Walks+Talks: Grorud Valley Park on a bike

This bike-ride will take you on a journey through the Grorud-Valley along Oslo’s longest river, the wild and green Alna. It is a journey making a cross-section through the history of Oslo. Starting in modernist housing suburbs, we will follow Alna as it is meandering between industrial areas, highways and car-based retail, through a primeval forest and ending up in the Old Town, where Oslo was founded a 1000 years ago.

The Grorud initiative

The Groruddal initiative and the participation project Groruddalssatsingen is an initiative from the municipality of Oslo and the government to create various improvements in selected services and neighboring communities in the Grorud district. The initiative and investments last from 2017-2026. The Ammerud Gym, Tunnel and Ammerud Atrium: The project started with a comprehensive participation process to make a clear-cut framework for design and content. A special desire and need for meeting places related to exercise and physical activity and a stage and play-area for young children were identified. The project was built in two phases, The Ammerud Gym and The Ammerud Tunnel in the summer of 2015 and The Ammerud Atrium the following year.

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Nedre Grorud Gård - Bleikedammen

Biological diversity, and water cleansing through biological filters 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. The Grorud park project established a continuous landscape and recreational corridor from Lillomarka, via Grorud park, through to Leirfossen (waterfall) and Hølaløkka. The open watercourse with thresholds that form small and larger water levels create good biotopes for animals and plants. Water quality has improved significantly, as a result of measures for natural cleansing of stormwater, the soil and increasing the watercourses self-cleansing ability. Cycling tour continuous towards and through Hølaløkka. After Hølaløkka this we will bike gently along the Alna river as it passes through the valley, along a rich variety of nature. When we get to Bryn high deciduous trees and steep edges form a green roof over the path. At the gorge, the path on the piers goes over the river and you get close to the river. A suspension bridge with overhang gives you an airy ride over the river and Nygårdsfossen.

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Svartdal Park

Primeval forest This is a piece of wild nature in the middle of Oslo. It is a primeval forest with unique deciduous trees. area is organized with walkways and suspension bridges across and along the Alna River. The valley of Svartdalen is the last part of Alna River you can follow on the surface before it is led underground to the fjord.

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Gamlebyen Skatepark

The Town in the Clouds playground - Gamlebyen Sports and Leisure A playground and a skatepark built on voluntary effort by a unique community of urban activists in Gamlebyen (Old Town). This project has transformed a backside of the city and a left-over highway bridge into a lively place for the neighborhood and a destination

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IFLA World Congress 2019 will take a closer look at urban transformation, green mobility, healthy and beautiful landscapes and community participation. During three days in Oslo, we aim to inspire, challenge and intrigue you. We want you to share and reflect on the knowledge that is developed, presented and discussed.

Join us in moving one step further to understand and protect our COMMON GROUND.

This article is part of IFLA Common Grounds: Walk+Talk.

You can view all Walks+Talks tours here

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