Welcome Hub Agder is boosting its efforts to help internationals settle down easily and integrate faster by using Places.nu - an interactive map that enables newcomers to engage with their new surroundings in a more personal and meaningful way.

To be launched this spring, Places allows users to explore locations through two main features: a community-driven map, where individuals and organisations share locations, and an events section, displaying activities happening at mapped locations.

“The Places.nu platform was inspired by research on mapping the experiences of Holocaust survivors, which explored how places hold different meanings based on personal experiences. This concept was brought to Arendal to create a dynamic platform where people can share and discover places that matter to them, such as viewpoints, beaches, and pick-your-own farms.”

- Levi Westerveld, the platform's designer. 

The platform introduces a social aspect, allowing users to follow curated maps from others, and integrates real-time event discovery, making it more dynamic than static mapping services.

Events are highlighted based on time and location, ensuring that users always see relevant and timely activities in their area. The platfiorm is designed for both desktop and mobile, accessible via a web browser or as a native app.

Places is currently concentrated on Arendal to ensure a critical mass of users and relevant content before expanding further.

“For internationals, Places presents an invaluable resource for connecting with local events and communities, making it easier to navigate and integrate into their new surroundings.”

- Tonje Salgado, Business Development and Project Manager, Welcome Hub Agder. 

While similar to Facebook Events, Places differentiates itself by allowing access without requiring an account.

“Privacy is a core focus for us since we are offering access to most of the content on Places without requiring an account. Only users who want to create maps or register events need to sign up, and personal information such as email addresses is not shared. Users can delete their accounts and data at any time,” said Westerveld. 

With its innovative approach to mapping meaningful locations and events, Places is set to transform how people interact with the places around them—and has the potential for turning every corner of the world into a story worth discovering.

The Community Hub will launch three new projects open to both internationals and Norwegians this year. 

This follows a recent workshop it conducted which brought together people interested in participating in volunteer projects. 

Participants from 15 different countries showed up to share their thoughts and interests and settled on three projects to work on - Salsa Classes, Cooking Classes and Hiking Trips.

Efforts to get the classes up and running are now underway. Project Manager of Community Hub, Tove Hardaway says there is a fair bit of work to be done but everyone is excited to see the projects take shape. 

“Together with the participants, we are now organising committees to undertake the necessary arrangements to get these projects up and running. This includes scheduling sessions, securing resources, and marketing these classes. We all can’t wait to see these classes take off,” says Hardaway.

The Community Hub is Welcome Hub Agder’s latest volunteer initiative aimed at connecting internationals and Norwegians through fun-filled activities that also help internationals to build a social network. By doing so, internationals moving to Agder will have a more fulfilling life and be encouraged to stay for the long run. 

Contact
Tove Hardaway
Email: tove@welcomehub.no