BLUEPLACES is a three-year research project, led by Ruralis, aimed at strengthening the resilience of Norway’s coastal communities in the face of climate change and social challenges. The project is grounded in the government’s ambitions for a sustainable blue economy, while acknowledging that such development can create both opportunities and inequalities.

Norwegian coastal communities are under pressure from climate change and social shifts, such as the outmigration of women and youth. BLUEPLACES explores the importance of justice and equity in building resilient communities—where the entire population, including women, youth, migrants, and Indigenous peoples, is better equipped to face and manage ongoing and future challenges.

The project explores how the blue economy can be developed in a fair and sustainable way, through themes such as its design, climate impacts, the social distribution of benefits, and inclusive planning. The goal is to understand what a just blue economy might look like, and how it can help build resilient blue places in a world shaped by climate change.