Life Parking | Ålidhem, Sweden | spring 2018
Life Parking is an exploration of spontaneous bottom-up public space reclaim in a typical and socially diverse "Million Programme" area in Eastern part of Umeå. Million Programme is the common name for an ambitious public housing development program implemented in Sweden between 1965 and 1974. The government’s aim was to construct million new dwellings in ten years to make sure everyone could have a home at a reasonable price. Due to the strict common guidelines and car friendly designs many of these neighborhoods turned out to be monotonic and having excessive amounts of parking lots.
Life Parking explores different strategies of creating life in the parking lots via developing shipping container units for small businesses and collective housing. Easy to assemble, dissemble and move the strategy of using mobile light units offers a low-risk, low-cost home for the contemporary nomads whether they are on a mission to launch their new business or find housing for just a night or even a few years. The proposal consists of a workshop and a boutique for a local nonprofit bike fixing organization and a communal housing building for people who can appreciate light and mobile lifestyle.
