Strategic sustainable development planning

Sustainable Trysil

Client: Community Council of Trysil

The Trysil area had become an elite resort for rich and famous middle Europeans and was expanding ad hoc. The community was concerned that there was inappropriate control on development, and that this could get out of hand. A workshop was worked over two days and involved a charette gaming the potential development of the area for the holiday industry.

A previously commissioned study had identified potential for development of 3,000 new bed spaces was placed under scrutiny. The proposal was modeled through a full year and the impact on Trysil and its surrounding communities was projected.

The workshop participants concluded that the negative impacts of short-term large-scale development were greater than the positive ones and decided that a much tighter planning control of development would generate more appropriate, locally manageable evolution. It was concluded that this would also be sustainable in the longer term and of greater benefit to local residents.