Let's visit Hammarby again

Sweden has a  population of just over 9.2 million people and a total area of over 450 thousand square km whilst the United Kingdom has a population of over 60 million with an area of nearly 244 thousand square km. Both have a growing population with immigrants boosting the numbers. On the face of  it you would think the Swedes have so much countryside that they could afford to lose some to building new towns. But no, they safeguard their countryside and build on brownfield sites like at Hammarby and Malmo instead.

In the case of Malmo, their website states: Skåne is an important agricultural region, with a defining character in terms of its cultural heritage. As Malmö expands, it attempts to balance growth with preservation of open areas for nature appreciation and food cultivation.  The city aims to densify existing city areas with many new building sites located within the central vicinity or on former industrial sites in order to avoid over-exploitation of surrounding arable lands.

Did our government ministers, planners and councillors learn nothing when they travelled to Sweden to learn about how the Swedes tackle the problems of more sustainable development?