opposite, above: LKAB’s iron-ore mine, chiselled into Luossavaara mountain, looms over Kiruna below: satellite aerial of Kiruna
this page: LKAB moves a house at its sister mine Malmberget, Sweden, 150 kilometres down the road from Kiruna, where it will soon be a common sight
thomas nylund
The Kiruna municipality bought the land for the new city centre from the Swedish state, which also owns LKAB. When the town moves, LKAB will purchase all of the land and buildings in the old Kiruna site, with full control over house compensation. Right now, old Kiruna is a cheap place to live with relatively low housing costs. Although LKAB has promised to purchase all houses at 125 per cent of their market value, that might not be enough for a new house in new Kiruna. The move is a harsh reminder of Kiruna’s utter dependence on the mine; more positively, it has given Kiruna an opportunity to exercise its resilience, to diversify its economy and, as has happened recently, to pour money into the tourism industry. This is ‘Europe’s Last Wilderness’, with tour companies now offering northern lights tours, dog sledding trips and moose safaris. The City in Motio n exploits the move: a guided, two and a half hour, $50 tour promises to show “the first area (of town) to be affected by the change”, and will offer “an insight into the near future”. The resourceful Kiruna municipality is taking the opportunity to promote its resilience – their website states “Kiruna can be a
model for other cities in the future, considering climate change and the threat of rising sea levels that perhaps will force cities to move to safer ground”. These new endeavours are indicators of Kiruna’s growing independence from LKAB. Most industrial towns live and die by their industries, a true inevitability when it comes to mining. Most Kirunans would argue that LKAB provides for the town, but in the grand scheme of things, what are they really providing? In the context of the move, provisions indicate a fairly shallow corporate social responsibility. Kiruna feels it has more to offer than minerals and that it deserves deeper roots and greater autonomy, something LKAB is reluctant to provide. There is an architectural competition under way for the new Kiruna city centre. An exhibition at City Hall displays sketches and perspectives from competing firms that show glistening city streets, rosy-cheeked skiers, reindeer co-existing with local residents and promises of longevity and sustainability. Perhaps this new Kiruna will have more control over its future than the last one. c
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