A changing Bygdøy

Opposite our house there used to be 2 attractive wooden detached houses in their own grounds with big gardens full of trees.

They have now gone to be replaced with no less than 6 houses on one plot and 5 houses on the other plot. From two families to 11 families!!

This is the current scene around the second house (the yellow house partially demolished) with the nearest construction producing 2 of the five properties.

Note the six birch trees on the property and the adjacent property, the one on the right has been topped as they cannot chop it down, thank goodness. Note how ugly it with this “top pruning”.

 The consequence of this type of “eplehagen” development are substantial:

·         There seems to be no standard design relating to the houses demolished. For example, of the eleven new houses only three retain a traditional gable roof, the remaining eight have flat roofs with terraces.

·         Trees have been felled. There were at least four large birch and horse chestnut trees on the first plot. Fewer orchards and less bird life.

·         Eleven houses probably mean eleven families. As the price of the new houses in this area is very high, only those with financial means will be able to buy them.

·         Eleven houses mean eleven plus vehicles, a likely substantial increase in traffic from before.

Changes are often necessary and increased urban density is the result.

C’est la vie.