Tromsø, the largest urban society in North Norway, wants to play a role in the High North of the future. It is believed the region will have significant international importance in the development of business in sectors such as energy, transport, environment, fisheries, and tourism. The city offers competitive information and research communities and will be a host for business development.

To meet these challenges, the city’s central industrial area shall be converted to accommodate new business, and will create a synthesis of Tromsø’s two most vital districts: the historical city centre with business and culture, and the University campus with and which has a distinct will to adapt to commercial concerns.

History
Tromsø Seafront is the new designation of a two-kilometre long area stretching from the city centre in the South to the University campus and the city’s main operative harbour. The area is adjacent to the sea and bordered by existing structures above an established and recently upgraded street. Between this street and the shoreline the width of the area varies from 50 to 250 metres. During significant parts of the 20th century, Tromsø’s marine and maritime industrial activities as well as building and construction industries were located here. Workers built their dwellings on the upper side of the street, which runs approximately parallel to the shoreline. Restructuring, extensive dismissals and an emigration of traditional industry led to the area’s stagnation and decay over the past 25 years. The establishment of a new University campus -- Campus Breivika -- with 6,500 students, as well as a University Hospital with 3,000 employees and a research park immediately to the North created a striking contrast to the old industrial site. Until recently, Tromsø’s political authorities attempted to re-industrialise the area, but without much success. Last year, local authorities and landowners, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment conducted a Pilot Project on Urban Regeneration with a focus on planning process and governance. The project created the basis for Tromsø County Council’s decision of 31 August 2006 which opened for a revitalisation of the entire area, based on the vision of Tromsø Seafront.

The vision of Tromsø Seafront
The Council joined forces with the area’s property owners in creating new perspectives on and for the development of Tromsø Seafront. The area will now be transformed into an attractive part of the city for existing and potential businesses, dwellings/residences and the public sector. Tromsø Seafront will create a functional synthesis of the established city centre and the new University, hospital and research activities in Campus Breivika. Furthermore, the area will be made attractive for establishments branching out from, supporting or emphasising Tromsø’s national and international status as the most important stepping stone for undertakings in the Arctic and the High North. To achieve this goal, planning processes and governance with high-quality public infrastructure, use of materials, and energy and transport solutions are deemed necessary. The size of the area is consistent with a development horizon of up to 20 years, which requires a well-considered, robust, and at the same time flexible plan, and also demands suitable cooperation forms between private property owners, lessees, the Council and the general public.

Development methodology
Scenario-based methodology is used to develop possible prediction models for the area. In accordance with Tromsø’s future challenges, three differing, but overlapping scenarios are found: Capital of the Arctic, Technocity and Centercity. Capital of the Arctic emphasises Tromsø’s role as the main recipient of public investment in functions strengthening Norway’s role in the administration, development and exploitation of the abundant natural resources of the Barents Sea and the Arctic. The political dimension will be prominent, and tie to environmental issues; the physical infrastructure and the buildings must express a political determination, and symbolise a capability to solve demanding governance tasks in the vulnerable Arctic environment. Technocity expects to give room to commercial businesses evolving from the University and the research communities. Clusters of businesses based on marine biotechnology, environment surveillance, space-related Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and renewable and sustainable energy will spring from established advantages in human resources and technological niches. Centercity expresses the urban possibilities inherent in such a central location. In Centercity, trade, office and service ventures develop in interaction with an urban residential environment with spectacular ocean views and midnight sun. Looking ahead, the actual development is expected to be a combination of these scenarios, in which the maturity of the market and the property owners’ determination make sectional and sequential development probable.

Organisation
To be able to realise this vision the continued development of the already established partnership between Tromsø City Council as the planning authority on one side, and most of the larger (and hopefully all) land owners in the area. The land owners have founded an interest organisation with membership based on their ownership share. The interest organisation will cooperate with the authorities in a partnership model.

The Tromsø of the future
The planning will continue by the regulations of the Planning Act where the scenarios make up the holistic backdrop for the different projects in the years to come.  Tromsø Seafront will be raised to profile the new opportunities believed to lie within in the Arctic areas. Tromsø Seafront will be the City of Tromsø’s strategic bid in the development of its role as the capital of the High North. If Tromsø succeeds in becoming host of the Olympic Wintergames  2018, Tromsø Seafront could play an important role in the most compact games ever.

(Text and illustrations: City Council and the Stakkevolleien Landowners’ Association in cooperation with Acona Technopole, Borealis Arkitekter and Arne Rydningen)