Area Neutrality: safeguarding urban biodiversity with a new land management framework in Trondheim

Area neutrality is a municipal land use management system that prioritizes the protection of nature in urban development. This framework calls for first avoiding nature destruction, then reducing nature loss, and finally “replacing” natural lands that are developed for human use by restoring other areas. In effect, it extends the net-zero philosophy to the loss of nature. In this exploratory study, we consider the effects of implementing area neutrality in the municipal planning of Trondheim, Norway. The potential benefits of the framework are considered in terms of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Principles of urban ecology are applied to the framework so that positive ecological impacts are maximized. We conclude with a SWOT analysis of area neutrality in general and consideration of challenges for Trondheim Municipality specifically. This study provides an overview of a system which could be highly beneficial to both the urban and natural ecosystems of Trondheim and other areas if implemented responsibly.