Kanalmurs programmet - Preserving the past, enabling the future

In the heart of Gothenburg, a generational renewal project is underway to preserve and modernise the city’s historic canal walls. The Kanalmursprogrammet (Canal Wall Programme) is a long-term urban infrastructure effort to upgrade the canal walls between Fattighusån and Stora Hamnkanalen and ensure they meet modern safety and mobility standards while maintaining their deep cultural significance.

More than just structural renewal, the programme supports the continued use of adjacent streets and tram tracks, improves walkability and cycling access along the canals, and enhances public access to i one of Sweden’s most historically significant cityscapes.

“This project is about preserving Gothenburg’s identity while preparing the city for the next hundred years. It’s where cultural heritage meets climate resilience and inclusive mobility.”
— Mikael Thorsell, Project Manager, Ramboll Transport.

As one of Gothenburg’s most complex infrastructure programmes, Kanalmursprogrammet is expected to span decades, and involves extensive stakeholder dialogue, operating within a constrained, high-traffic city environment. The work must be staged to ensure minimal disruption while integrating seamlessly with existing transport systems, water infrastructure, and heritage assets.

Ramboll contributes to the programme with a multidisciplinary team that supports strategic planning, engineering, stakeholder coordination, and phased implementation balancing technical excellence with urban understanding.

Expected to continue until approximately 2043, the programme is guided by a structured management framework comprising a central programme office and a series of sub-projects. Successful delivery relies on cross-sector collaboration, coordinated planning, and ongoing communication with citizens, institutions, and utility owners.

Ramboll’s role is to create the basic design for the part of the programme that runs until the end of 2026 and to ensure that each phase delivers long-term functionality and safety while contributing to a more attractive and accessible urban waterfront for the people of Gothenburg.