Two rural villages in Northern Norway have been chosen
for the Future Rural Communities project (Fremtidens bygder). They are Flakstad
in Nordland and Mosjøen in Nordland.
This project is an initiative from NAL-Ecobox, in collaboration with Trefokus and Zero and has a focus on environment development in rural areas in Norway. Just seven rural communities have been chosen for this phase: Norddal in Møre og Romsdal, Granvin in Hordaland, Iveland in Aust-Agder, Rakkestad in Østfold, Harestua in Oppland, Flakstad in Nordland and Mosjøen in Nordland
About the project:
The project’s objective is to demonstrate practically how to design and build in an environmental friendly manner not only focusing on the big cities but also in rural communities. Area efficiency is an important part of a holistic vision on sustainability and it’s also applicable in rural areas. It is environmentally correct to project and build in a compact settlement instead of the disperse settlement pattern that exists now in rural areas. Much of the work done now in Norway is concentrated in main cities while rural communities are characterized by a disperse settlement pattern.
Michael Lommertz from Ecobox explains in this months Arkitektnytt 4, that there are many large houses in rural areas where big families lived before and now only very few people live. By moving people near to each other transportation will be reduced and public transportation is easier to plan. Less transport and more compact development reduces energy. Another key reason for a compact building pattern is, according to Lommertz, to protect land resources. In rural areas there may be lack of space: Disperse development will often spread into agricultural land or natural areas. For those who believe density is a problem, Lommertz says that it can still contribute to an attractive environment because people and activities are gathered, and in concentrated settlement the architectural qualities can be raised more easily. In other words this project is about developing places where it is attractive to live.
I hope this project, besides helping environmental friendly building, will make these communities, characterized by depopulation, a more attractive place to live and do business. In this way the people will return to rural areas, the cities will get less crowded, and the quality of life will increase for everyone.
About the project:
The project’s objective is to demonstrate practically how to design and build in an environmental friendly manner not only focusing on the big cities but also in rural communities. Area efficiency is an important part of a holistic vision on sustainability and it’s also applicable in rural areas. It is environmentally correct to project and build in a compact settlement instead of the disperse settlement pattern that exists now in rural areas. Much of the work done now in Norway is concentrated in main cities while rural communities are characterized by a disperse settlement pattern.
Michael Lommertz from Ecobox explains in this months Arkitektnytt 4, that there are many large houses in rural areas where big families lived before and now only very few people live. By moving people near to each other transportation will be reduced and public transportation is easier to plan. Less transport and more compact development reduces energy. Another key reason for a compact building pattern is, according to Lommertz, to protect land resources. In rural areas there may be lack of space: Disperse development will often spread into agricultural land or natural areas. For those who believe density is a problem, Lommertz says that it can still contribute to an attractive environment because people and activities are gathered, and in concentrated settlement the architectural qualities can be raised more easily. In other words this project is about developing places where it is attractive to live.
I hope this project, besides helping environmental friendly building, will make these communities, characterized by depopulation, a more attractive place to live and do business. In this way the people will return to rural areas, the cities will get less crowded, and the quality of life will increase for everyone.
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