Most cities dream of growing. Kiruna dreams of surviving. To do so, it must do the unthinkable: leave itself behind and be rebuilt from the ground up.
In the far north of Sweden, 145 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, lies Kiruna — a city of 18,000 people built on the riches beneath its feet: the world’s largest underground iron ore deposit. But as the mine expanded, the very ground that sustained Kiruna began to betray it. Cracks spread across the surface, threatening homes, schools, and even the city center. The only solution? Move the entire city three kilometers east.
Why Kiruna Must Move
- The Mine: Kiruna sits atop the Luossavaara–Kiirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, Sweden’s state-owned mining giant. Its iron ore feeds global steel production and underpins Sweden’s economy.
- The Risk: Mining deeper underground destabilized the land above. Without action, entire neighborhoods could sink.
- The Decision: In 2004, the municipality and LKAB agreed: Kiruna must be relocated in phases, preserving jobs while preventing disaster.
How Do You Relocate a City?
Relocating Kiruna is one of the most ambitious urban engineering projects in modern history, costing billions and taking decades.
- Master Planning (2009): White Arkitekter won the design competition, envisioning a sustainable Arctic city with compact streets, public squares, and green areas.
- New City Hall (2018): Kristallen (“The Crystal”), a striking glass-and-steel landmark, became the first building in the new Kiruna.
- Heritage Relocation: The wooden Kiruna Church (built 1912, once voted Sweden’s most beautiful building) and historic homes are being dismantled and rebuilt in the new location.
- Housing & Services: Residents received new homes or compensation. Schools, shops, and infrastructure are rising alongside.
- The Horizon (2035): By then, the old Kiruna will be consumed by mining zones, while the new city thrives further east.
More Than Buildings
Kiruna’s move isn’t just about concrete and cranes — it’s about saving the spirit of a community.
- Culture: Artists and historians document life in the old town while shaping the identity of the new one.
- Belonging: Public squares and walkable neighborhoods preserve the small-town closeness residents feared losing.
- Identity: Moving churches, cemeteries, and heritage houses shows that history is as important as progress.
Why the World Is Watching
Kiruna is a global case study in urban relocation. Entire villages have been displaced for dams in China or coal in Germany. But Kiruna is unique:
- It’s a modern city, not just a rural settlement.
- The move is planned, transparent, and participatory.
- It demonstrates how cities might adapt to industry, climate change, and shifting landscapes.
The City in Motion
Walk through Kiruna today and you see two cities: the old one, with houses marked for demolition as the mine advances, and the new one, steadily rising on the tundra.
Kiruna proves something extraordinary: a city is not fixed to its soil. A city is its people, culture, and resilience. When the ground itself gives way, Kiruna teaches the world that even an entire community can — if it must — pack up, carry its history, and start anew.