Municipal environmental management, 2003

Motor traffic in uncultivated areas is banned in principle. However, under the Motor Traffic and Environment Act, local government authorities may grant exemptions from this rule and allow the use of motor traffic for certain purposes. No data on actual traffic are available, but KOSTRA provides information on the use of exemptions by local government authorities.

Municipal land conservation

The conservation of areas for environmental purposes is generally regulated by legal acts administered by the central government. But the Planning and Building Act gives municipalities the opportunity to protect areas of special value against development.

In 2003, 221 plans that include protection of cultural heritage and 41 plans that include areas of nature conservation were adopted. As around 2200 plans were adopted in total, this means that about 10 per cent of all plans adopted in 2003 contain environmental protection.

Recreation in urban areas

More than 75 per cent of the Norwegian population live in urban areas. Urban land comprises only 0.7 per cent of the total land area, and, consequently, there are many and different interests connected to these areas. Access to green areas in the neighbourhood is therefore, to a large extent, dependent on whether such areas are secured in municipal land use plans.

The reporting to KOSTRA shows that the average size of recreation areas per inhabitant decreases with the size of the municipality (measured by municipality population). The same picture applies to footpaths and cycle paths (see figure). Taking into consideration that access to other green areas normally is better in smaller municipalities, this indicates that it is particularly important to protect recreation areas in larger municipalities.

See also: Land use planning in municipalities and counties, 2003

Tables:

• Table 1 No. of plans relating to municipal preservation of cultural heritage and protection of nature
• Table 2 Processing of applications for exemptions under the Act relating to motor traffic on uncultivated land and in water courses
• Table 3 Recreational areas. Footpaths and cycle paths
• Table 4 Municipal expenses, income and investments within recration in urban areas (function 335) and nature management and outdoor recreation (function 360). NOK 1 000
• Table 5 Municipal expenses, revenues and investments within protection of cultural heritage (function 365). NOK 1 000
• Table 6 Gross operating expenses, operating revenues and investments in outdoor recreation (function 716). County authorities. NOK 1 000
• Table 7 Gross operating expenses, operating revenues and investments in cultural heritage (function 750). County authorities. NOK 1 000