Bodø is building a completely new district

When you landed at the airport here in the European Capital of Culture, you literally landed in the middle of the city, didn't you? You can walk from the airport to the hotel. This is how it has been for the past 75 years of Bodø's history - an airport that has been situated close to the city, and which has made the way out into the rest of the world a short journey for those of us who live here. And we will continue to have it this way, but now major changes are taking place. 

In the coming decades, Bodø will carry out one of Europe's largest urban development projects. Bodø will become even more attractive to people who want to live the good life north of the Arctic Circle. 

Biggest home loss 

The airport has been important for Bodø. It has been a base for the Norwegian Armed Forces and NATO. The air base created 1,000 important jobs in our city. Bodø is called the flying city in Norway, and that is largely thanks to a long and rich history in aviation. 

In 2012, Bodø suffered its biggest home loss ever. Norway’s parliament, the Storting, decided that the military air base should be moved away from the city - consequently losing us all those jobs. Today, in 2024, the air base is shut down. What did Bodø choose to do in these years of uncertainty about the future and major upheavals? We didn't sit down and whine and feel sorry for ourselves. We did what we've always done. We chose to come together and to embrace the possibilities. 

As the picture shows, the airport and the Norwegian Air Force's air base take up half of the area on the peninsula where the city of Bodø is located. Over the years, the city’s expansion has been restricted by limited space, with too little land available for urban and business development. Having served our city for decades, the airstrip itself has also been in need of thorough rehabilitation. 

Developing a new district 

The decision to move the air base from Bodø and the need for land for urban and commercial development set the minds of our far-sighted politicians and business leaders in motion. The idea of moving the entire airport several hundred meters came up. If the airport was moved further out to sea, it would free up a lot of space for housing and business - for future-oriented urban development. It was a long and hard battle to make the idea a reality, but the politicians in Bodø stood together. The necessary decisions were taken both in Bodø and by the national authorities. In 2023, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, when Avinor, the state-owned airport operator that will build the new airport, secured the final necessary financing. 

The airport will be moved 1,500 meters out to sea. 300 hectares of development land will be freed up, close to today's city centre, railway, port, and the new airport. 

Now: 

In the future: 

The future of Bodø 

Bodø has had a steadily growing population for several decades. Keeping young people in the city is however still a big challenge. 

Business is going well, and there is great optimism in many industries. Unemployment is very low, and it is difficult to fill the need for labour. 

The ‘New city - New airport’ project will, together with investment in culture and the development of the city centre, increase Bodø's attractiveness both to current and new residents, investors, and businesses. 

Bodø has high ambitions for the climate and environment. Hernes, as the new district is called, is to be developed as a zero-emissions area. There is a strong spotlight on energy and climate, mobility, and innovative urban planning. 

It will take decades before the entire area is developed, and the planning therefore has a 50-year perspective. The district will be able to accommodate 30,000 inhabitants and 20,000 jobs when it is complete. 

The first areas will be ready for sale in 2025. The area itself will be taken over by Bodø Municipality when the new airport is completed in 2029/2030, after which the development starts in full. 

The pressing lack of commercial space is solved with Hernes. Here, the city gains access to large areas that provide opportunities for many new jobs and companies - future-oriented and competitive jobs that will increase the city's attractiveness for today's young residents and new residents alike. 

Bodø Municipality is involved in several large research projects to help us achieve our ambitions, which include both EU-funded projects and national research and development projects. 

Bodø Municipality takes care of planning the area, and together with Nordland County Council has established a property company which in 2029/2030 will take over, develop, and sell the land. We are constantly looking for new partners. 

Welcome to our thriving capital of culture! 

More information: 

Website: nybybodo.no 

Contact persons: 

Director for Society and Industry, Daniel Bjarmann-Simonsen, telephone 00 47 99 22 90 08 

Project manager for New city - New airport, Irene Skiri, telephone 00 47 99 51 17 89