Cities and Sustainability in Norway

Norway's capital, Oslo, is routinely named as one of the most sustainable cities on the face of the Earth. It has an efficient public transportation system, is comprised of 2/3 protected lands (including forests, hills, and lakes), and includes a 20% "open areas" mandate. In fact on 44 square miles of the city are actually developed. However, this modern city is facing some problems. It's first problem is a population boom, Oslo is currently the fastest growing Scandinavian city with a population increase of at least 2% a year. Oslo's citizens also rely heavily on cars and the highways which connect the city to its suburbs are a main source of pollution because of the traffic jams this reliance on personal transportation has caused.