Youth participation in Longyearbyen
(2026)
In connection with the zoning/regulation plan for Nedre Gruvedal, Fabric+ (the urban development department of AT Arkitektur) has been engaged to carry out a participation process to map needs, with particular emphasis on young people in Longyearbyen. The goal is to gain better insight into the demographics, so that solutions related to the new housing and neighborhood can be tailored with greater precision in connection with the Nedre Gruvedal zoning plan.
Information
In connection with the zoning plan for Nedre Gruvedal, Fabric+ carried out a participation process with young people in Longyearbyen. The goal was to map needs and wishes related to outdoor spaces and meeting places in the new neighborhood, so that the solutions could be designed with young people's voices as a starting point.
The participation process was conducted through a workshop with the youth council and conversations with key professionals who work with children and young people in the municipality. Through mapping exercises and rounds of input, the young people contributed concretely to the development of three areas in the zoning proposal: the playground along the school route, the playground on the south side, and the area around the warming hut in the ski slope.
The insights point to some clear needs: warmth and wind shelter, places that feel like the young people's own, opportunities for spontaneous activity, and a say in the design. The results form the basis for the further architectural and landscape architecture work in the planning process.
Delivery
Insights Report
Funder
Design og arkitektur Norge (DOGA)
Partners
Center for an Age-Friendly Norway
Location
Norway
Fabric+ services
Age-friendly work
Design
Project Leader
Joyce Aguirre