Årby

Årby or Årby housing projects is one of the public housing and private owned developments in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The housing opened in the 1960's as a result of the Million Programme by the Swedish government.

Location

Årby is located in the northern parts of Eskilstuna, near the European route E20 and the main road to downtown Eskilstuna. Along Årby runs the Torshällavägen, which leads to the small town of Torshälla. The area can be reached by car or by busline 1 and 2.

Buildings

Årby concists of 29 Apartment buildings of various sizes. Most of the buildings are either 7 or 11 floors with a smaller 3-floor building attached to the bigger building. The rent is low compared to the other areas in Eskilstuna, which have resulted in a population of almost 80% non-swedes. Most of the inhabitants have a different language than Swedish as their mother tongue.The apartments are in various sizes, from two rooms and kitchen up to five rooms and a kitchen.

Årbyskolan

Close to the area is the "neighbourhood"-school: Årbyskolan. The School have about 600 students from kindergarten up to middle school.

Green areas

Årby have many large grassareas and meadows spread around the projects. Further north, crossing the European route E20 lies Årbyskogen (Swedish: skogen English: woods). The woods are inharitated by the local Special school and Friluftsfrämjandet. There is also several exercise tracks that goes along the tight vegetation.

Music

Since the large poulation of non-natives, the cultural influence on the area is very large. The yearly Årbyfestivalen is held every summer and gives the people music from all different cultures.Recently, the Hip hop music style have been successful in the housing area. Individuals and groups like Årby berättar do their own music (often in the studio of Årbyskolan) and tell about their lifes and stories about Årby.

Rivalry

Årby is known to be a quiet and safe neighbourhood, even though at nights there have been reports of minor disturbic violence and crime. Most of the other neighbourhoods in Eskilstuna see Årby as a threat and a place where crime has a strong hand. This have resulted in fear and sometimes attacks on Årby-inhabitants from rival neighbourhoods.

Sources

* http://eskilstuna.se/templates/Page____3222.aspx
* www.arbyberattar.se

References