Bodø is rising to new heights, above the Arctic Circle! This thriving city is undergoing a dramatic transformation as it relocates its city center airport and sets out to create a brand new neighborhood, unlike anything seen before. The master plan for this ambitious project calls for a visionary and green urban strategy with a timeline stretching 50 to 100 years into the future. Bodø's emergence as a new urban center will create an arctic power hub in the North.
We proposed to begin the process by planting “The 100 Yard Forest”. 100 yards of forest in an otherwise treeless Arctic landscape where the old airport and runway used to be. This forest will develop and grow alongside the plans, eventual buildings and the needs of those who will inhabit them.
The need for an operational starting point led us to develop ten overall strategies focusing on building community, developing social and physical infrastructure, attractive connections and relevant public functions such as closeness to nature, urban spaces and small parks as porous connections in the pockets between the built environments.
With this holistic approach, we successfully strengthen existing urban structures, while adding new qualities and enhancing what is already great about Bodø.
Seems impossible at first but it is actually a masterstroke in terms of expediting the liveability of the area even before it has been fully developed. It is, in a sense, the reverse process of business as usual. Recreational green areas, as a rule, are something you add to the built environment and rarely vice versa.
Through participation and place-driven development we suggest an integrated process towards 2050 and beyond. A Forester and a city-life coordinator works with involvement planting and the new city.
Holistic masterplan for 2100. Illustrating building structures, social infrastructural and the the adjusted forest-plan connecting the different neighbourhood locally and with the surrounding landscape
To responsibly succeed and predict the development of this vast area, concrete short-term and long-term projects must be prioritized. To accomplish this, we came up with ten different, yet adaptable projects that will reinforce and support the long-term development plan. These projects can be adjusted to suit a variety of development scenarios to create predictability for the municipality and the developers.
As one of ten proposed projects, The Aquarium Slide has been designed for the Tidewater Park. The slide provides a stunning view of Sørfolda and is poised to become a national attraction, overlooking the beautiful low red sunsets of Bodø to the west.
With the whale as its inspiration, The Aquarium Slide is a shining example of Bodø's growth and potential in the Arctic climate. The project is based on local surroundings and takes into account the city's future potential. It is being developed with a bifocal planning strategy that balances current needs with future plans.
Imagine a city where waste is transformed into valuable resources, creating a sustainable and thriving community. That's the vision of a circular city economy, a new model of urban development that prioritizes interdependence and environmental friendliness.
In Bodø, this dream is becoming a reality, as the city utilizes waste from the old airport and a self-planted forest to create biochar, building materials, and heat. By establishing a closed-loop system, Bodø is reducing waste, creating new jobs, and building a brighter future for all. This circularity is not just a trend, but a necessary shift towards a better, more sustainable world.
As a part of the ten proposed projects, we have designed The Aquarium slide. Made for the tidewater park, strengthening out for the ocean with a great view to Sørfolda. Making it into a national attraction. Overlooking the low red Bodø sun, towards the west.
The whale, a glowing powerhouse of the north.
Growing the Bodø city in an the arctic climate. Based on local envelopment and curricular potential. Made for the future, adjusted for the present by using extensive bifocal planing strategies.
