6 Policy for improved environment in cities and towns

The growth and transformation of our cities and towns represent both threats and opportunities. Since the modifications have considerable consequences and are in reality irreversible, it is important to utilise the forces of change in ways that improve the overall city-structure as well as the areas changed in the cities and towns. This includes developing and supporting environmentally friendly city-structures and transportation systems, improving physical surroundings and decreasing air pollution and noise. At the same time, cities and towns’ special characteristics, identity and diversity, valuable cultural environments, green structures and nature areas, must be protected and developed further. Development of more sustainable and competitive cities and towns requires a long-term perspective, and co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning is an essential tool.

6.1 Attractive towns

The Government will reinforce the interaction between the cities and towns, and their environs. The specific situation, characteristics and assets of the towns and regions must be utilised in order to achieve improved regional balance and efficient economic exploitation of resources. This is, among other reasons, important to ease pressures on the major cities, and to secure people a wide choice of possible employment and abode. The Government wants to support the development of attractive towns that act as thriving hubs for their local communities and at the same time are well-functioning elements of their greater city-structure.

In the so-called work-, housing- and service-regions, regional centres with explicit regional functions should be defined. Co-operation between the municipalities is important to stimulate regional development and avoid conflicts between different centres. The possibilities and roles of the different cities and towns within the city network should be clarified through regional planning. Several counties have, in consultation with municipalities, developed guidelines for centre structure and localisation of trade and other functions. This work should be continued and developed further. The Government will continue the «Attractive and Environmentally Friendly Towns in the Rural Districts» programme, which runs until 2005. Aspects that will be emphasised are improving co-ordination of public and private means, developing better capacity for building methods of co-operation and partnership, disseminating knowledge and experience, and strengthening networks between participants.

6.2 Functional city-structures

The Government will develop and reinforce principles and measures for the development of functional and environmentally friendly city and town structure. The municipalities and counties are in charge of implementing these principles through their responsibility for land-use planning.

Co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning

The Government wants city regions to be developed on the basis of co-ordinated land-use and transportation plans. The plans must be anchored in the planning and building act and have a regional perspective. Such plans are vital for decisions on land-use and the transportation system at the national, regional and local level. The following principles should be taken into account:

• The geographical scope of the plan should be adapted to the city's functional boundaries – independent of administrative borders.

• The planning process must be organised as a co-operation between authorities of both land-use planning and transportation planning within the geographically defined area. Other entities that may contribute to clarify and solve the appointed challenges should be actively involved in the planning process at an early stage. This may include private businesses, property developers, transport operators, voluntary organisations and the general populace.

• Goals should be determined for the main challenges of the plan.

• The plan should clarify a complete scheme of measures to solve the challenges of the urban agglomeration. Development pattern, centre structure, green structure, transportation system investments and operations, and other expedients — including restrictions of private car-use — should be viewed in a wide context.

• The plan should clarify responsibilities for implementation and financing of the agreed solutions. When necessary, the plan should also make clear the progression of implementation of different actions.

Several city regions have already started work on strategic land-use and transportation analyses, as part of the long-term national transportation programme. For these cities, it is natural to build upon such analyses in their efforts to develop co-ordinated land-use and transportation plans. The Ministry of the Environment will, in company with the Ministry of Transportation and local authorities in the city regions, consider how plans with formal status may be developed with a foundation in these analyses.

The Government is of the opinion that it is highly necessary to strengthen the link between land-use and transportation planning and investments in transportation systems in the urban agglomerations. This may result in increased investments in the public transport system and bicycle networks. Co-ordinated land-use and transportation plans will be essential when deciding on the priorities of investment resources in the National Transportation Plan, especially in urban agglomerations.

The Government will bring national localisation decisions into focus, to better contribute to the desired development of cities and towns. The Government will base its localisation decisions of large public enterprises — including service, health and educational institutions — on co-ordinated land-use and transportation plans.

Public transport

The Government believes local public transport must play an important role in city regions, and that total growth of transport volumes must be curbed. This means special transportation policies for city regions are required, so that an increased share of public transport will reduce the need to expand road capacity. Increasing the share of public transport in cities at the cost of private car transportation is a basic Government objective.

One-sided public transport improvements will not be sufficient to increase the share of public transport. Upgrading the public transport system must be accompanied by restrictive measures towards the use of private cars. Larger financial resources, enhanced co-ordination and organisation, and increased competitiveness and efficiency, are all factors that will contribute to the development of a better public transportation system. These issues are examined and handled in greater detail in the White Paper on Public Transport.

The fragmented distribution of responsibility for transportation in city regions makes it hard to develop and implement a comprehensive local transportation policy. As a response to this situation, the Government will carry out pilot projects on alternative models of organisation for the responsibility of transport in large city regions. The main intention is to obtain improved and more co-ordinated land-use and transportation policies in the largest urban agglomerations, and achieve a more efficient utilisation of the total resources spent on transportation by the national, county and municipal authorities. The experience gained in the pilot projects will also help assess appropriate organisation and planning in city regions. The pilot projects are described and discussed more thoroughly in the White Paper on Public Transport.

Cycling

Land-use and transportation planning greatly affects the individual's options, regarding both transportation in particular and lifestyle in general. The Government wants to further develop and communicate new knowledge on the connections between land-use, city-structure, transportation, physical activity and health, so that preventive health care policies may be integrated to a greater extent into land-use and transportation planning. The Government also wants to stimulate and support planning and projects transforming such knowledge into real projects. Further development of a continuous network of bicycle lanes will be prioritised, where physical design, signposting and marking will be emphasised in particular. The fragmented responsibility for different parts of the bicycle network will also be examined, in order to find ways to simplify and improve the current situation. The national road authorities will establish systems for measuring bicycle traffic, just like car traffic.

The Government will also develop a national strategy for bicycling as part of the National Transportation Plan (2006-2015), in order to ensure that the bicycle is viewed as a real transportation mode on short journeys in local planning and resource allocations.

Ports and freight transport

The Government will investigate the need for a new port structure, with the intention of contributing to business development, robust regions and a more balanced role distribution and co-operation between the different transportation modes. The Government believes that more inter-municipal co-operation on port activity should be considered. This may improve the financial basis for developing a more modern and efficient port structure, and also help create a comprehensive overview of the total port infrastructure in a wider geographical area. The municipalities should view their ports in a regional perspective. Municipalities should also consider the role of existing harbour areas in new port and urban development.

The Government wants to emphasise and develop closer co-operation with private interests in the development of land-use and transportation policies in cities, in order to achieve more efficient freight transport and distribution of goods. New solutions based on greater co-operation and organisation of individual stakeholders’ interests, is one possible strategy. Cutting-edge information technology improves opportunities for achieving higher efficiency of distribution of goods in cities and towns. The Government will also invite and challenge industries to contribute to the development of statistics and knowledge, to better handle business transportation needs.

Photo: Scanpix

National guidelines for co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning

National guidelines for co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning were adopted in 1993 and constitute an important basis for the planning of municipalities, counties and national authorities. As notified in the Report No. 24 to the Storting (2000-2001) The Government's Environmental Policy and the Environmental State of the Nation, the Government will revise and improve these guidelines on the basis of experience and evaluations during this decade. The intention of this revision is to concretise the objectives and essence of the guidelines, update the guidelines to reflect existing policies and realities, and strengthen the guidelines on implementation issues. The planning principles outlined in this White Paper represent an important basis for the revision.

6.3 City transformation of high quality

The Government wants to improve opportunities for quality infill and transformation projects, and ensure that local neighbourhoods in cities are developed in a comprehensive perspective. Challenges related to traffic and demands on valuable land must receive special care, and be handled with comprehensive approaches that make it possible to protect and enhance existing qualities during renewal. In particular, there is a need to enhance the quality of urban spaces, green structures and cultural miliens.

City transformation and infill

Transformation and infill projects are often complicated, demanding, and controversial for both public and private interests. There is consequently a need for the municipalities to take clearer responsibility and develop strategies for support and implementation of such projects. Municipalities have the legitimacy and position that gives them a natural leading role in relation to private and other public players in transformation processes. Municipalities should set premises for planning and development, and examine plans and planning processes to secure desired quality. They should also provide for and stimulate efficient implementation, operation and maintenance of the new development areas. Public and private investments should be viewed comprehensively, and various forms of co-operation or partnership models should be established.

Important tasks for the municipalities are to:

• Develop predictable frameworks for planning of the physical environment, where environmental qualities and overall solutions for the population's well-being are safeguarded.

• Initiate positive development processes and co-operation between various interested parties.

• Co-ordinate municipal and other public interests.

• Assure democracy and public participation.

National authorities want to demonstrate better co-ordination towards owner and administration interests in areas selected for transformation and renewal. National authorities need to clarify their interests and behave more predictably. Hearing procedures must ensure that national sector interests are clarified at an early stage of the planning process. National institutions, new establishments and other national activity should support local development plans. The expertise of the Directorate of Public Construction and Property may be utilised on these matters. This includes the co-ordination needs of large public building and development projects, where a wide array of sector objectives, environmental targets and social considerations must be assessed and balanced. Economic measures and other instruments affecting the development and realisation of housing projects will be revised and improved to stimulate city transformation and infill in areas that are suited for such changes. These issues will be discussed in detail in the forthcoming White Paper on Housing Policy. Proposals on changing the Planning and Building Act to better accommodate city transformation are treated in chapter 6.7.

Municipalities should specify requirements for outdoor spaces, playgrounds and social meeting places when new areas are developed or transformed. These spaces should be located directly beside new dwellings or easily and safely accessible from residential areas.

Municipalities may develop parking norms adjusted to reduced need for car ownership in central city areas with a high standard public transport system and good opportunities for cycling and walking. The municipalities are, for example, allowed to adopt norms for maximum parking capacity.

Municipalities should particularly emphasise the needs of children and adolescents in planning at all levels, recognising that their physical, social and intellectual development is greatly affected by their surroundings. The Government will evaluate the 'National Guidelines on Strengthening the Interests of Children and Adolescents in Planning', and revise the guidelines if appropriate. The need for such a revision will be considered in relation to the need for a broader set of guidelines to assure qualities for other groups of people as well. These matters are also crucial in the perspective of transformation and infill projects, and should be considered in close relationship to the current work carried out in the field of universal design. The Government will continue previous work on accessibility issues through a specific programme on universal design.

High accessibility and safe local areas requires interplay between municipality, construction companies, dwellers and businesses. The role of the municipality is first and foremost to establish a considered master plan and infrastructure. The municipality may also clarify specific requirements regarding accessibility and design of the various physical projects.

Improved operations and maintenance

Appropriate solutions for operations and maintenance are critical to ensure that development projects function smoothly over time. This is especially important in downtown urban areas functioning as important social meeting places and areas for culture, trade and services.

Photo: Scanpix

Lack of maintenance results in deterioration of buildings and urban spaces, and this spoils downtown areas. Efficient organisation of operations and maintenance of central downtown areas is a necessity. Municipalities, business associations and other users should establish joint organisations that can shoulder this responsibility. Financial support for pilot projects within this field may be possible, according to chapter 6.8.

6.4 Protect and develop the green structure

The green structure should be mapped and integrated in the cities' plans for land-use and transport, and protection of the green structure should also be a crucial part of the municipalities’ work on preventive health care. Several municipalities are currently systematically mapping their green structure, using approaches like the 'Green Poster'-method and municipal partial plans for green structures.

Municipalities should view the development of an environmentally friendly transportation system in the context of the green structure. Bicycle lanes and walking paths may be located to green areas as an alternative to being placed along heavily trafficked main roads.

Municipalities should secure important green areas and develop continuous networks related to other urban spaces, when necessary in co-operation with property owners, businesses and other users of the actual place. All stakeholders, also the national authorities as property owners, share the responsibility for achieving good overall solutions. Sporting fields and schoolyards must be developed, and secure possible utilisation at any hour of the day. Other commonly owned areas may also be used to benefit more people, for example, for social meetings or gardening.

To protect and develop green structures, the Government will:

• Contribute to ensure knowledge of biodiversity is integrated in planning at all levels.

• Develop geographical information systems and geo-statistics to better handle the need for data about the current state and development of green structures.

• Offer various types of guidance to city and town municipalities, including on legal issues.

The Government also wants to follow up the proposal from the White Paper on Outdoor Activity to establish a qualified group on green structures. This will be viewed in relation to the Government effort on co-ordinating expertise on environmental city development, described in chapter 5.8.3.

6.5 Protect cultural heritage and milieus

Several cities have done a fine job of registering their cultural heritage sites and cultural milieus. Based on these mappings and evaluations, and co-operation with regional cultural heritage authorities, the municipalities should have a clear sense of choices and priorities among their cultural assets. The national heritage policy should be used as a basis for priorities.

The municipality has, as the authority of planning and building, an important role in the evaluation of different considerations and in drawing up local development alternatives. To create new functions while protecting existing qualities and distinctive characteristics in the local environment is a great challenge to all authorities involved.

Photos: Jaro Hollan and Jiri Havran

Source Eivind Eriksen AS, Narud-Stokke-Wiig, HUS siv.ark. MNAL, Medplan AS Arkitekter, Børve & Borchenius AS, Odd Slyngstad Arkitekter AS, Telje-Torp-Aasen Arkitektkontor AS

Based on the national heritage policy, the municipalities have to decide what should be protected. The municipality should also develop guidelines for city development and the shaping and design of built-up areas. This will, among other things, provide businesses with increased predictability, which is highly valued.

In order to help municipalities, business society, voluntary organisations and private parties actively pursue the recommendations and objectives of national authorities to increase focus on the protection of cultural heritage, the Government will:

• Help improve restoration as an alternative to new building within the property development and construction industry, by investigating economic frameworks for owners and state practice with regard to its own buildings, among other issues.

• Improve the abilities of municipalities to manage cultural heritage through the Planning and Building Act, and by transferring heritage tasks.

• Strengthen cultural heritage in the Planning and Building Act, in order to make it easier for municipalities to develop and implement cultural heritage strategies. This will also increase the predictability and the speed of clarification of plans and actions, for developers and businesses.

• Continue and improve the established city network of co-operation on protection and development of cultural environments. The Ministry will consider initiating pilot projects with cities and municipalities exploring the opportunities for increased local responsibility within this field.

• Update registers and repositories of knowledge, so that existing expertise becomes accessible to decision makers, authorities, owners and the general public.

• Continuously renew the level of knowledge, develop research and development, general expertise and craftsmanship.

• Stimulate increased co-operation between public authorities, museums, professional groups, voluntary organisations and educational institutions.

6.6 Reduce local air pollution and noise

Estimates show that present and planned actions are insufficient to achieve all national targets for air quality and noise within 2005 and 2010. The policy for environmentally friendly urban structures and transportation systems may contribute and help meeting long-term goals. But if additional efforts are not implemented, the objectives for 2005 and 2010 will not be met. Comprehensive approaches and efforts are needed to combat air and noise pollution. All sectors of society need to take their respective responsibilities seriously and take action that will make reaching national targets possible. The Government will strengthen efforts to improve air quality and reduce noise nuisance in urban areas.

Improved air quality

National targets for air quality clarify the environmental policy’s direction and ambition level. With the directives of the European Union, they constitute the basis for efforts at both national and local levels, as well as for the individual sector. Estimates indicate that national target levels for nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and benzene will be exceeded in the largest cities if additional action is not taken. It is therefore necessary to implement new measures to meet national targets.

To reach the targets, national, regional and local authorities all need to contribute. Policies for taxes and environmental requirements for vehicles and fuel affect urban air quality, but such measures will usually be insufficient to obtain the desired air quality in areas with high pollution levels. It is important that local authorities utilise the means at their command to solve the problem of poor air quality — for example, restricting the use of studded tires, restrictive parking policies, traffic segregation, various maintenance initiatives on the road system, replacing old ovens and furnaces, increasing the use of waterborne heat and flexible energy sources, and long term co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning.

The Government will strengthen its efforts to improve local air quality by:

• Establishing stricter thresholds for local air quality within the end of 2002 through new legislation on local air quality, based on the directives of the European Union on limit values for air pollutants. The new requirements will be stricter than today's regulations and also incorporate pollutants not previously included. The new limit values should be attained within the years of 2005 and 2010 respectively, depending on the pollutant in question.

• Actively incorporating national targets into the long-term National Transportation Plan.

• Assessing and implementing actions to reduce emissions from ships and harbour areas.

• Reducing the need to travel in city regions by stimulating planning and decisions prioritising this issue.

• Supporting public transport, cycling and walking.

• Increasing knowledge about air pollution from wood-burning ovens and furnaces and considering measures that may reduce this kind of pollution.

• Accommodating wider use of cleaner fuels.

• Inviting city municipalities to carry out pilot projects on the exploration of environmental zones in order to prepare possible initiatives and measures.

Noise reduction

Previous efforts have focused on the most pressing needs, one of these being the establishment of limit values for indoor noise in dwellings. This requirement was adopted in 1997 in the Regulation on Limit Values for Local Air Pollution and Noise, and shall be attained within the year 2005. Today, about 7,500 dwellings (18,000 inhabitants) are exposed to levels exceeding the limit value, more specifically, 42 decibels of indoor noise. These dwellings are primarily located along the main system of national and county roads and railways, while some are located close to airports. More data needs to be collected regarding the municipal road system, but it is estimated that a few thousand dwellings along these roads are exposed to unacceptable noise levels as well. Action to reduce noise in these dwellings must also be taken. National transportation authorities have estimated their costs for required actions — such as isolating facades, changing windows or building noise shields — to be around NOK 1 billion (125 million Euro) in the period 2001-2004. This shows how expensive it is to repair afterwards. The regulation requires implementation of noise reduction where the nuisance is the greatest. The regulation is not oriented towards the national target – which was adopted later – and it is not sufficient to achieve this target.

Parliament agreed on a new national target for noise in the year 2000 which is meant to secure a more comprehensive national policy for noise reduction. This target is that total noise nuisance shall be reduced by 25 % within the year 2010. The target includes everyone bothered by noise, and is meant to reduce the general annoyance by noise in today's society. Noise reduction efforts directly targeted towards buildings and dwellings are not a priority because such effort is often quite expensive. In order to achieve the national target future efforts must focus on the sources of noise, and also on general planning to prevent noise problems arising. A reduction of noise emissions at source will decrease noise levels in general, differing significantly from current «clean-up actions» in the wake of limit value regulations; efforts that only reduce noise for the people most severely exposed. Quick implementation of initiatives aimed at the noise sources will also reduce the need for expensive repair efforts to achieve the requirements of the limit value regulations.

The key strategy of the Government to reduce noise nuisance and achieve the national target for noise is to implement a range of source-oriented actions. This involves among other things to:

• Utilise measures that stimulate increased use of low emission vehicles and tires, like labelling arrangements; phase in road surfaces that don't generate as much noise; reduce noise from fans and construction work; reduce noise from trains and other public transport; co-operate with importers and producers to increase demand and supply of products with low noise emissions; participate actively in international research and development work on tires and road surfaces; try to influence the European Union so that progress towards stricter and common regulations on vehicles and tires is speeded up.

• Strengthen regulations and their enforcement including: Improve the Planning and Building Act and the planning system so they become the major instrument for noise reduction. Create new regulations on preventive health care work under the law on municipal health. Adjust the limit values of noise in existing regulations. Establish common guidelines and consider licensing existing shooting ranges.

• Actively incorporate the national target on noise into the National Transportation Plan.

• Invite municipalities to participate in pilot projects for the exploration of environmental zones in cities, including quiet zones and implementation of different actions to reduce noise.

• Strengthen expertise, research and model development within the field of noise.

• Carry out serious clean-up efforts in the most severely affected areas and fulfil the requirements of the present noise regulations.

6.7 Simplify and improve planning in general

The Government wants to highlight that a number of actions to simplify and improve planning have been thoroughly assessed by the Committee on Improving the Planning and Building Act which forwarded its first partial report in 2001 called Improved Municipal and Regional Planning after the Planning and Building Act. The proposed actions received wide acceptance and support in the hearing process. The Committee will propose specific changes to the Planning and Building Act in its final report. The Government will consider these proposals in the treatment process of the final document from the Committee.

The Committee has, in its first partial report, discussed and described possible solutions that aim at promoting:

• Clarifications of comprehensive regional solutions linked to land-use and development patterns across municipal borders.

• Improved co-ordination and linkage of planning and measures utilised by national, regional and local authorities.

• Municipal planning that clarifies long-term contours for development patterns, co-ordinated land-use and transportation planning, explicit and predictable policies for the protection of cultural environments, other environmental concerns, green structures, etc., which at the same time prepares efficient planning processes aimed at developing of dwellings, business activities and infrastructure. Speed and reliability in all kinds of urban planning and building activity should be ensured.

• Initiatives, which strengthen the implementation side of planning by establishing a more distinct division between general master plans outlining infill frameworks and more detailed, functional, plans. Specific requirements for environmental quality and functionality may be developed for different areas of cities as an alternative to determining detailed solutions for land-use at higher levels. This may be sufficient for the development of an area without regulating the use of land too early, when the substance of the development project, the ownership situation, and unintended distribution effects that may hinder the development are not yet known.

• Proposals to anchor development contracts in the Planning and Building Act in order to arrange more efficient implementation while linking them to planning processes in a proper way. Since development contracts are attracting a lot of attention theses days, the Ministry of Municipal and Regional Affairs will develop a guide to the use of such contracts in the spring of 2002, in co-operation with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Legal Affairs. One of the main intentions of this guide will be to clarify what may be included in such contracts.

• Proposals on introducing a new and specific land-use category for transformation and renewal in the Planning and Building Act. The rationale for this is the need to attach special measures to infill and transformation projects in cities and towns.

• Proposals on how the land severance law may be adjusted and made applicable to cities and towns (“urban land severance«). One option to consider is if the process itself can be used in negotiations and co-operation, whether the demands of private detailed plans for several properties can be linked to possible assistance from land severance authorities, and if levelling of development values between properties can be claimed. The Ministry of Agriculture has established a work group to consider possible changes in the land severance law, and at the same time propose amendments to the Planning and Building Act.

• Actions that ensure accessibility for the public in general to valuable land in residential areas, including outdoor recreation areas, trails and green corridors.

• Protection of natural environments and cultural heritage, as well as other outdoor recreation areas of importance, in forested areas surrounding cities and towns.

The Government will consider the need for changes in the Planning and Building Act to give municipalities more ways to influence their choice of energy solution. It will also be considered whether specific requirements related to flexible energy supply should be developed for new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings. These questions are discussed in the additional Report No. 54 to the Storting (2000-2001) Norwegian Climate Policy.

6.8 Initiatives by national authorities

6.8.1 Pilot projects and co-operation on specific development tasks

To stimulate new approaches and realisation of environmentally friendly solutions, The Government will:

• Invite relevant parties to participate in pilot projects within specific areas of priority

• Prioritise and explore initiatives within these fields

• Help make relevant measures more accessible

Environmental zones

In order to reduce local environmental problems, the Government will invite cities and towns to explore the concept of environmental zones. An environmental zone is here meant to be a specific geographical area, for instance, a city district particularly troubled by environmental strain, where there is an obvious need for special action to improve environmental quality. The intention is to gain an overview of the different environmental challenges in a specific area and carry out co-ordinated efforts to improve environmental conditions. Environmental zones are particularly suitable in cities and urban areas bothered by heavy traffic and related environmental strain.

The pilot projects will emphasise the challenges of local air pollution and noise, but at the same time aim at improving the problems of degraded green structures and urban spaces, areas plagued by traffic accidents, unsatisfactory accessibility, and cultural heritage areas threatened by destructive influences.

The programme of traffic, environment and health managed by the Institute of Transport Economics, shows that the total negative effects of several environmental problems are worse than the sum of the parts. People already affected by one environmental problem are more susceptible to negative impacts and health problems when exposed to another problem. Also, programme surveys show that efforts aimed at improving the environment and standards of living in general — like housing improvements, reduced traffic and more green areas — may reduce the negative experiences of noise, even though noise levels do not actually change. This reveals how important a holistic approach can be to getting maximal results from initiatives in problem areas.

Initiatives to be explored in environmental zones must be adjusted to local circumstances, and may therefore vary from area to area. Decision must be made locally based on the existing environmental problems and the results desired. By viewing the environmental problems of the area as a whole, several efforts may be introduced at the same time, possibly achieving better results than by implementing a series of single actions. Today, there is some uncertainty attached to whether the necessary measures are available within the current framework and to who has the required authority for carrying out such actions. There is consequently a need to clarify what actions may be introduced under today's framework, and whether relevant actions require regulation changes.

Local authorities should consider possible actions in close co-operation with the inhabitants of the area, as well as relevant authorities. Possible initiatives are traffic regulations and car-free zones, stricter emission requirements for vehicles, cleaning of emissions from wood burning, replacing old wood-burning ovens and furnaces, faster introduction of new low-emission vehicles, increased road maintenance, separate noise emission levels according to source, reduced speed limits, honing tram and train tracks, and regulating quiet periods.

Experiences from these pilot projects will provide a good basis for further work on environmental zones and an overview of possible measures. The pilot projects will be used to pass on experience gained about the effects of various actions. The pilot projects will also form a basis for thorough considerations on the need for new measures or transfer of authority from state to local level, including co-operation models that can secure efficient implementation.

Co-ordination of national interest in city regions

There is a need to better co-ordinate national interests in city regions facing complex challenges. One example of this is the agreement between national authorities and the municipality of Oslo on binding co-operation to improve the environment in the valley of Grorud, a heavily populated suburban area of the capital. The main objectives are to improve the quality of life for valley inhabitants by reducing local air and noise pollution, improve the physical environment in other ways, and otherwise help to assure long-term sustainable city development. Living conditions for growing children and issues related to identity and job diversity are emphasised. The strategy for the co-operation is to facilitate and support the municipality’s work on drawing up a programme of development for the city valley.

Organisational models for management and maintenance of urban centres

The Government views efficient co-operation between municipalities, and other important agents, public and private, as crucial to achieving successful development of downtown areas. Different organisational models, based on common objectives, should be investigated in order to improve the planning, operation and maintenance of urban centres.

Organisation of city transformation projects

The Government wants to underline the significance of linking city transformation and new developments closely to the public transport system, primarily around stations and nodes of the system. The Government intends to facilitate the accomplishment of transformation and infill projects in various ways.

It is necessary to examine several models for organising the relevant parties, with the intention of ensuring efficient implementation and satisfactory protection of different interests. Feasible and satisfactory solutions require areas of a certain size to be viewed as a whole. This involves dealing with the ownership conditions, development concepts and transportation systems, and financial issues in a total context.

Stimulate businesses to more environmentally friendly and health enhancing transport

Businesses need stable and satisfactory frameworks for their activities, but must themselves develop sustainable solutions for their products, services, transport and built-up areas. The Government will stimulate businesses to take a greater responsibility for the travel of their employees and customers, guiding and supporting them to develop mobility plans and introduce incentives to promote environmentally friendly and health enhancing transport choices.

6.8.2 Improve co-operation forums for cities and national authorities

The co-operation forum on city development was established in 1998 and consists of representatives from nine ministries and the six largest cities. The forum is a fruitful arena for the exchange of experiences and views between the cities and national authorities. One priority is clarifying the need for improved organisation and more co-ordinated use of national means in cities. The cities have also provided ideas and suggestions for studies and policy development by national authorities.

As part of the continuing work of the forum, a separate network has been established where urban planners and cultural heritage representatives from the cities, counties and national authorities meet to discuss questions of protection and use of cultural heritage landmarks and areas. One of the intentions is to develop models for better management of buildings and city-structures. The Government wants to maintain the forum and its activities. For certain issues, the Government also wants to invite more cities.

6.8.3 Increase knowledge and co-ordination of professional work within the field of environmentally friendly urban development

More efficient resource utilisation and co-ordination of the efforts carried out by a number of organisations and institutions with substantial expertise are needed within the field of urban development. This can be accomplished through the establishment of a centre for networking, communication of experiences and successes, systematisation of knowledge, and assessment of policy and means. The main objective is to make it easier for municipalities and businesses to access knowledge and experiences gained by others. The Government wants to set up an appropriate and non-bureaucratic organisation for this work. This will be further investigated in co-operation with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and other relevant authorities.

6.8.4 Improve statistics and indicators for land-use and urban environment

The Ministry of the Environment will continue the work of improving statistics and key indicators of the physical development in cities and towns. This is crucial to monitor and follow-up national policy and it may also be an efficient tool for benchmarking between cities, also internationally. The efforts in this area will be closely linked to other development work on related statistics and indicators of city development, including work done by international organisations. Land-use statistics for cities and towns developed by the Statistics Norway are fundamental for these efforts.

6.8.5 Participation in international activities

Several international organisations are carrying out work on city development, where challenges related to environment, transportation and health are central. Norwegian authorities participate in several of these forums, and thereby acquire a good overview of knowledge and policy development within the field. Active participation also represents opportunities to influence the work and results of these organisations.

In the Nordic Council of Ministers, the ministers of planning have decided to develop a common strategy for improved city development as a part of the strategy for sustainable development in the Nordic countries. A separate expert group is also established, assigned to investigate transport and environment more thoroughly and carry out the project «Sustainable Mobility».

Norway also participates in the expert groups of the European Union within the fields of transport and environment, and urban environment in general, also including a framework programme for sustainable city development, which is open for participation by Norwegian cities. Norwegian representatives also participate in EU groups within the fields of green structures and infill development, air quality and noise.

The United Nation organisations WHO (World Health Organisation) and ECE (Economic Commission of Europe) have founded a common expert group for transport, environment and health to follow up on the London-Charter and the Vienna-declaration on transport, environment and health. In addition to the Ministry of the Environment, both the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health are participating in this work.

The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), the OECD (the Organisation on Economic Co-operation and Development) and CEMAT (Combined European Management and Transportation) have all developed recommendations for national authorities on how to implement more sustainable policies and practices for city development and urban travel.

The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transport are both participating in several international arenas, and the Government wants to continue efforts within this field.