two people riding a bike on a  walkway

Social Sustainability

What does it take to create a society that is good to live in while promoting social justice and good public health? And how can physical structures or new business models contribute to success in this regard?

At Norconsult, we work interdisciplinary to solve societal challenges and facilitate sustainable choices in everyday life. Measures to increase social sustainability often need to be tailored to a specific area to function. Therefore, we start with the needs of the place and the local community in such assessments. 

We work interdisciplinary in the field between overall analysis, health impact assessments, participation, and design of physical structures. We believe that what is good for people is also good for the climate. Measures to improve public health, social meeting places, and the location of social infrastructure, such as kindergartens and schools, are some of the factors we consider. The same applies to measures to create safe outdoor areas that stimulate physical activity in all stages of life. 

It is important how social sustainability is incorporated into overall plans and concretized in the built environment. An approach is to allocate specific areas or parts of buildings for purposes related to specific social and health needs. 

Because social sustainability occurs where lives are lived, physical structures must be supplemented by economically sustainable business models and concepts. Therefore, we work with piloting measures that can be tested and improved before they are potentially implemented. 

Good communication and involvement are essential to achieve high urban and housing quality and to facilitate urban life and well-being. Our work approach and methods facilitate inclusive processes, participation, dialogue, and interaction with residents and stakeholders. 

  • Gunnar Ridderström

    Civil Architect, PhD

  • Tine Gundersen

    Head of Urban Development Department

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