Huge infrastructure investment in transportation together with governmental ambitions for land-use policies have led to a new Norwegian system for planning based on agreements on policies and investments. The agreements are grounded in a transport-oriented development model and demand new, high standards for density around the nodes. The argumentation spans from a reduction in CO2 emissions, to a lack of development land and developers’ profits, to intentions for European urbanity. The policies seems to follow the same model and lead to the same architecture in all cities and towns. The idea of the compact city and the principles of nodal development have to be challenged by a wider perspective on sustainable development. Most places, quality of life, adaption to local context and local ways of life are far more important factors than capacity for development and high density.