Implementing an area-based strategy in Groruddalen, Norway
2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 5; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/17535069.2012.656454
ISSN1753-5077
Autores Tópico(s)Urban Planning and Governance
ResumoAbstract This article discusses the implementation of a 10-year programme of regenerating Groruddalen, a cluster of post-war housing estates in Oslo. In the wake of a shift from urban government to urban governance, the study indicates that urban planning still embodies a hierarchical structure of traditional institutions and role models. The study nevertheless also shows how such a regeneration programme can develop and expand on existing patterns of urban governing, and as such the study explores some of the inertia in the change from government to governance in which local differences both arise and circumscribe the process. Keywords: urban planningurban regenerationurban governancearea-based strategieshousing Notes 1. At the time of writing 100 million NOK corresponds to approximately 13 million Euro. 2. Harvey has proved to be highly influential on much of the later contributions to literature on urban governance. His description of the impact such a shift has had on ideals for urban governing is also reflected in the works of Healey (2003) Healey, P. 2003. "Place, identity and local politics". In Deliberative policy analysis, Edited by: Hajer, M. and Wagenaar, H. 60–87. Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as well as Mac Callum et al. (2009), and, in a Norwegian context, Halvorsen (2004) Halvorsen, K. 2004. "Akerselva environmental park and akerselva innovation park: urban transformation by chance and governance". In Building and urban development in Norway, Edited by: Nystad, J.F. 84–87. Norwegian: The Norwegian State Housing Bank/Husbanken. [Google Scholar]. 3. Elaborating on the works of Harvey, Jessop (2000) Jessop, B. 2000. "Governance failure". In The new politics of British local governance, Edited by: Stoker, G. 11–32. London: MacMillan Press. [Google Scholar] states that urban governments have only a limited room for manoeuvring within the frames of capitalism. 4. Among these scholars we find Patsy Healey and Gøran Cars. 5. The ideal of nature as important to the modernist urban planner seems to have been somewhat forgotten in the postmodern critique of architects such as Le Corbusier and his 'machines for living'. The technological agenda of Corbusier can be debated (see, for instance, McQuillan 2006 McQuillan, T. 2006. Edouard among the machines: a discussion of Le Corbusier's technological agenda, Oslo: Oslo School of Architecture and Design. [Google Scholar]), but for the team of architects working on Groruddalen nature was always on the agenda (Kronborg 2009 Kronborg, A.K. 2009. Sånn skal det gjøres, Oslo: ObosBladet. [That's the way to do it] [Google Scholar]). 6. Hansen is one of two authors behind an epoch-making report criticizing the housing estates at Ammerud in 1969. 7. Pløger (2002) Pløger, J. 2002. Det senmoderne nærmiljø: en sammenlikning af teori og praksis i Danmark og Norge, Oslo: NIBR. [Late modern community: a comparison of theory and practice in Denmark and Norway][Crossref] , [Google Scholar] studies the concept of the neighbourhood and local environment and finds that embedded in these terms are a firm belief that social behaviour depends on physical planning. 8. From the letter of intention signed by the Oslo City Council and the Norwegian government. 9. See, for instance, Nadim (2008) Nadim, M. 2008. Levekår i Groruddalen, Oslo: Fafo 2008/27. [Living conditions in Groruddalen] [Google Scholar] and Guttu et al. (2008 Guttu, J. 2008. Kartlegging av boligmassen i Groruddalen: en GIS-basert oversikt, Oslo: NIBR, NIBR-notat 2008:7. [A mapping of the housing stock in Groruddalen Oslo: a GIS based survey][Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). 10. In Groruddalssatsingen, such an investment is made (gratis kjernetid) to improve the language abilities among the immigrant population. 11. Quote from the informal brochure: 'Tiltak for 2008, Groruddalssatsingen', p. 2. My translation. 12. (1) Samferdselsetaten, (2) Friluftsetaten and (3) Plan-og bygningsetaten. 13. All quotes are from the letter of intent signed in January 2007 by the Minister of Environmental Issues and the Head of the City Council in Oslo. The Minister of Environmental Issues at the time was Helen Bjørnøy (Socialist Left) and the Head of the City Council was Erling Lae (Conservatives). 14. It should be noted that Vestel has given the local district he studies a pseudonym (Rudenga). The area is declared to be in Groruddalen, but exactly where is never revealed. 15. RESTATE (Restructuring Large-Scale Housing Estates in European Cities: Good Practices and New Visions for Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Cities) is an umbrella of projects sponsored by the European Union. For further details, please see http://www.ist-world.org/ProjectDetails.aspx?ProjectId=e74d9ee36b7c4d41afc601bed70ed236 [Accessed 9 January 2010]. 16. Immigrant and immigration are here understood in terms of Statistics of Norway as people with both parents born in another country than Norway, that is, people whom themselves have immigrated to Norway or whom are born in Norway from foreign-born parents. The definitions are relevant in this concern, given that most of the statistics used are performed by the Statistics of Norway. 17. In 2007 and 2008, reports were published as part of the regeneration programme that supports these findings. Herein there is no space to go into depth of these studies, but in general they conclude that there are great differences between areas and that between local areas, some of which have very high scores on the index of living conditions and others that score low. These may be located just next to each other. The immigrant population turns out to score higher on these indexes than similar groups in any other place in the country revealing the question of whether we are not faced with the old social and economical classes more than ethnicity. For further readings, see Nadim (2008) Nadim, M. 2008. Levekår i Groruddalen, Oslo: Fafo 2008/27. [Living conditions in Groruddalen] [Google Scholar]. 18. Guttu et al. (2008 Guttu, J. 2008. Kartlegging av boligmassen i Groruddalen: en GIS-basert oversikt, Oslo: NIBR, NIBR-notat 2008:7. [A mapping of the housing stock in Groruddalen Oslo: a GIS based survey][Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) conclude along the same lines in the later study of the housing conditions in the valley (Guttu et al. 2008 Guttu, J. 2008. Kartlegging av boligmassen i Groruddalen: en GIS-basert oversikt, Oslo: NIBR, NIBR-notat 2008:7. [A mapping of the housing stock in Groruddalen Oslo: a GIS based survey][Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and Guttu (2003 Guttu, J. 2003. "Den gode boligen: fagfolks oppfatning av boligkvalitet gjennom 50 år". In Thesis (PhD), Oslo: Arkitekthøgskolen i Oslo. [The good dwelling: experts view on housing quality through 50 years] [Google Scholar]) acknowledges the importance of ownership. 19. The quote is from the official Grorud Valley Project Office (Plankontoret for Groruddalen), an administrative body established to coordinate the various interests and investments. Studying the various discussions in the media on the valley has been the case for some research undertaken (see Gakkestad 2003 Gakkestad, K. 2003. "Romsås en stigmatisert bydel?". In Masters thesis, Oslo: University of Oslo. [Romsås a stigmatized district?] [Google Scholar]). 20. The Groruddalen Project Office has noted this in public on several occasions in various presentations and lectures such as the one given at a seminar on Groruddalen at Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), September 2008. 21. In order of appearance Dagsavisen 5 April 2005, Aftenposten 28 October 2004 and Aftenposten (editorial) 17 January 2005. 22. Namely Handlingsplan for Oslo indre øst, a 10-year programme with the same 100 million NOK transferred to various projects every year and completed in 2006. 23. Quote from interview with Husbanken, April 2009. 24. Notably Nadim (2008) Nadim, M. 2008. Levekår i Groruddalen, Oslo: Fafo 2008/27. [Living conditions in Groruddalen] [Google Scholar] and Guttu et al. (2008 Guttu, J. 2008. Kartlegging av boligmassen i Groruddalen: en GIS-basert oversikt, Oslo: NIBR, NIBR-notat 2008:7. [A mapping of the housing stock in Groruddalen Oslo: a GIS based survey][Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). 25. The Norwegian term is 'områdeløft', and as any Norwegian speaking can see my translation is not straightforward. Nevertheless it is, I find it, an accurate description of the intentions and means of working employed by Husbanken and the local districts. 26. The criteria are (1) that the area holds severe challenges in terms of living conditions, (2) a need for physical upgrading and (3) locally embedded interest and will to change (Husbanken 2009 Husbanken (State Housing Bank). 2009. Områdeløft, Oslo: Notat. [Google Scholar]). 27. The Norwegian term is 'Sosiokulturelle stedsanalyser', a supplement to more traditional physical place analysis wherein local practice, everyday life and questions on how people conceive of their local environment are taken into consideration. 28. Some new positions are created and new people are employed to handle the administration of the regeneration programme, but none that changes the line of decision making. 29. The point here is whether that is a long travel to undertake, or if the decision was right or wrong, but to underscore the feeling of powerlessness that comes with such decisions being made on a top political level without much dialogue with the local inhabitants. The decision was not one of Groruddalssatsingen but to most people the extra investments that come with the area-based strategy were not able to stop the very unpopular decision, and as such the whole Groruddalssatsingen is judged by many as non-efficient in terms of the most important cases. 30. It is noted that this is 'so far' as the programme is only halfway. Issues such as whether we can see a more positive immediate evaluation than what occurs over time will, for instance, have to wait.
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