Wasted Space

Heard about a great project yesterday, a cooperation between a private company and the Stockholm City Council, called Wasted Space.

Their goal is to bring the local residents, businesses and government together to create attractive city spaces. The "wasted spaces" are to be transformed into commercial ventures that enhance the area, bringing diversity and creativity, as well as providing employment opportunities.

So what is a "wasted space"? The criteria is as follows:

• The space is publicly owned or owned by a private person interested in leasing out or selling the space.
  
• There is commercial potential so that the refurbishment can be financed through future income from renters or businesses.
  
• It is possible to get a building and/or other necessary permits from the municipality and other government departments to operate the activity in that space.
  
• They can find partners and sponsors who are willing to invest in the space.
  

You can go in to their website and suggest a "wasted space", but you need to create an account and log in to be able to do so. So far the site is only in Swedish, but Englishman and founder John Higson assures me it will only be a matter of time before material is available in English.

If you love Stockholm, city development, creativity and entrepreneurship, this one is worth keeping an eye on!