Comprehensive Plan

1956: Say hello to the comprehensive plan

Malmö’s 1956 General Plan was the city’s first comprehensive plan. After the war, the plan addressed Malmö’s growing population. Housing, traffic and workplaces were separated and organised efficiently. The car was seen as an important part of the future, and while the Inner Ring Road was being built, the city bought land in preparation for an Outer Ring Road. A connection between Sweden and Denmark was also included as an important part of Malmö’s future.

1966: Where will Malmö’s residents live?

New urban areas are now growing across the surrounding plain. The city is trying to keep pace with both population growth and increasing car traffic. The plan reflects a strong belief in the future of the car, and roads and traffic solutions become central to how Malmö is planned. At the same time, large residential areas are built to tackle the housing shortage.

1980: No longer an industrial city

Malmö now begins planning for a very different future. The city’s population is declining and there are fewer industrial jobs. Urban development is increasingly about adapting to change and finding new ways forward. Malmö develops as a cycling city, environmental issues become more important, and Södergatan, among other streets, is transformed into a pedestrian street.

1990 & 2000: The future lies in knowledge and business

The idea of a bridge between Malmö and Copenhagen gains new momentum and influences how Malmö sees its role in the region and in Europe. The plan now presents a sustainable, international and dense city.

As industry and port activities decline, large waterfront areas are opened up for new urban development, laying the foundations for future districts such as Västra Hamnen and Varvsstaden. The quality of the urban environment becomes increasingly important, along with how Malmö’s residents experience the city. People should now be able to live, work and meet closer together.

2014, 2018 & 2023: A denser, greener and more diverse Malmö

The focus now shifts more clearly from the buildings themselves to the people who live and work in the city. Sustainability, equality and democracy become central to urban development.

Greater attention is given to how the city is connected, both socially and physically, and linking different parts of Malmö becomes a key strategy. Malmö also aims to become more climate-smart, better able to respond to climate change and more efficient in its use of resources, both in how the city is built and how people move around it.

When Malmö is in the making, the comprehensive plan keeps us moving in the right direction

The city needs to function for everyone, both today and in the future. The comprehensive plan provides a shared direction for achieving this.

The comprehensive plan shows how Malmö can develop in the long term. Among other things, it identifies where the city can grow, how we can travel, which places need to be protected and how Malmö can meet future needs. The plan does not determine exactly what each place will look like. Instead, it helps balance different interests and provides a basis for many decisions made later.

The plan is updated regularly to follow the constant changes in Malmö and the society

To keep the plan up to date, the City of Malmö reviews it regularly and updates it as new needs, ideas and challenges arise. The experiences and views of Malmö’s residents are an important part of the planning process. That is why there are opportunities for you to comment on the plans and contribute your knowledge of the city you live in.