Who am I?
I live in Svenstavik with my partner Susanne and our two children Elna and Nils. As for my background, I’m a spatial planner with a Master’s degree in land and environmental law from Umeå University. I’ve been part of the team at Holmen Renewable Energy since late summer 2023, after a number of years as a consultant. I like to spend my free time on the ski slopes with family and friends (preferably with a good picnic in my backpack).
My workplace
I work in the newly established Property Development department at Holmen Renewable Energy. Our job is to identify and manage opportunities and processes concerning land that may be suitable for development and where we can add value. Projects may include creating new residential areas on land that is currently used for forestry. Detailed planning is usually required to bring a major development to fruition, which is a process we tackle together with the municipality concerned. Planning is essentially the tool we use to increase the value of parts of Holmen’s land holdings, while at the same time promoting positive community development.
Elin Rystedt, Head of Property Development, and me.
A working day
My working day varies quite a lot, depending on the project or projects we have on the go at the time. On some days, the focus is more on identifying and clarifying the early feasibility of new projects, which is what we call ‘screening’. In this stage, we zoom in a little more and look at the conditions in and around the site – for example, whether or not there is existing infrastructure in the neighbourhood and what the topography is like (steep slopes, etc.). We also take a general look at the implications of land and environmental law, as this has an impact on development opportunities. In order to realise and understand the opportunities and challenges, we often sketch out developments to produce an initial idea that we can present to the local planning authority.
On this particular working day, however, rather than sitting at our desks looking for new development sites, we’re visiting an area where the planning process is already in full swing. The site we’re visiting is located in Länna, a couple of miles east of Uppsala, where we’re drawing up the plans for a development of around 170 homes in partnership with Uppsala Municipality. We’re also joined on the site visit by Sabine Clauss and Gert Nordgren, our colleagues from Holmen Forest’s local office in Länna. We talked, among other things, about how to draw up a joint plan for silviculture and housing development in Länna.
On a site visit!
The development in Länna comprises around 170 homes. A key target group is families who want to be close to nature and outdoor activities, while having the city (Uppsala) within easy reach.
Hopefully, this detailed development plan will be finalised and approved next year, at which point we will have completed the planning process. We’re really looking forward to seeing this development emerge, and it will be amazing to see the housing begin to take shape!
This could be a plot in a very scenic location.
Why Holmen?
I find everything about spatial planning and development very exciting. From the early sketches to the questions that arise along the way, the journey is both rewarding and often challenging. You can expect plenty of twists and turns along the way and I enjoy the task of finding ways to navigate these. Working at Holmen feels like a natural fit for me and I love being a project manager in Property Development.
Working in property development means constantly balancing multiple interests such as architecture, traffic, natural assets, heritage, stormwater management, and so on. At the same time, we need to monitor trends in the property market and the wishes of the target group, so we can create an attractive and financially viable project. We also need to take into account policy initiatives and decisions by public authorities. All this makes the job of project manager dynamic and challenging, with no two days ever quite the same.
The best thing about working in Property Development at Holmen is our close collaboration with Holmen Forest and Holmen Renewable Energy in particular. We have several common goals and interests and can really share experiences and knowledge with each other.
Conclusion
That’s all for now! We’ll be more than happy to come back and showcase another exciting project, and update you on the one we just visited in Länna.