Moving A City

"Three years ago the Swedish mining company LKAB -- which provides the city's economic lifeblood -- informed Swedell and other local officials that a century of extracting iron ore from underground was taking a toll on the bedrock under the town's homes and offices. Cracks had developed in the mine wall that angles thousands of feet beneath the city, and if they didn't start moving the buildings in a couple of decades, key parts of the city might collapse."

"The citizens of Kiruna -- who dub themselves 'the No-Problem People' -- have taken on this geological challenge with gusto. Last month, the town council voted to move much of the 23,000-person city to a spot 1.25 to 2.5 miles northwest of its current location, away from the direction of the cracks."

"While the city has just completed a 250-page document outlining a timetable and plan for the move, its officials have yet to pin down many specifics. They are still exploring the possibility of moving the town hall intact, and they will likely transport many houses on large trailers."