ABSTRACT
The compact city has been put forward as a way of obtaining sustainable cities in Norway for almost 20 years. This ideal has been implemented in national as well as local policy. The core ideas are to increase the density within already built-up areas in order to reduce the need for cars and therefore the emission of greenhouse gases, and to protect green areas in urban environments (Ministry of the Environment 1992, 1996, 2001). Finding a balance between these contradictory goals is a key requirement for developing successful compact cities.
