by Erling Fossen
Despite the fact that during the past 30 years Oslo has been tentatively locked by the state in an iron corset, the city is today living a gold rush. In a seminar held some years ago at Voksenåsen about the future of Stockholm and Oslo the former financial minister Per Kleppe bragged about how Arbeiderpartiet (Labour Party) managed to hold back the city growth in the last 30 years. The population of Oslo peaked at about 488.000 at the end of the '60-es, but this number sank before reaching half a million in 1997. In the early '90-es the state could not stop the city from growing any longer. While the government tried in vain to reverse the flow of people towards the capital and the local authorities attempted to create the basis for traditional industrial activities, one thousand multimedia and highly specialised firms were in a very short time established in Oslo. It is estimated that in 25 years Oslo has to build 100.000 new houses for 125.000 people. A growth of the same proportions is expected in the neighbouring areas as well. 43% of all Norwegian children are born in Oslo / Akershus.
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