Urban Ecology IFLA 2019 Common Ground / Walks + Talks #3 A city centre walk through restored habitats, green roofs for native species, urban farming and other pioneer projects In the face of climate change, urbanization and loss of biodiversity, urban ecology plays a key role in maintaining our health, safety and wellbeing. This city tour takes you to pilot projects where restoring habitats as well as enhancing the relationship between people and nature are at focus. We are going to take a closer look at green roofs that are designed specifically to accommodate native species, projects following nature’s own principles for stormwater treatment, and communities for farming, beekeeping and harvesting in the city.

Time: 08:30 – 12:00 Please make sure to be on time, as the tour begins at 08:30 Meeting point: Nedre Foss park, Grünerløkka, Oslo Remember to bring:

• a good pair of walking shoes • a bottle of water • an umbrella/raincoat (if the weather is unreliable) • a return ticket for local transportation “Ruter Impuls”,

distributed upon registration in Oslo Congress Centre If you have any tour related questions, please contact: Maja Kozak Dehlin t: +45 60605279 m: maja@ifla2019.com

Taran Anderaa t: +47 45671221

Saji Ahi t: +47 46161230

1 Nedre Foss Park (START)

Deichmans gate 2 3 Vega Scene (snack)

4 Elgsletta Park

Nabolagshager / Greenhouse 5 (END)

wc

Stop 1: NEDRE FOSS PARK Time: 08.30 - 09.00 (30 min) Theme: Species and habitats in the city Speaker: Hanna Bjørgaas, biologist Looking at how Oslo is placed geographically, facing south, close to water, well protected and with a friendly climate, it’s easy to understand that people settled here thousands of years ago. It’s also easy to understand that the area must have been a unique hot spot for biodiversity. More surprisingly perhaps, the modern Oslo still holds a rich wildlife. Careful planning will contribute to maintain as much of possible of the “green city”, and that will be of great value not only for nature itself, but also for the well-being of its inhabitants. What interesting species will turn up at our excursion? Walk from stop 1 - 2: 15 min

Stop 2: DEICHMANS GATE Time: 09.15-09.45 (30 min) Theme: Stormwater management following nature’s own principles Speaker: Janicke Ramfjord Egeberg and Kim Haukeland Paus, Asplan Viak

Deichmans gate and Wilses gate are streets located in the neighborhoods of Grünerløkka and St. Hanshaugen in central Oslo. They are home to Norway’s first integrated local stormwater management facility found in an urban setting. With denser cities, more extreme weather and worsening sewers systems, there is a need to manage rainwater at surface level rather than in the piped sub-surface system. Positively, surface based stormwater management systems with vegetation provide additional values beyond water retention. An approach where rainwater is considered a resource and not a problem is vital, but which also demands the need for interdisciplinary planning. In this context landscape architecture is a key profession in developing climate-adapted, robust and attractive cities. This is a project where science truly meets art.

Walk from stop 2 to stop 3: 5 min

Stop 3: VEGA SCENE Time: 09.50-10.30 (40 min) Theme: Green roof Speaker: Andreas Pay, Urbanium + Rune Skeie and Gry Ellen Ringstad, Asplan Viak

Vega Scene is a newly opened art cinema- and theater building based in a rough, urban neighborhood in the center of Oslo. It displays a first-in-class ballasted green roof, covered by custom lightweight soil mix and vegetation native to the Oslo region. Seeds were collected in the Oslo area and have been cultivated at a domestic plant nursery. Only a few

weeks after plugging hundreds of small perennials in the limestone-rich soil, the roof is lush, green and flowery, and frequently visited by wild bees and hops. The membrane and lava stone ballast have the capacity of holding back rainwater equivalent to a 20-year flood, mitigating the need for separate outfall basins and reducing pressure on the heavily overloaded drainage system in Oslo. The building is being BREEAM certified. Bathrooms at Vega scene can be used during the stop.

Coffee and waffles

Walk from stop 3 to stop 4: 15 min

Stop 4: ELGSLETTA PARK Time: 10.35-10.55 (20 min) Theme: Meadows and pollinators in the city Speaker: Bård Bredesen, Bymiljøetaten and Jan Wesenberg, self-employed

Development and unfortunate management have resulted in loss of many important nature areas over the years in Oslo. This is especially true of the meadows and the many pollinators that live here. The Agency for Urban Environment have therefore in recent years worked quite systematically to get the meadows and pollinators back, by managing and establishing a network of meadows. The meadows are established in different ways, and in some places we have restored meadows that have deteriorated. At Elgsletta we have chosen to establish a species-poor meadow with red clover (Trifolium pratense). Red clover is a valuable nutritional plant for many insects, including several redlisted insect-species found in the city.

Walk from stop 4 to stop 5: 15 min

Stop 5: NABOLAGSHAGER, GREENHOUSE Time: 11.10 -11.45 (35 min) Theme: Urban farming Speaker: Helene Gallis, Nabolagshager

Nabolagshager is based at Grønland which has been a hot spot for food production and distribution since the Viking age. We will hear about rooftop garden’s potential for creating green and social meeting places in the dense city, potential for social entrepreneurship and some of Nabolagshager’s programs for more vulnerable groups in our society. What role could urban farming play in modern urban development? How many tons of ecological strawberries could we grow at the flat rooftops of Oslo? And is food grown in the city really safe to eat?

Walk from stop 5 to tube: 15 min