Few things are more uninspiring and disheartening than passing by empty ground floors in the city, stripped of life, write Kaja Melbye and Ingrid Sletten in this article, previously published in Dagsavisen.

Now more than ever, we dream of an Oslo filled with vitality, with housing that everyone can afford. The solution is right before our eyes, if the political will is present: in the city’s empty ground floors.

Although we have become increasingly accustomed to the sight of empty commercial spaces in Oslo since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, this is nothing new.

In areas of the city where thousands of residents are moving into new housing, it is often a problem that ground floors remain vacant long after residents have begun to move in. The reason? Requirements for outward-facing activity on street level, or so-called active facades – in practice, this means shops and businesses. The intention behind these requirements is noble, aiming to ensure an active urban life. However, the problem is that in the initial stages, there are too few people living in new neighborhoods to sustain such commercial offerings, and newly established businesses are often forced to close due to a lack of customer base.

At the same time, we are facing a situation where the lack of affordable housing is more critical than ever.

Large parts of Oslo’s workforce are excluded from living in the city they contribute to keeping running, due to an explosive rise in housing prices. In 2020 alone, housing prices in Oslo increased by 12 percent, and the “nurse index” from the Norwegian Property Federation now shows that a single nurse can only afford 2.5 percent of the homes in Oslo.

While the housing crisis in our city worsens and politicians fail to agree on whether subsidized housing development belongs in Norway’s free market model, new, attractive ground floors stand vacant, right before our eyes.

Facilitating more flexibility in the city’s ground floors is a key to creating both more urban life and housing tailored to more residents’ budgets. And those who have the opportunity to open the door to more flexibility are the local politicians in Oslo. However, the belief that commercial offerings at street level are the best means to achieve desired activity in the city seems to be just as strong as the skepticism towards allowing people to live in ground floors facing public streets and spaces. Are these attitudes in line with the desires, needs, and ideals of social sustainability in our time?

Or have we settled for established truths that limit new ways of thinking?

We believe in new solutions where homes and the people who live in them become our most important resource when we work together to create vibrant urban life. Activities that are based on the idea that homes and city residents can contribute to community, neighborliness, security, and a sense of belonging, especially during the period when a new neighborhood is being developed.

What if we therefore envision a form of collaboration where housing developers, for a limited period, are allowed by the authorities to facilitate residential functions in the ground floors normally reserved for shops and businesses? Since there is more to gain from selling or renting out residential space than commercial space, this means increased earnings per square meter for housing developers. This allows developers to offer the homes at a more affordable price while still making a profit.

If the Planning and Building Authority also allows parts of the homes’ outdoor areas to be included under the roof on the ground floors, as social and green year-round gardens, these green spaces will become catalysts for increased urban life. This line of thought is being concretized by Hille Melbye in the pilot project “Homes for Everyone,” in collaboration with Pådriv and supported by the Norwegian State Housing Bank.

Bryn is set to be transformed from scattered commercial and industrial buildings into a new and vibrant neighborhood in the coming years.

The pilot project focuses on one of the most centrally located residential quarters of the area, owned by the housing developer JM. Here, we explore a gradual and flexible development of the ground floors; from affordable housing and communal areas in the early stages of development, to a situation-adapted mix of commercial, neighborhood, and residential functions once the neighborhood is fully developed.

To achieve this gradual transformation at street level, we need to facilitate flexible and adaptable ground floors that can accommodate various functions and uses over time. The ceiling height must be suitable for two-story residential units, which can be converted into spacious and open commercial spaces and communal areas as needed. Such urban development requires all parties involved in housing development to commit to a collaboration that prioritizes the needs of the city and its residents.

We believe that this type of collaboration has the potential to make Oslo a warmer, greener, and more creative city with space for everyone!

Read the opinion piece in Dagsavisen here.

Kaja Melbye

Ingrid Sletten