The North of Sweden is undergoing what’s called a green revolution, where new exploitations arehappening in the name of green development and growth and within the frame of eco-modernism. Thisrevolution is viewed as the solution to many of our problems, one being the climate change, another beingthe de-population of many towns in the North, such as Gällivare. Because of the dominating narrative andthe continued trend of (green) growth, demand on natural resources are increasing, leading to more andmore exploitations. What’s really happening in the North is a green colonization, where we can see greatsimilarities with the industrialization of the last turn of century, when the north was talked about in termsof the land of the future, today “The New North”. This thesis aims to investigate how the current greendevelopment effects the specific site in terms of land use, exploitations, conflicts and the impact on theIndigenous activity of reindeer herding. The project is situated in Gällivare, Norrbotten, Sweden, a townthat is currently undergoing bigger transformations, largely due to the continued mining activity ofGällivare’s two mines. The continuation means demolishment or moving of houses and people, as well asexpansions claiming larger areas of the Sami Community’s land. The project has a main focus on the conflict between the mining industry and the reindeer industry, butalso take into consideration other types of exploitations, such as forest industry, wind power, urbansettlements and so on. The project challenges the dominating narrative, stating that the current status quoof development in the North might not be sustainable or just. Therefore, it also put forward two alternativefuture scenarios, one where Gällivare would be locally self-sufficient and the mining would have stopped,and the other being an automatization of the economic and domestic life, where the mining wouldcontinue. The purpose is to provide a basis for discussion and to explore how other narratives or framesfor development – not growth – would impact the site.

Det pågår idag två samhällsomvandlingar i norra Sverige, i Kiruna och i Malmberget, till följd av den expanderande gruvverksamheten där omlokaliseringen kräver att ytterligare mark tas i anspråk. Speciella omständigheter råder i Kiruna där särskilda skydd och bestämmelser föreligger som en följd av den juridiska odlingsgränsen. Syftet med studien är att ge ett brett perspektiv på den unika odlingsgränsen och visa på sambandet mellan den och förvärv statlig mark vid samhällsomvandling. För att uppnå syftet utreddes odlingsgränsens historia, samhällsomvandlingarna och riksintressen samt markförvärvsprocessen och hur denna kan förbättras. Metoderna som användes var litteraturstudie, kvalitativa intervjuer och besök gjordes på plats i Kiruna och i Malmberget för att fördjupa kunskaperna.Staten började ta över en stor del av förvaltningen av den skyddade marken redan på 1500-talet och uppmuntrade en inflyttning till norra Sverige. Begreppet odlingsgränsen uppkom under slutet av 1800-talet för att skydda samerna med rennäring gentemot nybyggarna. Dagens samhällsomvandlingar är omfattande och har stor påverkan på omgivningen där aktörerna anser att utveckling ska gå före avveckling. Runt Kiruna och Malmberget finns flera olika riksintressen att ta hänsyn till vid planeringen, till exempel rennäring och gruvnäring. Gruvnäringen får företräde framför de andra riksintressena på grund av nationalnyttan som den medför. Staten äger mycket mark runt Kiruna och för att få förvärva den krävs ett regeringsbeslut. En ansökan om ett sådant förvärv ska prövas hos Statens jordbruksverk, Länsstyrelsen, berörd sameby och Statens fastighetsverk. Med de många instanserna tar processen lång tid och för att effektivisera processen behövs i första hand kompetenshöjning hos aktörerna och bättre kommunikation. Jordbruksdrift var anledningen till att odlingsgränsen uppstod men idag tjänar den sitt syfte för andra näringar, till exempel turism. / Two urban transformations are in progress in northern Sweden today, in Kiruna and in Malmberget, due to expanding mining operations. The relocation of the two cities requires land acquisition. In Kiruna there are specific conditions due to certain protection provided by the so called cultivation border. The purpose of the study is to give a wide perspective on this unique cultivation border and indicate its association with land acquisition. In order to achieve the purpose of the study the history of the cultivation border, the urban transformations and national interests were investigated, as well as the process of land acquisition and how it can be improved. A literature study, qualitative interviews and visits at Kiruna and Malmberget was used to gain knowledge within the topic.As early as in the 1500s, the Swedish government started to take control of the northern parts of the country and encouraged its colonization. The cultivation border was created in the late 1800s to protect the Sami people and their industry from the settlers. The urban transformations are very extensive and have major impacts on the environment. Involved participants want to construct new areas before deconstructing the old ones. There are several different national interests in Kiruna and in Malmberget areas that have to be taken into account in the planning process. Two of those interests are the reindeer and mining industries. The mining industry takes precedence due to its economic benefits to the whole country. The State owns lots of land in Kiruna and in order to acquire it, the government has to give its approval. An application for such an acquirement must be adjudicated by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, the County Administrative Board, affected Sami villages and the National Property Board of Sweden. The high amount of authorities involved makes the process of aquisition long and an improvement to shorten it is to increase the competence of the involved parties and their intercommunication. The purpose of the cultivation border is still considered to be valid, although today for example the tourism is more important than the agriculturing to protect the Sami people.