Planning proposals presented for Romerike Healthcare Centre and Lillestrøm Bus Terminal
14. October 2022Linstow and Viken County Authority have this week submitted planning proposals for the detailed zoning of Romerike Healthcare Centre and Lillestrøm Bus Terminal. The proposals have been thoroughly prepared, with a focus on adding value for the residents of Lillestrøm and strengthening the development of the city centre in one of Norway’s fastest-growing municipalities.
The principle measure will involve the division of the healthcare and bus terminal site into three blocks, where new pedestrian zones will make the area an attractive place to visit, not just to pass through. The planning proposals have been prepared by Nordic - Office of Architecture and Norconsult.
In the healthcare block, the existing buildings will be further developed, while the area facing the city hall will have a large bus garage and terminal at street level. The block facing the train station will be smaller, comprising an attractive new office building with a vibrant ground floor designed to attract exciting new workplaces to Lillestrøm.
Creating a growth hub in Lillestrøm
The submitted planning proposals will result in the establishment of workplaces, new study and research positions, public and private health-related businesses as well as efficient and user-friendly public transport services.
The wide and attractive pedestrian zones between the buildings are primarily designed to attract street-level retail and catering businesses. In addition, a new square in front of the healthcare block will provide an urban recreation area featuring abundant green areas.
We want to create a modern and attractive area in the centre of Lillestrøm, free from domineering tower blocks or glass and concrete façades, putting the needs of pedestrians first. The short distance between the train station and the new services provided by the healthcare centre and the other buildings will make the area more accessible for everyone. We want to listen to the needs and wishes of the residents of Lillestrøm. It is important for us to get input from the people who will actually use the area.
Further developing a regional centre of expertise
With 800,000 visitors a year and residents from four municipalities visiting the accident and emergency department, Romerike Healthcare Centre has become an important hub for a large region. The building is being extended to facilitate the needs of existing users and to accommodate new healthcare organisations. The extension will increase the capacity of the healthcare centre and enable the development of exciting collaboration platforms, which in turn will help position Lillestrøm as a national hub for the health sector.
We want the healthcare centre to be an arena for the exchange of ideas and collaboration between private- and public-sector organisations, research and education. We are also keen to ensure that health and social sustainability is prioritised in all locations where we perform development work, applying a knowledge-based approach throughout.
In further developing the healthcare centre and the surrounding area, we will incorporate elements from the Building Health research project – health-promoting urban development – which is being carried out in collaboration with SINTEF. The project, which aims to develop new knowledge about how locations can be health-promoting in practice, has received a NOK 16 million grant from the Research Council of Norway.
