I was born and raised in the town of Sandnes, and have many fond memories from Langgata. street I remember the pedestrian street as a lively street where we always met friends and acquaintances, and as a vibrant place teeming with people. Today, the situation has changed completely, and there are sometimes more vacant shop premises with people. This phenomenon is increasing in several Norwegian towns and cities, and I want to raise awareness of how people experience their city on foot, and to take a closer look at what it would take to create a more attractive urban space that people will want to visit.
The process has been very dynamic, and I have worked on several parts of the project at the same time. I like to vary my work, so in the same day I can go from sitting and writing to building cardboard models, drawing sketches and working with clay in the ceramics workshop. Since the project has run over a period of two years, it has been important for my progress to vary my work methods.
I have chosen to focus on turning the pedestrian street into a destination with different attractions, and not just a means to an end – namely the shops and shopping itself. I hope to get visitors to enjoy the pedestrian street again and make a walk through it more exciting by opening up the street and creating a more dynamic furniture plan with different activities and attractions. There is room for new discoveries here, both in small details and the big picture.
The pedestrian street in Sandnes is not much different from pedestrian streets in other Norwegian towns, and most such streets meet the same fate, with shops being closed down and a town centre that feels dead. Many of these streets have the same characteristics – they are grey, empty, often lack distinctive features and offer few activities other than shopping. Several European cities are moving towards pedestrianisation of the city centre, and Oslo aims to become the first car-free city in Norway by 2019. I think this will give rise to greater demands to make town and city centres more interesting for pedestrians. Today, not many streets are reserved for pedestrians, and I would like to contribute to making a visit an interesting experience for both children and adults.