Oslo's SoCentral Enhances Walkability and Quality of Place in Økern District

About SoCentral, Oslo, Norway

Based in Oslo, Norway, SoCentral is a collaborative incubator that brings together municipalities, government agencies, architects, designers, entrepreneurs and companies who want to develop new solutions to complex challenges. SoCentral acts as a partner on collaborative projects to develop and test new solutions to important societal challenges like sustainable city development, climate change, and equity.

Challenge:

SoCentral was using mixed and generic methods to analyze the streets and urban layout of Norwegian cities, with inefficiency and inconsistency. For the redevelopment plan of the Økern District in Oslo, SoCentral lacked the inclusion of diverse amenities, such as places to mingle outside and protected crosswalks for four-lane roads. With goals to augment walkability and enhance quality of place in the redeveloping district of Økern, they needed a tool that could measure the nuances of the built environment.

Solution:

With State of Place, SoCentral was able to visualize an alternative scenario to show how the existing development proposal could be improved in a way that would increase both walkability, quality of place and ROI. SoCentral used the State of Place Index to reevaluate the redevelopment plan of Økern. They wanted to prove that there was a much higher potential to increase walkability and enhance quality of place than what had been previously proposed.

Results:

Powered by State of Place, SoCentral saved:

• Time

• Money

& gained:

• Efficiencies

• Social and economic upside

• Walkability

• Quality of Place