Citycon promotes sustainable access and green mobility around all its centres. That is why we are extremely happy that the light rail in Bergen, Norway opened a second line in November 2022, which shortens the distance between Fyllingsdalen – where our urban centre Oasen is located - and the rest of Bergen.
Together with Oasen’s bus terminal and the surrounding network of pedestrian and cycle paths, the light rail makes distances shorter and transportation to and from Oasen more environmentally friendly. It will also ease the lives of the over 2,000 people working in Oasen, where there are also plans to build more office workspaces and several new homes in the future.
Searching for the most practical solutions
Citycon has worked closely with Bergen’s municipalities since 2019, when the construction of the light rail outside Oasen began. Together, we have ensured good accessibility for our visitors and the people living around Oasen during all phases of development.
Through weekly project meetings, we’ve helped the developers find the most practical solutions and made sure that everyone is on the same page. We’ve also kept the citizens and visitors of Bergen in the loop about the changes around Oasen and how these will affect them.
Both parties have been happy with the collaboration. When the second line of the light rail opened, Oasen saw a 13% increase in visitors in December 2022 and a 25% increase in January 2023. That is a record number of visitors, one that shows how greener and more practical mobility solutions can move people.
Bergen continues to develop
As Bergen continues to develop the city and its infrastructure, Citycon is looking to help them find the right solutions. Oasen is currently the end station of the light rail, but in the future, there is the possibility of another extension that would connect the centre to yet another district in Bergen.
In 2023, Bergen will launch city bikes connected to the light rail stops in the city. Approximately 200 of these bikes will be in Fyllingsdalen, and Oasen will facilitate the city bikes outside the centre in collaboration with the municipality.
In order to increase the number of people with access to green transportation, the city and Oasen are also planning on building more housing around the light rail. We see this as a huge opportunity to strengthen Oasen’s position as a transportation hub and will be sure to maintain open dialogue with the municipalities.
