdet also opened in 2023.

The 2023 residents’ survey suggests that Stockholm Royal Seaport residents are satisfied with the availability of pedestrian and bicycle paths, and the ability to walk or cycle to nearby surroundings. However, there is a need of improvement in pedestrian traffic safety.

To encourage more people to cycle, bicycle parking on private property sites is complemented by additional spaces in public open areas. Depending on the development phase, the requirement is 2.2-2.5 bicycle parking spaces per dwelling, both indoors and outdoors. The average for the completed phases is 2.6 spaces per dwelling. According to the residents' survey, more than 80 per cent of households have at least one bicycle, typically parked in bicycle rooms.

Stockholm Royal Seaport is served by the subway, several bus lines, and an electric ferry, facilitating the use of public transport.

In the completed phases, residential car parking is 0.5 spaces per dwelling, located in underground garages. Additionally, space is allocated for carpool vehicles on the street and in garages. Compared to 2019, car ownership has increased from 45 per cent of households to 55 per cent in 2023. The residential survey also indicates that the increase in car usage is primarily for leisure trips, while commuting by car has decreased. This suggests a trend where fewer people travel to and from Stockholm Royal Seaport, regardless of the mode of transport. Only six per cent of those surveyed report being a member of a carpool, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2016. This indicates that while car ownership is increasing, the way cars are used is changing.

However, if parking is somewhat distant from residents’ homes, it becomes easier and more appealing to choose public transport over private vehicles – a vital strategy for reducing private car use and enhancing urban life quality. For upcoming phases, preparatory work is underway for the Hjorthagsgaraget, an external, shared garage in a rock cavern with 1,300 parking spaces, all equipped with charging facilities. In Värtahamnen and Loudden, the potential for converting existing rock caverns into parking spaces, among other uses, is also being explored.

Experiences from the first development phases show that qualitative aspects are crucial to fully implement the traffic hierarchy where walking and cycling are prioritised. Following the success of its , the City of Stockholm has developed a " ", a tool that enables developers to choose both qualitative and quantitative measures within the modules of walking, cycling, stationary vehicles, deliveries, and mobility services to promote sustainable travel habits.

The principles of Stockholm Royal Seaport’s traffic hierarchy have been part of Stockholm’s accessibility strategy since 2012. Stockholm was ranked third in Swedish national newspaper Dagens Industri’s rating of Sweden’s best mobility cities in 2023 with the following citation: “Stockholm has one of Sweden’s best public transport systems. Stockholm has systematically expanded and densified in symbiosis with sustainable modes of transport. In its overarching steering document, walking, cycling, and public transport are prioritised over cars, which is reflected in the design of new urban districts.”

Multifunctional streets for increased urban life

In Stockholm Royal Seaport, the ambition is that streets should be more than just places for parked cars. Rather, they are meant to be inviting spaces where pedestrians and cyclists can move freely and people spend time. The streets are green and are equipped with seating and other furnishings.

To facilitate pedestrian movement, continuous pedestrian paths are planned along all streets and quays in Stockholm Royal Seaport. Adequate lighting and thoughtful design enhance a sense of safety. Bicycle paths should be separate from other traffic, allowing cyclists of all ages and skill levels to navigate safely.

In the initial development phases, visitors' car parking was provided in the streets. For upcoming phases, visitors and residents are referred to shared external parking garages located in caverns.

Efficient and sustainable freight transport

Functioning delivery transport is essential for the city’s supply but needs to be co-ordinated and streamlined to improve accessibility and traffic safety. This can be achieved through thoughtful physical planning and co-ordination. Reducing the number of heavy vehicles also creates safer and more enjoyable spaces. A significant approach for reducing heavy transport under construction in Stockholm Royal Seaport involves the establishment of the and combined with various development and innovation projects.

To date, the Construction Consolidation Centre has achieved a co-loading rate of approximately 80 per cent for freight directed to sites, exceeding its target of 75 per cent. Due to a slower rate of construction and decreased transport volumes, this rate dropped to 71 per cent in 2023. However, the fill rate for direct transports remained at 76 per cent throughout the year, compared to the target of 50 per cent.

The establishment of the Mass Consolidation Centre has reduced the need for bulk transport to and from Stockholm Royal Seaport. The centre also receives large quantities of bulk materials from Stockholm’s subway expansion by sea on barges. The establishment of the centre has significantly reduced the number of transports through Stockholm’s inner city. Due to local handling of rock and excavation materials and local purchasing of fill materials, the need for external bulk transports has been reduced by 70 per cent, reducing the number of truck transports by 10,200 in 2023.

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