Inhabiting the coast

Abstract

Norwegians have mainly settled along Norway’s coastline, the second longest in the world. Successive Norwegian government have sought to sustain coastal and rural communities through regional investment. Nevertheless, the Norwegian countryside continues to experience de-population despite the overall growth of the national population. Provincial cities and sourrounding urban areas are growing, but the rural hinterlands are stagnating and declining. This thesis will propose strategies that intent to strengthen the interaction of rural and urban, and create a coherent regional network. This network provides an infrastructure that reconnects the outskirts of the urban area, based on the Norwegian coastal context. How can an ensemble of small buildings and programmes addressing multiple challenges in a rural, coastal community, help the community stay relevant in a globalised, urbanised and sustainable future?