What does it really mean to put nature first in urban planning – not merely as an ambition, but as a premise for how we use land, densify and develop our cities?

Throughout history, nature has played shifting roles in urban planning: from ideal, ornament and recreation to a technical solution for stormwater management, climate adaptation and blue-green infrastructure. But is nature still primarily treated as a means of serving human needs, or can it become a genuine premise for how we plan and build?

The event opens with a presentation by Eirik Stokke Mikalsen from AHO on the changing role of nature in planning. This is followed by a live podcast with an audience, bringing together Gro Sandkjær Hanssen from NIBR, Øyvind Arntsen from Mustad Eiendom and Amir Hassanbeygi from Grindaker Landscape Architects, moderated by Magnus Stokke from Haptic. Taking Granfossen and the development of Lilleakerbyen as a point of departure, the conversation explores how considerations for nature can play a more defining role in the transformation of a major urban development area.

The conversation examines the dilemmas that arise when the intrinsic value of nature meets current planning practices, development needs, economic models and political priorities. What prevents nature from becoming a genuine premise for development? Who bears the cost when the needs of nature challenge established goals of growth and densification? And what must we do differently if nature is truly to come first?

Contributors:

Eirik Stokke Mikalsen (AHO)

Gro Sandkjær Hanssen (NIBR)

Øyvind Arntsen (Mustad Eiendom)

Amir Hassanbeygi (Grindaker Landscape Architects)

Magnus Stokke (Haptic / Arkitektpodden)