Car-Free Livability Oslo

By establishing car-free zones, Oslo is both inventing and re-inventing how we use our city. Join us as we explore opportunities and solve challenges that arises when people, not cars, crowd the streets of Oslo.

Credit: Kevin Dahlman/ City of Oslo

The Challenge: Car-Free Livability Oslo

The basic thought behind car- free livability is that removing a number of private vehicles in the inner city centre creates possibilities for a more vibrant and diverse city. This will also contribute to the reduction of emissions and help Oslo reach its climate goals.

Like so many of our cities, Oslo is a city that for decades have been planned and built with car use in mind. In order to be successful, the car-free areas must attract people, businesses needs to retain or increase customers, and we need to change, or rediscover, how we use our city We are looking for ideas that will contribute to a people-centered, lively, and thriving city center.

The Challenger: The City of Oslo

Oslo is the capital of Norway and the country’s largest city with over 650,000 inhabitants.Oslo is a city in constant growth and transformation. Located between the fjord and the forest, the city offers great connectivity to nature. This is a central Norwegian value which underlies Oslo’s aspiration to be a green capital and its aim to become a fossil free city by 2030. The City of Oslo holds both municipal and county functions. The City is responsible for a wide range of matters, including elementary school and pre-school education, cultural institutions and events, health care services, social services, child protection services, housing and urban renewal, local roads, local transport for people and goods, parks and green areas, environmental issues, land use and urban planning.