3 Green Urban Areas Incorporating Sustainable Land Use
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Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 3 Green urban areas incorporating Sustainable Land Use 3A. Present Situation Oslo occupies an unusually large land area for its relatively small population of 658,400. The city is located on an arc of land at the northernmost end of the Oslo Fjord and is surrounded by forested hills known as Marka, with Nordmarka to the north and Østmarka to the east (figure 3.1). 10 waterways flow from Marka into the fjord, transecting the city. They provide vital ecosystem services, including recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat and avenues for flood control. Figure 3.1: Overview map of Oslo. 1 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Oslo is 454 square kilometers and 300 of these are the nationally protected Marka (3D1). Marka’s boundaries function to limit urban sprawl and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation (3D27). Construction is prohibited in Marka, with some exceptions made for primary industries. An overview of the land use in Oslo municipality is provided in table 3.1. Because large parts of the municipality’s total area are included in Marka, land use is specified for the inner city, the urban area and the overall city. Oslo’s databases do not distinguish between public and private green areas; enclosed areas (i.e. gardens) are included in the residential statistics and green areas that are regulated by the municipality are accessible to the public, regardless of ownership. The built environment also blends residential, commercial, cultural, and industrial uses such that most land use qualifies as mixed. Furthermore, since building is constrained to the narrow strip of land between Marka and the fjord, real estate is valuable and there are no large areas that meet the European Green Capital definition of brownfield as derelict or abandoned. Some industrial sites are underused, especially with regard to their potential to support mixed uses. These sites have been targeted for regeneration and densification (figure 3.2). Table 3.1: Land use in Oslo municipality. Inner City Urban Overall Unit Year of area** City data provided Public Green Area 15 20 68 Private Green Area - - - Blue 1 1 6 Residential 27 36 12 Industrial/economic 13 8 3 % 2014 Mixed Cultural, social and religious 7 4 1 Brownfield - - - Other* 37 31 10 Total 100 100 100 Inner city Urban Overall Unit Year of area city data provided Population density in built-up areas Inhabitants 133 60 57 2016 (city area minus green and blue) per ha Percentage of people living within 300 m of green urban areas of any 98.2 98.4 % 2016 size in inner city Population density (inhabitants per Inhabitants 154 148 2016 hectare) for new developments per ha * Other consists of the technical infrastructure that supports the city (i.e. transportation, energy and wastewater), in addition to areas set aside for telecommunication. ** The built zone 2 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Figure 3.2: Areas highlighted for regeneration and densification in the 2015 Municipal Master Plan. Sustainable urban development The Municipal Master Plan (MMP) provides the framework for Oslo’s urban development (3D2, 3D3). The latest plan was adopted in 2015 building upon development strategies that have been in place since 2000. The 2015MMP establishes planning provisions that will secure green urban areas for the future. There are provisions and guidelines for several land-use objectives, including green structure, nature, landscape, waterways and Blue-green factor. A fast-growing capital Oslo has a small population compared to other European capitals, but its growth rate – about 2% per year – is one of the highest in Europe (3D4). To accommodate growth, more than 29,000 housing units have been added in the past decade, representing a 10% increase. This development has taken place through the regeneration of industrial areas and the conversion of detached and semi-detached dwellings into high-density housing. Today 88% of Oslo’s housing is comprised of multi-story, multi- unit residences, a net increase of 5% since 2007. 3 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 One-third of the population of Oslo lives in the inner city, which covers about 15% of the city’s urban area (figure 3.3). Former industrial areas located at the margins of the inner city – such as Nydalen, Løren, Ensjø and Kværnerbyen – have been redeveloped with an emphasis on high residential density, high frequency transit services, and path improvements to encourage walking and cycling. Sites along the waterfront in the city’s prestigious Fjord City project (3D28) – areas like Tjuvholmen, Aker Brygge, Barcode and Sørenga – have been transformed from shipyards and dry docks into compact neighborhoods that combine 9.000 new dwellings, 45.000 new workplaces next to shops and restaurants, plus more than 50 hectares of parks and public spaces. Population density at these sites ranges from 81 people per hectare (pph) at Ensjø to over 200 pph at Tjuvholmen and Kværnerbyen. Figure 3.3: Population density in Oslo with locations of recent regeneration. Densification of the urban area is a deliberate strategy specified in the 2015MMP, which facilitate sustainable urban development and ensure that nearly all residents (98%) live within a 300 meters radius of a green area. A capital with blue-green veins Oslo’s blue and green areas comprise ten major waterways and a comprehensive network of parks, recreation areas and green corridors that together account for 21% of the built environment (figure 3.4). These spaces include the recreational islands in the Oslo Fjord; parks and cemeteries (which are maintained like parks); sport and recreation areas; and other green spaces that are regulated for recreational and ecological purposes. Provisions and guidelines are even included in the 2015MMP for the creation of new green spaces through the regeneration of underused industrial areas. In this way, growth is used to expand Oslo’s green space (3D3). 4 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Figure 3.4: Blue and green spaces comprise 21% of Oslo’s built environment. 5 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Plans dating back to 1934 led to the construction of 220 kilometers of greenways and footpaths that contribute to sustainable transportation in the city. It also provides dispersal corridors for plants and animals. The Harbour Promenade, opened in 2015, is one of Oslo’s newest paths and stretches for nine kilometers along the waterfront (figure 3.5). Together with the 470 kilometers of trails and 300 kilometers of forest roads in Marka (which are converted to cross-country skiing tracks in the winter) Oslo’s path network constitutes a unique recreational asset for residents. Figure 3.5: The Harbour Promenade (in red) links paths in the east and west (in blue), and makes the entire coastline adjacent to the city center accessible to the general public. Illustration: City of Oslo, MMW. Several parks have recently been upgraded to improve the sporting and aesthetic experience for park users. Ammerud Park (figure 3.6 A) is a fitness park designed in conjunction with local residents. The park puts to use idle ground between a bike path and a metro station, creating a new venue for informal social interaction. Bjerkedalen Park (figure 3.6 B) was redesigned in conjunction with the restoration of the stream Hovinbekken, and features 36,000 square meters of natural meadows, perennial flower beds, and paths made of permeable material. Parks adjacent to waterways play a central role in Oslo’s action plan for storm water management by functioning as retention basins during extreme weather events (3D5, 3D6, 3D29). 6 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Figure 3.6: Ammerud Park (A) and Bjerkedalen Park (B). Photos: R.J. Rolid/Agency for Planning and Building Services. 7 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 The Grorud Valley Project established in 2007 partly aimed to enhance the blue green structures northeast in Oslo. The Grorud Valley has over 139 000 residents, around 21% of the city’s population. The Valley includes four of Oslo’s fifteen Districts (Alna, Bjerke, Grorud and Stovner) and covers 37 square kilometers (figure 3.7). In the period 2007-2015 EUR 37,5 mill. was spent on blue-green projects in the Grorud Valley (3D7). Four district parks serving as outdoor meeting places near people’s homes were established; the World Park at Furuset in Alna District (figure 3.8), Bjerkedalen Park in Bjerke District (figure 3.6 B), the Grorud Park in Grorud District and the Line Park in Stovner District. The projects have invited the locals to participate throughout the planning process via workshops, seminars, public meetings and exhibitions. In addition, culverted stretches of the Hovinbekken stream and the Alna River, and several tributaries, have been reopened as a result of the Grorud Valley Project (3D7). On adjacent land, greenways and green public spaces have been established for recreational purposes. Figure 3.7: The area included in the Grorud Valley project. 8 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 Figure 3.8: The newly established World Park at Furuset in Alna District, where 140 nationalities are represented. 9 Application Form for the European Green Capital Award 2019 3B. Past Performance Rapid population growth over the past decade created the need to develop new residential, commercial and technical infrastructure while also limiting urban sprawl, mitigating the impacts of soil sealing, and preserving the quality of blue and green areas. Oslo met this challenge through compact urban development, blue-green infrastructure investments, and improvements to existing parks and other green areas. In addition, Oslo has engaged local neighborhoods by expanding urban farming programs.