Nature at risk: the threat of the Vestskogen project.

The Vestskogen development project represents a threat to nature and wildlife in the northwest of Tromsøya. The area also plays a critical role in sports, recreation, and outdoor activities for Tromsø residents.

This article explains why the project should not be developed, who has raised concerns against it, and offers a quick overview of the city’s housing shortage.

The area that would be swallowed by Bonord's development project in Solneset.

More asphalt, less friluftsliv

The municipal planning committee, together with Bonord as the development company, is planning the Vestskogen project, which would build new homes between Solneset and Mortensnes in northwest Tromsøya. This development would affect a large portion of the forest on the western side of Tromsøya, a highly valued outdoor recreation area registered as local hiking terrain.

Developing this sensitive natural area for housing raises serious environmental and social concerns (4, 6). Tromsø is growing, and housing costs are rising due to factors such as population growth, limited land availability, high construction costs, and strong demand for rentals. However, the solution is not to build on one of the city’s most-used recreational areas, where activities such as mountain biking, hiking, trail running, cross-country skiing, and orienteering take place. Addressing housing needs does not have to come at the expense of preserving the outdoor qualities that make Tromsø a great place to live.

As we discovered through conversations with people using the threatened forest, most of them are not aware of the development project.

Existing apartments should first serve local residents

Without strict regulations, new and existing apartments are unaffordable to most. Only those who can pay high prices are likely to benefit, while students and lower-income families remain excluded. Community reports indicate that short-term rentals and market speculation already put pressure on Tromsø’s housing market (1, 5). According to Troms SV (2025), there are currently around 3,000 listings on Airbnb, while local residents face a housing shortage, especially during the northern lights season from September to April.

The threatened forest in Solneset.

Housing is a right, not a luxury

Access to adequate housing is a fundamental need, similar to public health, education, and energy services. These essential needs cannot be left entirely to the free market. Housing policies should ensure that permanent residents, not only investors or tourists, have access to safe, affordable homes (5).

Protecting nature and public space

Developing natural areas for housing would reduce public green space and could negatively impact biodiversity and outdoor recreation opportunities. Local organizations and residents have raised concerns and objections to protect Tromsømarka for current and future generations (4, 6).

Investigations by NRK highlight that both large-scale and small-scale developments across Norway are steadily reducing natural areas, often without strong oversight, emphasizing the importance of careful municipal planning (7, 8).

Outdoor areas are essential to residents’ well-being. The forest has already shrunk considerably, and the Bonord project in Solneset would further increase this irreversible loss.

Hotels and the local economy

Tromsø is already seeing new hotel developments, which can contribute to the local economy while being built in designated areas, making efficient use of infrastructure and minimizing impacts on residential neighborhoods. Unlike short-term rentals scattered throughout residential zones, hotels do not remove homes from the long-term housing market (2, 5).

 The forest threatened by the development project is one of the oldest in Tromsø, with old birch trees covered in lichens.

Call to action

Politicians are reconsidering the Vestskogen project, the new residential neighborhood, as economic growth appears to be prioritized over fulfilling basic social needs. Residents and community organizations can influence decisions to protect nature, preserve public space, and prioritize housing for residents. Sustainable development in Tromsø depends on policies that balance growth with environmental and social responsibility.

The forest that Bonord wants to convert into conctete, asphalt and profit.

There has been opposition to the development, particularly from Statens Vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) due to the project’s proximity to Tromsø Airport and concerns about increasing air traffic. The project also faced significant social opposition, with approximately 1,440 signatures collected against the proposed development of Vestskogen/Solneset, reflecting clear disapproval from community members (Opprop.net, n.d.).

For more information and ways to get involved, follow Naturvernforbundet i Troms, Tromsø Natur og Ungdom, and Rissa Citizen Science.

The forest is one of the darkest areas on Tromsøya. It is used in a research project that studies the impact of light pollution on songbirds.

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References

(1) AirROI. (2025). Troms, Norway market data. https://www.airroi.com/data-portal/markets/troms-norway?utm_source=chatgpt.co

(2) Aukland, M. S. (2024, November 28). Boligbygging på Solneset – et kinderegg. Nordnorsk debatt. https://www.nordnorskdebatt.no/boligbygging-pa-solneset-et-kinderegg/o/5-124-336862

(3) Opprop.net. (n.d.). Nei til nedbyggingen av Tromsømarka og hundeløypa bak Solneset skole. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://www.opprop.net/nei_til_nedbyggingen_av_tromsomarka_og_hundeloypa_bak_solneset_skole

(4) Ravna, Ø. (2025, January 7). Folk og fugl treng også frisk natur, Sojtaric. Nordnorsk Debatt. https://www.nordnorskdebatt.no/folk-og-fugl-treng-ogsa-frisk-natur-sojtaric/o/5-124-342729

(5) Sojtaric, M. (2025, January 3). Folk treng hus. Nordnorsk debatt. https://www.nordnorskdebatt.no/folk-treng-hus/o/5-124-342289

(6) Styret i Naturvernforbundet i Troms. (2025, January 2). Aksepterer vi at det siste store naturområdet på Tromsøya nedbygges? Nordnorsk Debatt. https://www.nordnorskdebatt.no/aksepterer-vi-at-det-siste-store-naturomradet-pa-tromsoya-nedbygges/o/5-124-342085

(7) Støstad, M., Nyborg, M., & Solvang, R. (2024, January 6). NRK avslører: 44 000 inngrep i norsk natur på fem år. NRK. https://www.nrk.no/dokumentar/xl/nrk-avslorer_-44.000-inngrep-i-norsk-natur-pa-fem-ar-1.16573560

(8) Støstad, M., Nyborg, M., & Solvang, R. (2025, January 4). NRK avslører hvordan Norges 100 største naturinngrep ble til: Naturen vi ofret med øynene lukket. NRK. https://www.nrk.no/dokumentar/xl/nrk-avslorer-hvordan-norges-100-storste-naturinngrep-ble-til_-naturen-vi-ofret-med-oynene-lukket-1.17168283

(9) Troms SV. (2025, 2. februar). Alle skal ha tilgang til bolig. Troms SV. https://troms.sv.no/alle-skal-ha-tilgang-til-bolig/