NABOLAGSHAGER is an Oslo-based center for urban agriculture, eco-innovation and green community initiatives. We are social entrepreneurs and our activities fall into the following areas: KNOWLEDGE FOR RESILIENCE: Facing climate change and environmental degradation it is important to empower, inspire and re-skill people to incorporate environmental practices in their everyday life. Over the last years, hundreds have participated in our public urban food gardens, thousands have taken our courses and tens of thousands of seeds have traded hands, to mention some of our impacts. We also participate in a range of national and international research-oriented projects, such as «Cultivating Public Spaces: Urban agriculture as a basis for human flourishing and sustainability transition in Norwegian cities», lead by the Norwegian University for Life Sciences, and the Horizon2020-project «Integrating Edible City Solutions for social resilient and sustainable productive cities», lead by Technische Universität Berlin. GARDENING FOR URBAN REGENERATION AND PLACEMAKING: Over the last few years we have initiated and managed several projects related to using urban farming and gardening projects as tools to build social cohesion. Tak for Maten – a rooftop demonstration garden, Solsikkebarna, – which has worked with public housing projects and using communal gardening projects to increase the sense of belonging, Sjakkplassen which regenerated an underused public space, by inviting in immigrant seniors, local businesses and tourists alike for shared experiences with outdoor chess and gardening, and Urtehagen på Grønland, -a public vegetable garden in a park in a multicultural neighborhood. GROWING GREEN EMPLOYMENT: We are focusing on exploring business models, products and services that in different ways align our visions with the shifts needed in the labour market. We are building step by step a team of consultants and activists to create green jobs related to urban food production. Some of the projects that we are currently piloting include aquaponic systems, rooftop farming, vertical food gardens, building of urban furniture, and academic/research collaborations.
