This is not an easy path. Our vision is a generational transformation in an era already characterized by disruption. Navigating this reality requires every ounce of our innovativeness and resourcefulness. It’s possible, but we must overcome several pressing challenges.
First, we must address the dynamics of urbanization and population growth. More people will need access to built infrastructure. When greater numbers of these populations move to cities, it strains our existing buildings even more. We must better understand how to best use what we have to leave space for these growth dynamics. We shouldn’t simply resort to endless expansion. We also need to confront the likeliness of needing some new buildings and consider how we can do that while maximizing the impact and minimizing the ecological footprint. Solutions like adding new floors to apartment buildings or extending existing structures hint at what this approach could look like.
There’s also the question of affordability. In our current system, the cost of buildings, particularly housing, is strongly linked to supply. The end of construction as we know it would inevitably limit supply. Unless we’re careful, there’s a risk of creating more tension between planetary and human well-being. We need new ways of ownership and governance. The Nordic history of cooperative ownership and state proactivity can help resolve this tension.
Affordability isn’t just an economic hurdle. The construction and real estate sectors play a significant part in our economies. In addition to providing jobs, they’re vehicles of some of the only place-specific investments in an era of globalized capital. We must explore new ways of place-based value creation. We have to reimagine the functions of our buildings beyond financial assets.
Besides mere population growth, we’re faced with the challenges of migration. We’ve already seen a significant increase in migration due to conflicts and instability, and the climate crisis will only increase it. The demographics of our growing population are changing. It brings us to a question: What does a Baukultur embodying the Nordic culture look like when the culture itself is constantly evolving? It must be welcoming and accessible to all Nordic citizens while ensuring it captures the uniqueness of our region. We should challenge the Nordic core values in a way that leaves previous norms and concepts open to change.