The expansion of the South Railway line through Lund and the district of Klostergården. - A study of the local impact of a national infrastructural development

Abstract: This dissertation is written in the context of sustainable urban development, the importance of transport infrastructure and railway stations as a potential growing structural element in the on-going urban redevelopment of the city. The base of this claim is that through effective land use and good connectivity to other modes of transport railway stations becomes an important mean to influence the use of common and environmental friendly means of transport. They are an important component both for the functional value of the transport system and the access to the city. In reverse they also create a link to the region and a therefore a doorway to a wider market of work, business, leisure and service. The purpose of this thesis is thus to study and show how a national infrastructure project affects the urban development on a local level. Every infrastructure development is unique and its impact can be viewed through different perspectives and on different geographical levels. In general a large infrastructure project will lead to a change in accessibility that may which may affect the localization of activities and land use development. In addition it can be followed by an impact on the economic and socio-spatial conditions as well as have environmental consequences. The target for this study is the expansion of the south railway line which is a national railway line running from Malmö to Stockholm. It has a central distributing role in the southern regional parts of Sweden. The south stretch between Lund and Malmö is the most trafficked railway line in Sweden, burdened with intense local, regional, national and international traffic. This makes a potential lack of capacity limiting for a continuous growth and an important matter in a local, regional and further on national perspective. The local impact of the South railway line is examined by studying the prospects of an additional train station in the south periphery of Lund in the district of Klostergården to evaluate its practical use and spatial consequences. The general question is, in a local perspective, how to best make use of the current infrastructural change and how will this affect the future development of the district? The result is illustrated through a design proposal of the station and its surrounding area. The design work is of a schematic character, which means that the design will show, through diagrams and low detailed plans, the elements and functions of the area and how they are connected. It gives an idea of how the area can be structured and organized in terms of infrastructure, plots, functions and open spaces. In addition to a possible location and form of the train station, possible measures to reduce noise, vibration and the barrier effect are presented as a starting point for a continued urban development. An important conclusion of this study is that the development of a train station may help to create a mutual target point in the area and increase its availability to the local and regional transportation system. This in turn would mean that the barrier effect caused by the railway line may decrease and the spatial relationship on each side of the track is strengthened. A high effective land use development with housing, offices, education and mixed areas for services and commercial or public activities may provide the base for travelers to a station as well as users of a district center. Important to be aware of is that a dense urban structure may have an impact on the local environment creating more traffic with increased level of noise, pollution and safety hazardous as a consequence. Another issue is as a response to the design proposal, land that is presently used for valuable leisure and social activities have to be change and activities relocated. Important for a successful design of this area is to consider these issues and give them a central role in the development. This means that the design must enable low impact from the car traffic and good opportunity for movement and access for bicycles, pedestrian and buss traffic. Special attention also has to be taken to the green structure inside the area as well as a good connection to other surrounding green target points.