Learn Swedish: Staden vill lägga ner skolan. - The city wants to close the school.

Using stänga skolan could simply mean closing the building at the end of the day or for the summer holidays. Lägga ner specifically means to shut down operations permanently, making it the correct choice for closing an institution for good.

Doesn't lägga ner literally mean "to lay down"?

Yes, its literal translation is "to lay down" or "to put down" (like putting down a heavy box). However, it is the standard idiomatic expression for shutting down a business, project, or institution. You will also often see the noun form, en nedläggning, which means "a closure".

Which word gets the emphasis when pronouncing lägga ner?

Because lägga ner is a particle verb (a verb paired with a preposition or adverb that changes its meaning), the stress falls heavily on the particle ner, not on the verb lägga. Emphasizing lägga instead would sound unnatural to a Swedish ear.

Why isn't there an att (to) before lägga, since the English translation is "wants to close"?

In Swedish, vilja (to want) functions as a modal verb. Just like you say "can close" or "must close" in English without the word "to", Swedish uses the bare infinitive lägga directly after vill. Native English speakers often accidentally sneak an att in there, so it's a great habit to watch out for!