The U.K. just opened a timber office building. Switzerland has the world’s tallest wooden tower in the pipeline. And now Sweden is working on an entire wooden city. 

The Swedish real estate company Atrium Ljungberg has just announced it will start building a timber metropolis in the southern parts of the country’s capital in 2025. 

Covering more than 60 acres in the Sickla district, the aptly named Stockholm Wood City will include 7,000 office spaces, 2,000 homes, an array of restaurants, and a collection of boutiques. Atrium Ljungberg says it will be the world’s largest wooden city once complete. (Take that, Switzerland.) 

As you might expect, the new development will have an organic look and feel due to the material and a hint of that elegant Scandinavian style. This project is about more than aesthetics, though. Working with wood can decrease construction time and reduce the climate impact of buildings by up to 50 percent, according to research by Frontiers. Buildings and construction currently account for 39 percent of global emissions, but that could be drastically reduced if more developers opted for renewable and locally sourced materials like wood.

On top of that, research indicates that timber buildings enhance air quality, reduce stress, increase productivity, and store carbon dioxide over their lifespan. In other words, the inhabitants of Stockholm Wood City might be happier and more driven than the rest of us. 

In addition, the city will focus on self-produced, stored, and shared power, aligning with Sweden’s national agenda on energy. It will also create more workplaces south of Stockholm’s inner city and thus reducing commuting times.

The first buildings in Stockholm Wood City are expected to be completed by 2027, while Switzerland’s Rocket&Tigeli supertall is scheduled to open in 2026. The 328-foot wooden structure will stand as the world’s tallest residential tower, exceeding Norway’s 280-foot Mjøstårnet building. 

Let’s hope we see more timber towers sprouting across the globe.