As part of our feature on Hornstulls Marknad, we spoke to Fredrik Lindstål from Glad Stad, the organisation behind the initiative.
What was the main aim when you first came up with the idea for Hornsulls Marknad? Did Södermalm specifically lack an outdoor flea market?
When we first started the market, I had been living in the neighbourhood for a long time. And I noticed a distinct difference when the former market “Street” closed down. Shops were closing, restaurants were moving and the general ambience was changing. So we decided to start a market to see if we could create a social injection and attract more people to Hornstull. Södermalm was really lacking a flea market with a great streetfood assortment at the time. Said and done, we started Hornstulls marknad.
For how long has it been going on now and how has it evolved over the years?
We started in 2013 and are going on our sixth year now. It started out as a Sunday market with around 20-30 vendors and six foodtrucks. It’s grown gradually since then and since last year, we´re organising the markets on both Saturdays and Sundays. But we still do what we can to keep the size down to not lose the organic feel of a classic neighbourhood market.
If you had political mandate to do whatever you wanted, and if any financial or other obstacles where removed what could or would you be able to achieve in the future with Hornstulls Market as the starting point?
As you may know, I am also a part-time local politician in Stockholm so I make 100 percent sure that I keep separate my work with Glad Stad and my political mandate. Hence, it is important for Glad Stad that we find our own way to make cities happier. But an obstacle for any organiser in any city is the complexity of applying for various permits. In my view, cities should be more welcoming and helpful to those who want to contribute to what cities have to offer. And there is definitely room for improvement in Stockholm here.
Glad Stad’s publicly stated vision is to make Stockholm a happier city through collaborations with inhabitants where you redefine ideas and find new uses for public space. Apart from markets could you give us a few examples of what you have done or what you would like to do to enhance Stockholmer’s quality of life?
Over the years we´ve improved parks like Brunkebergs Torg, opened up closed spaces like Hötorgsterrassen, organised festivals and markets in areas where there were pretty much no people or cultural life at all. And I´d like to think that we´ve played a big role in the streetfood boom that has hit the city over the years. All in all, I think we´ve made a difference in Stockholm.
Other than yourself, who or what else does a great job in making Stockholm a happier city?
I have a soft spot for organisers who make ALL of Stockholm happier, like Global Village, who organise Järvaveckan, Siduri Poli at Changers hub, the art crew at Kollektivet Livet, Helena Olsson at Fastighetsägarna and the Gather festival crew are only a few the people out of many that are really in the trenches of putting a smile on the faces of every in the Stockholm region.
