2009 "Technical Visit Tour" Delegation

October 1-8, 2009, Duluth Sister Cities International sent a delegation of Duluthians to our Sister City Växjö, Sweden, for an educational “technical visit tour” that benefited both Duluth and Växjö. The DSCI delegation learned about the city’s world renowned sustainable practices, how those practices make an impact on economic development for the City of Växjö, and how Växjö earned the title of "Greenest City in Europe". In follow-up, a delegation of Växjö citizens will visit Duluth in 2010 to continue this unique, international exchange. Photos and a report to come soon.

Växjö, Sweden

An exciting combination of idyllic small town, university town and center of entertainment, Växjö is a strong regional center in the middle of southern Sweden, with close to 80,000 people inhabiting the city. The city has a long tradition as a seat of learning, the seat of the County Government and as a Cathedral City.

Famous personalities from Växjö include scientist/botanist Carl von Linné, world famous opera soprano Christina Nilsson, Pär Lagerkvist winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and tennis star Mats Wilander.

The region is home to one of Sweden’s best business climates with several successful clusters, such as Kingdom of Crystal, Kingdom of Aluminum, Kingdom of Furniture, Internet City and Heavy vehicles. Växjö lies in the midst of the Kingdom of Crystal. Here you can see the world-class glass being blown at Kosta, Orrefors and many other area glass factories.

A successful environmental project is being run in the city in order to achieve a sustainable and fossil fuel free Växjö. Because of these efforts, the city became the winner of the Sustainable Energy Europe Award for 2007 and was named the Greenest City in the EU.

Växjö offers a multitude of experiences in culture and entertainment activities. Downtown features exciting shopping, snug cafes, and gourmet restaurants along a quaint walking only street. In the middle of the city lies Lake Växjö encircled by leafy green paths and walkways. On the periphery of the town are several large shopping centers.

Duluth is one of Växjö’s ten Sister Cities. Since 1987 we have enjoyed many cultural, academic and sports exchanges. Each year there are exchanges of students and faculty between UMD and the University in Växjö. The cities have also exchanged exhibits of local artists and performances by local musicians. Besides the alternate year visits of official delegates between our sister-cities, the largest exchange group is the Duluth-Växjö Youth Soccer Exchange. 2008 is the tenth year of this annual event.

Visit Växjö's Website
Official Delegation Visit from Växjö
Nightly News video: Sweden holds key to going green
Duluth-Växjö Soccer Exchange

Sustainable Links

City Planning Branding- Anders Franzen
Climate Centre- Johan Thorsell
The Greenest City in Europe- Par Wallin
VAEB- Goran Fremrot

Brochures

CO2 - Fossil Fuel Free
SESAC - Sustainable Urban Energy Development
Technical Visits Menu

PowerPoint Slideshows

2009 Växjö Official Delegation (25.3MB)

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Our Sister Cities

Växjö, Sweden
An exciting combination of idyllic small town, university town and center of entertainment, Växjö is a strong regional center in the middle of southern Sweden, with close to 80,000 people inhabiting the city. More ...

Isumi-shi, Japan
Located 50 miles south of Tokyo, this 22,000 person agricultural town has been a Sister City since 1990. That tie began in 1954 when an ancient Buddhist temple bell, which found its way to Duluth after World War II, was returned to Ohara. More ...

Petrozavodsk, Russia
Established as a Sister City in 1987, Petrozavodsk shares a mining and shipping history with Duluth. The city of 266,000, one of the biggest in Northwestern Russia, was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. More ...

Thunder Bay, Canada
Duluth’s first and closest Sister City – the community formalized the bond in 1980 – Thunder Bay is one of the largest and busiest ports in Canada. More ...