For the local community in Skedsmo, the workshop is more than a business; it is a piece of living history. It serves as a reminder of a time when Lillestrøm was the industrial heartbeat of the Akershus region.
Sherry Arnstein’s (1969) ladder of citizen participation remains a foundational framework. Modellverksted Skedsmo explicitly sought to move beyond “tokenism” (informing, consulting, placation) toward “citizen power” (partnership, delegated power, citizen control). While full citizen control over major infrastructure projects was unrealistic, the workshop enabled partnership models where resident feedback was translated directly into model modifications during live sessions. modellverksted skedsmo
Modellverksted Skedsmo exemplifies what planning theorist John Forester calls “deliberative practice”—the use of artifacts (models) to mediate conflict and generate shared understanding. Unlike online consultation platforms, the physical workshop creates embodied accountability: a planner must look a resident in the eye while moving a model block. For the local community in Skedsmo, the workshop
Modellverksted Skedsmo was housed in a former carpentry workshop at Storgata 12, adjacent to Skedsmo bibliotek. The 300 m² space was divided into three zones: Unlike online consultation platforms