Akademiska Hus makes new investment in the outdoor environment at Umeå University – builds a bicycle park for mountain biking

The opportunity for sports and outdoor activities is never far away on the campus area in Umeå. Akademiska Hus is now making another investment by building a bike park in Lilljansskogen with an approximately one kilometre long track for mountain bikes. The project is being carried out in collaboration with IKSU, which will be responsible for the operation of the park.

Developing the outdoor environment and attracting movement is a central part of Akademiska Hus' work to make the campus an attractive place where students, researchers and visitors thrive and feel good. On campus in Umeå there are already many opportunities for activities at, for example, the athletics arena, the beach volleyball court, the artificial turf field and IKSU sport, which offers everything from gyms and group training sessions to climbing, beach volleyball and squash.  
 
To provide the opportunity for another exercise activity in the area and create conditions for more people to get active, Akademiska Hus will build a new bike park for mountain biking. The park consists of a course that will run through parts of Lilljansskogen and be about one kilometer long. It will be of the flowtrail type and will be built in wood with dosed curves, pumps, kicks/jumps and boardwalks. Along the course, there will be four areas with obstacles of varying degrees of difficulty.  
 
"We want to give everyone who is on campus good conditions for outdoor activities and we look forward to supplementing the area with a bike park for mountain biking. The park will be accessible to everyone and we hope that the investment will attract more Umeå residents to campus," says Ulf Widmark, Property Manager at Akademiska Hus.  
 
The track is designed and built by former elite cyclists Eric Wållberg and Tommy Johansson. IKSU will be responsible for the operation.  

"We at IKSU are pleased that Akademiska Hus is investing in a bicycle park and that we have been given the opportunity to use and manage the park when it is completed. By making the area accessible to both beginners and experienced cyclists, thresholds are lowered and conditions are created for more people to discover the joy of cycling. This contributes to a more vibrant and healthy campus, where more people have the opportunity to move and meet. Together, we create the conditions for a campus where people want to be - a campus that is active, safe and open to everyone," says Marie-Louise Jarlenfors, CEO and Sports Director at IKSU. 

Construction of the bike park will begin in June 2026 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.