The population in Kiruna knows that the mining activity is very important for the survival of the city. It is probably one of the reasons to why there is not a great resistance to the expansion of the mine and the transformation of the community.
But the opinion of the population is important. This is why the actors involved in the work with the city transformation (the municipality, the mining company LKAB, the Swedish Road Administration, the Swedish Rail Administration and Vattenfall- a producer and provider of electricity and heat) actively seeks the participation of the population. The dialogue between the citizens of Kiruna and the different actors is kept alive through public meetings, exhibitions, interactive communication etc.
Young people in focus
The local politicians have pointed out young people and especially young women as an important group to reach with information about the city transformation. It is important to involve them particularly in the discussions about the future of their home town since it is they who will experience the new Kiruna.
Questionnaire about the citizen’s picture of the town
In 2006, a questionnaire went out to the citizens of Kiruna. It contained questions about which buildings and areas of the city were popular, or not. The idea is to use the results in the planning work concerning which buildings to preserve from the area that will be affected by the deformations. The aim is to preserve as many cultural and historical important buildings as possible.
The results
The typical citizen of Kiruna, according to the questionnaire, wants to live in a house close to nature. Being close to the city centre is also important, but easy access to nature or both nature and city centre is most prioritized.
Bläckhornen, ”The inkwells”, are very popular.
A disliked building is for example this one, were you can find Ica Supermarket in the city centre.