The picture is a visualistion from above of how the Sørsida area might look in the future. It show the city of Ålesund and what appears to be a seriies of new buildings on the waterfront area.

Image from visualisation of Sorsida by Sorsida

Ålesund

Located on the picturesque Norwegian west coast in the Sunnmøre fjords, Ålesund is the largest city between Bergen and Trondheim.

About

As the largest municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Ålesund is both a cultural centre and world-leading in marine and maritime industries. It has a well established partnership between research, the private sector and, to a large degree, an engaged local population. In these partnerships, the city is also committing to sustainability and its built heritage of aesthetically pleasing Jugendstil architecture.

In addition, Norway's largest port for fisheries is located here and the municipality is a major hub for public transport and tourism, cruise ships being a major contributor.

Re-Value(ing)

In the Re-Value partnership, Ålesund is actively working in the Sørsida area to create a sustainable and accessible urban environment delivering not only quality for the local people but also climate neutrality. In 2019, the municipality created a Special-Purpose Vehicle “Sørsida Utvikling AS”, a municipal company, to coordinate the development of the Sørsida waterfront district. The municipality and SUAS will use Re-Value to co-create and implement the transformation of the district using data-driven approaches, and story-building together with the local community. 

Sørsida is to be developed from an under-utilised waterfront area to become a leading example of an urban area with sustainable solutions that deliver on the environmental urgency while working with the goals for economic development and social sustainability. The development will include business premises, cultural venues, and housing that contribute to value creation for owners, renters, and visitors of Sørsida. Social sustainability will be fostered through the creation of good meeting places, safe urban spaces, smart mobility solutions, and a diverse urban environment that promotes equal opportunities for all.

As part of Re-Value, Ålesund will develop processes to support the area's development and future city plans, with a strong emphasis on collaborative urban design and planning — all aiming to make the urban transition towards climate neutrality truly irresistible for Ålesund and its residents.

Learn more about the effort on Sørsida’s website.

Key Numbers

6

Local partners in Re-Value

67,000

Population

88,500m2

Pilot area

Timeline

Re-Value Innovation Cycles experience-based report 1

Discover how the Re-Value cities are using three types of Innovation Cycles to help them develop narratives for this transformation, find and apply the relevant...

Learn more

A picture of a Re-Value notebook and the name of the report
Re-Value Capacity Development and Exchange Programme, Version 2

This report summarises the activities undertaken and insights gleaned from the Re-Value Capacity Development and Exchange Programme (CD&E Programme) in the first...

Learn more

A photo of the opening day in the Cultural Harbour during The North West Festival
When co-creation speaks louder than words: New community area opens in Ålesund

Supported by collaboration with local youth, the Norwegian Municipality of Ålesund has developed an entirely new temporary urban community area, temporarily taking...

Learn more

Partners

aalesund logo
Augment city logo
NTNU logo
Teatret vart logo
JA Europe logo
EU_Logo

The sole responsibility for the content of this website lies with the project and in no way reflects the views of the European Union.