📢 Introducing our project: Reasons to Stay 

What draws us to urban spaces? What makes us spend time in them? And what CAN we actually do in these spaces?

With these guiding questions, Frihamnstorget community has started brainstorming ideas for physical elements that could be constructed into the square, creating new functions in it for different people to enjoy. 

Reasons to Stay is an initiative where the space of Frihamstorget is used as a platform to carry out participatory place development, along with an additional small budget. From a boule court, an interactive swing, a patch of grass, to a fake beach; we invite anyone that has an interest in developing one of these ideas (or new ones!) to come carry out experimental co-creation of urban space, building together with others! 

But why do this? Because Frihamnstorget is a Third Place!

And what’s that you wonder? Well, in simple terms, it is a space for informal, free public gatherings and social interaction. The third place is not your home nor your work, but instead a physical setting that encourages a sense of warmth, conviviality, and community. These settings include cafés, parks, gyms, pubs, libraries or hair salons, where people from different walks of life gather to hang out in an informal atmosphere. Third Places are true citizen spaces, and can be thought of as a societal glue! Through this project we want to manifest even more the possibilities that the space offers, constructing communities through… constructions!

Through our work last year in the square we created many ‘’reasons to come’’ to Frihamnstorget, with a flux of more than 8,000 visitors in events such as Valborg (miss inte this year btw!), Mushroom Festival, Contemporary Dance Festival, Swap N’ Swag...

Now we want to build “reasons to stay”, with activities offering connection, community, and sociability –essentially turning Frihamnstorget into the Third Place that this area is longing for!