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Here you can find the results in the Referendum.
The purpose of this information is to help residents in making an informed decision in the upcoming referendum in Uppsala Municipality.
Here you can download and print the information if needed. (PDF, 490 KB)
Read the Background Information for the 2024 Referendum in Swedish.
Short information about the 2024 Referendum in Arabic.(التصويت)
A referendum is always advisory. This means that the result alone does not determine the decision. However, the result serves as input for elected representatives when making decisions.
The outcome of this referendum will be considered in the municipality's work on the new comprehensive plan that the municipal council will decide on in 2028.
The comprehensive plan shows how the city, rural areas, and urban areas will develop sustainably in both the present and the future Uppsala Municipality, and includes:
Uppsala Municipality's comprehensive plan will be updated to be a clear guide towards a sustainable urban development.
In 2024 and 2025, the municipality will gather a sizable amount of knowledge and data for the new comprehensive plan through investigations and early dialogues with residents, businesses and others active in Uppsala Municipality.
The referendum is part of this process, allowing the residents to express their views on a direction that could be part of a new comprehensive plan. The referendum question specifically addresses where housing should be planned in the municipality.
The current comprehensive plan for Uppsala Municipality plans for future housing:
According to the plan, at least 80 percent of the municipality's future housing will be built in Uppsala city, primarily:
Remaining future housing will, according to the current comprehensive plan, be built in the prioritized urban areas and rural areas.
The question in the referendum is:
Should Uppsala Municipality, in the comprehensive plan, decrease development in Uppsala city, by planning for more housing in the urban areas along the Ostkustbanan (Storvreta, Vattholma, and Skyttorp) and Dalabanan (Vänge and Järlåsa) railway lines?
The following describes each voting option.
Voting yes means you want Uppsala Municipality to plan for more housing in Storvreta, Vattholma, Skyttorp, Vänge, and Järlåsa in a new comprehensive plan, in order to decrease the planned developments within Uppsala city. Compared to the current comprehensive plan, you want:
Voting no means you disagree with the referendum question. Compared to the current comprehensive plan, you do not want housing construction to increase in Storvreta, Vattholma, Skyttorp, Vänge, and Järlåsa to decrease development in Uppsala city.
Submitting a blank vote means you exercise your right to vote in the referendum without taking a stance on the issue.
Regardless of your vote, you will have several opportunities to comment, give thoughts and perspectives, on current and alternative directions for future development in the municipality.
Additional dialogue sessions for the revision of the comprehensive plan will be published here.
From May 22 to the election day on June 9, residents of Uppsala will be able to vote in the referendum.
Read about how to vote in the Referendum further down on this web page.
A preliminary result will be presented on this webpage on June 10. The result must be finalized by June 19. The municipal council will then submit the result to the municipal executive board as input for the ongoing revision of the comprehensive plan.
The municipal council will decide and adopt the new comprehensive plan in 2028, outlining the direction for the municipality's urban development.
The maps show the areas mentioned in the referendum question.
The first map shows Storvreta, Vattholma, Skyttorp, Vänge, Järlåsa and Uppsala city. The dotted lines are railways.
The second map gives a closer look of Uppsala city and all the districts within. The dotted lines are railways. The division into city districts in Uppsala Municipality has previously been decided by the municipal council.
The possible effects of the referendum question are presented below, click on the question to read the answer. The referendum question itself does not specify the number of residences involved, so the answers are general. Each question and answer describe the effects of building more residences in urban areas and less in the city compared to what is planned in the current comprehensive plan.
The referendum question does not take a stance on how many residences should be planned in the urban areas; it simply indicates that more residences should be planned compared to the current comprehensive plan. More residences mean more than those accommodated within the current capacity limits for water and sewage systems.
The table shows how residences are planned in Storvreta, Vattholma, Skyttorp, Vänge, and Järlåsa in the current comprehensive plan (CP). It also shows how many residences exist in the urban areas today and how many people reside in these areas.
| Urban area | Number of New Residences in CP 2024–2050+ | Number of Residents in 2022 | Number of Residences in 2021 |
| Storvreta + Fullerö hage | 1 500 residences | 6 300 + 1 100 people | 2 175 + 262 residences |
| Vattholma | 300 residences | 1 400 people | 570 residences |
| Skyttorp | 150 residences | 700 people | 250 residences |
| Vänge | 50 residences | 1 260 people | 520 residences |
| Järlåsa | 40 residences | 600 people | 220 residences |
In the continued revise of the comprehensive plan, a collected assessment will determine how many additional residences are suitable to build in each urban area.
The development and expansion of communities with more residences will result in costs for the municipality. The effect of construction, i.e. the increase in population and tax base, generates revenue for the municipality. To maintain a balanced economy, municipal resources need to be used efficiently.
More residences in urban areas and fewer in the city can lead to increased need of investments concerning:
This is because urban areas have fewer economies of scale than the city. This means that fewer people can utilize the same resources. The number of residences built must coincide with the expansion of social infrastructure to maintain resource efficiency. Some economies of scale can be achieved through development along transportation corridors (Ostkustbanan), where urban residents can easily commute to services in a nearby urban area.
There is an increased market risk for development projects in urban areas compared to the city. The risk of a weak demand for residences in urban areas can lead to municipal land acquisitions and investments being underutilized (such as development, technical and social infrastructure, etc.). To reduce market risk, various measures may be required to enhance the attractiveness of urban areas, such as investments in public spaces, recreational areas, etc.
More residences in urban areas, beyond what is planned in the current comprehensive plan, could lead to increased expansion of the national road infrastructure, such as intersection measures, traffic areas, etc. This may require municipal co-financing.
New residences in urban areas result in more car traffic in the city compared to equivalent residences within the city, where travel distances are often within cycling distance and shorter distances with higher frequency in public transportation. Therefore, there may be increased costs for investments in the city's transportation infrastructure due to more car traffic from urban areas.
More residences in urban areas and fewer in the city may reduce the risk of costs for nature considerations (compensation), as there is a greater concentration of high natural values in and around Uppsala city than in other urban areas overall. This is mainly due to the fact that the urban areas to a greater extent are surrounded by production forest, while the forest areas around the city are often managed as recreational areas, which normally leads to higher nature values.
Fewer residences in the city may result in slightly reduced utilization of existing technical infrastructure in the city while investments in the city's technical infrastructure are only marginally affected. This is because most of the planned infrastructure investments in the city need to be made for the city to grow, albeit to a lesser extent.
The water and sewage system is financed by water tariffs and not through municipal taxes. More residences in urban areas will require new investments to increase capacity for wastewater and drinking water supply. This includes new sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, and transmission lines between urban areas. Such investments are financed through the user fee, i.e., what all connected households and businesses pay for their use of the public water and sewage system.
The total investment cost is estimated to be greater for water and sewage (i.e., drinking water, wastewater, and rainwater) if the municipality chooses to decrease development in Uppsala city by planning for more residences in urban areas along the Ostkustbanan and Dalabanan railways. In this case, it is likely that the water tariffs will need to be increased more than if housing is developed according to the comprehensive plan.
More residences in an area may result in a level of service maintained over time, as the population base tends to decrease when children move out, leaving parents behind, but no new families moving in.
When an urban area grows with many more residences, the need for community services increases, including:
Community services require municipal and regional investments and prioritizations. In all urban areas mentioned in the referendum question, new schools and preschools are needed if a larger number of residences are built.
An increased population in urban areas may provide conditions for a wider range of commercial services, such as shops, cafes, hairdressers, and gyms. However, the development of the commercial service offering also requires initiatives from the business community.
Fewer future residences in the city may result in a slightly reduced range than planned of commercial service and community service in some neighbourhoods if the intended construction in an area decreases significantly and the population base thus becomes smaller.
Generally, increased construction outside the city leads to more car travel, primarily because many trips become longer, making cycling an unrealistic option for most. Since many trips still will be into the city centre, it results in an increased influx of car traffic into the city. This, in turn, may lead to increased costs for investments in the city's transportation infrastructure in order to handle noise, air quality and the need of increased capacity. Examples of places where measures may need to be taken concerning capacity are the traffic junctions at E4, Bärbyleden, and Österleden.
The consequences of an expansion in Vänge and Järlåsa are affected by the development of Dalabanan. If a new railway to Enköping is built via Vänge and connected to Dalabanan, a new commuter train service, competitively sustainable, may operate the railway line towards Vänge, at least.
However, a new railway is estimated to be far in the future. With the capacity available on the current Dalabanan, possibly another stop could be accommodated in either Vänge or Järlåsa with one departure per hour in each direction. It is doubtful if the cost of a station can be justified when so sparingly used. Additionally, the municipality lacks autonomy in the matter. It is the Swedish Transport Administration and Region Uppsala that are responsible for building the station and operating the railway line.
The impact will be greater on the city's road network with an expansion of Vänge and Järlåsa. West of the city centre, the road network is sensitive. Much traffic travels on streets that are not designed for heavy traffic, such as
Managing increased traffic flows may lead to costly investments.
More residences in Storvreta, Vattholma, and Skyttorp may lead to more people choosing trains as a mode of transportation. Ostkustbanan is not estimated to have the capacity for more than a marginally increased commuter train services. This means that bus traffic will still be an important mode of transportation in the expansion of the areas along Ostkustbanan.
Development can change the character of already built environment in the urban areas in various ways, for example through denser construction or taller buildings.
Vattholma, Skyttorp, Vänge, and Järlåsa are relatively small urban areas with sparse and small-scale built environment. Storvreta has a larger population but consists largely of detached houses. More residences could mean:
A more intense land use with new construction in urban areas may also affect the cultural environment.
For Storvreta, Vattholma, and Skyttorp, the current comprehensive plan already shows significant development, with the number of residences increasing by more than 50 percent.
Building more residences in urban areas and fewer in the city is expected to affect social sustainability more in urban areas than in the city.
Fewer future residences in the city are expected to result in only marginal differences compared to the current comprehensive plan. The referendum question does not affect where residences should be built in the city or what qualities should be created in the city. Opportunities to create good childhood conditions, access to services, safety, and good living environments remain.
If more residences are built in urban areas:
Today, the urban areas around Uppsala city are dominated by detached houses, unlike the wider variation of housing to be seen in areas within Uppsala city. A greater variety of housing options may increase the mix of households in urban areas. Increased mixing in all areas in Uppsala municipality can strengthen cohesion among residents.
An increased housing supply and a greater variety of residences make it easier for those who want to stay in the urban area but move to another residence when their life situation changes. Or for those who wish to move from the city to a smaller urban area, whether it be to a detached house they own or to a rental apartment, condominium, or other forms of accommodation.
The referendum question does not take a stance on where in the city expansion should take place or how much development should be reduced. However, reducing construction in the city can lead to that:
If construction in the city decreases while it increases in urban areas, there may be a risk that the total land requirement for development becomes larger, as the city overall has a higher population density than urban areas.
The greater need for land could lead to an increased risk of more natural area and agricultural land being used and carbon storage in soil and forest decreasing.
Building more residences in urban areas and fewer in the city can be done in a way that supports climate transition. This depends on how the development is implemented and other societal changes that occur and need to occur.
Two differences can be discerned. It is likely to be more challenging to build with as little climate impact as possible in urban areas than in the city. The current structures of urban areas make it difficult to carry out large-scale development where station locations can be fully utilized.
It is more likely that developments in urban areas will lead to greater land use with more detached houses and terraced houses, and that the total residential area will be larger than in the city. This entails higher energy and resource utilization, which in turn leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
More residences in the urban areas will probably lead to more car transport and increased climate emissions, as workplaces and other destinations are primarily located in the city. Switching to renewable fuels, however, gives a possibility of reduced climate impact.
It may be more difficult to get developers to invest in urban areas due to market conditions.
Also, laws, regulations, and municipal requirements and sustainability goals that must be met regardless of where construction occurs may pose challenges. The households' willingness to pay is lower for residences in the urban areas than in the city, but production costs are roughly the same.
Access to land for new construction may also be more difficult since there is not as much municipal land in urban areas. Land acquisition or landowners interested in development who drive the expansion are required.
Road ownership may also make it more difficult. Building public spaces in urban areas where road associations and not the municipality are responsible for the local road network is a more extensive process. This applies to all urban areas except Storvreta. It requires an extensive process if the municipality is to take over road maintenance from a road association or the state.
The municipality lacks authority over the overall road network in urban areas. The national government is the road authority, and Region Uppsala allocates investment funds. Enhancements and any new connections depend on:
The animation has subtitles in Swedish and English.
Each municipality must have a comprehensive plan, which is stipulated in the Swedish Planning and Building Act, and the plan is decided by the municipal council.
The comprehensive plan shows how the city, the countryside and urban areas are to be developed sustainably, both in the present and in the future Uppsala municipality.
The current comprehensive plan for Uppsala municipality extends to the year 2050 and tells of:
The comprehensive plan also shows how Uppsala should develop for present and future generations to thrive and be content, regardless of who you are and where you live and work in the municipality.
It serves as a guidance for decisions on detailed plans when developing different areas in the municipality.
The comprehensive plan consists of
The municipal council assesses the comprehensive plan and its relevance at least once every elected term through a planning strategy. In November 2023, the municipal council decided that the comprehensive plan is primarily relevant, but that it needs to be updated in due course.
In the planning strategy, there is an overall development direction for Uppsala Municipality that tells us where we will build in the future.
Here is a short version of the Comprehensive Plan in English. (PDF, 3 MB)
Read the full Comprehensive Plan and planning strategy. (In Swedish)
The Municipal Executive Board has decided that a new comprehensive plan should be updated and adopted by the municipal council in 2028.
The comprehensive plan will be updated in order to be a clear guide to a sustainable urban planning and development in Uppsala Municipality.
The process of updating the comprehensive plan involves many considerations and has to take into account various factors, such as:
The municipality makes an overall assessment, considering all input and given information, where different values and interests are weighed against each other. This results in a proposal for a comprehensive plan where residents, businesses, organisations, authorities, and other stakeholders can submit their proposals and comments in two rounds before the municipal council finally decides on the new comprehensive plan.
You have the right to vote in the referendum if you are 18 years old by the day of the election and registered in the population register of Uppsala Municipality no later than May 10, 2024. You must also be one of the following:
If you have the right to vote in the referendum, you will receive a voting card in your mailbox a few weeks before the election. The voting card informs of which polling station to vote at on June 9. It also states whether you have the right to vote in both the election to the European Parliament and in the referendum or only in the referendum.
You vote in the same way as in the election to the European Parliament. To vote in the referendum, you should use the blue ballot papers of Uppsala Municipality. They are available in polling stations and early voting locations in Uppsala Municipality.
You can only vote in advance in the referendum when in Uppsala Municipality. You cannot vote in the referendum from abroad.
If you want to vote by proxy in the referendum, you will need an additional voting envelope and ballot paper for the referendum. These can be obtained at the early voting locations or at a polling station within Uppsala Municipality.
If you vote with the help of mobile voting officers, they will bring all the necessary materials to vote in both the election to the European Parliament and the referendum.