Om True North 2026

True North 2026 is Tromsø’s biggest strategical investment and has as a goal to make Tromsø, Northern Norway and the Arctic to a more attractive place for young people.

The project’s target group is youth between 15 and 35 years old and applies to every part of our society from city development and traffic to health, culture and sports. This will be achieved through collaboration with public actors, volunteer organizations, and the private business world. Our most important tool is youth participation and securing that young voices are heard in our society’s development.

The project has the goal to make things better for youth to live, work and create in Tromsø and Northern Norway.
It builds on inputs from youth in the region collected over three years. It will be of huge importance to the future of Tromsø and Northern Norway if we can manage to activate and include youth and young adults in every aspect of life in society in the north. We will achieve this goal with:

Make Tromsø and Northern Norway to a better place for young people to live their lives. To achieve this, we need to build infrastructure and good frames for quality of life in the region. This implies that it is possible to find housing and secure services like school, health, and social arrangements of good quality.

Create a safe and exciting work life. It must be arranged for career opportunities in the north, built on future oriented workplaces and varied competency needs so that more people can find their dream job in Tromsø and Northern Norway.

Facilitate so that youth can join in and create their local society. The program True North 2026 wishes to simulate young people’s expressions and exploration potential. The program will inspire collaboration and community, encourage participation, and create a platform for exchanging ideas. And, through a brave, youth-led program, True North 2026 can be an inspiring model for other cities and societies and therefore contribute to forming the future of youth-led initiatives.

Project team True North

Brynjar Andersen Saus

E-mail: Brynjar.Andersen.Saus@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 40612189

Martine Lødding

E-mail: Martine.Lodding@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 95457993

Eskil Magnus Andreassen

E-mail: Eskil.Magnus.Andreassen@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 94789972

Ida Solvang

E-mail: Ida.Solvang@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 90516765

Marius Hanssen Høgås

E-mail: Marius.Hanssen.Hogas@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 41502600

Vilde Furuhaug Westby

E-mail: Vilde.Furuhaug.Westby@tromso.kommune.no

Mari Bondevik

E-mail: Mari.Bondevik@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 45433857

Synne Sandvik Lockert

E-mail: Synne.Sandvik.Lockert@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 99110239

Sigrid Bjørnhaug Hammer
Deputy mayor

E-mail: Sigrid.Bjornhaug.Hammer@tromso.kommune.no
Phone: 97042477

We are bigger than Tromsø

Northern Norway is big, it takes a long time to travel from the southern most part in the region, to the northern most part. Nevertheless, we share a lot of the same difficulties. We have therefore decided to take with us the whole of Northern Norway into the European Youth Capital year.
We have visited young people throughout the whole region; you can read more about it here!

We are bigger than 2026

We wish for long lasting changes and measures that will give societal benefits in 2036 and 2046 as well.
The European Youth Capital year is 2026, but the measures we bring, and the work being put through will secure young people's future in many years to come. We don’t work for these measures for a year, but for long lasting measures and societal change that will have something to say for the future.

True North 2026 has the potential to be a landmark in Tromsø and Northern Norway’s history.

To reach the goals in this venture, we wish to invite a wide variety of organizations, social actors and others interested around the country to make their own projects directed towards the youth. What can your organization do for Northern Norway to make it a better place to live, work and create for youth? What do you wish to see in your region, your municipality, or your local society?