Fagkonferanse: Fra Slottsparken til Plata – og hvor går veien videre?

Fra Slottsparken til Plata – og hvor går veien videre? Open drug scenes – between harm reduction, control and the right to the city

Open drug scenes have been part of central Oslo since the late 1960s. From the youth scene in Slottsparken, via Plata by Oslo S, to today’s scenes in the city centre, the authorities’ response has involved a combination of support services, outreach work and control.

When the police dispersed the scene at Plata in 2004, the open drug scene did not disappear. It moved elsewhere. In the years since, the police, the municipality, user and voluntary organisations, and other stakeholders have worked together on how to engage with and support these communities.

The issue is once again in the spotlight. For several years, Oslo has discussed establishing a sheltered outdoor meeting place for people who use drugs. This raises some fundamental questions about working with open drug scenes: Should people be dispersed or brought together? What constitutes good harm reduction, and what constitutes control? How do we safeguard health, safety and dignity, while ensuring that people who use drugs have the right to be part of the city?

So the conference is about more than the question of a sheltered meeting place. We take a broader view and examine how society has engaged with people in open drug scenes, both historically and today, how different measures have worked, and which considerations should carry the most weight when shaping future solutions.

Through historical, professional and lived-experience perspectives, we will explore what several decades of measures have taught us—and which principles should guide the way forward.

Programme: Throughout the day, we will hear from six speakers with different perspectives on open drug scenes, urban spaces, marginalisation, control and harm reduction. Each presentation will be followed by a short conversation with the conference host, who will explore and challenge the perspectives raised.

-Ida Nafstad, sociology of law researcher, Lunds universitet -Lars Sandås, artist and author of Narkoatlas – Oslo -Moses Kuvoame, associate professor at Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge -Arild Knutsen, chair of Foreningen for human ruspolitikk (FHR) -Ronny Johansen, RIO – a nationwide user organisation in the field of substance use -Kenneth Arctander, managing director of RIO

Titles and further details about the topics of the individual presentations will be announced on an ongoing basis.

Practical information: Date: 9. desember 2026 Time: kl. 10.00–15.00 Venue: Kulturhuset, Oslo Admission: Free Food will be served during the break.

Please remember to register for the conference via this link (so we know how much coffee to brew): https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx...

Venue: Kulturhuset, Youngs gate 6, 0181 Oslo