What Can American Cities Learn from the European Nonprofit Sauna Movement? | Panel Discussion

See a panel on how American cities can take inspiration from Europe’s sauna movement to embed community health and wellbeing into the heart of public spaces! In this event held in honor of National Sauna Week at Scandinavia House on February 12, 2026, Therme Group US’ Adam Bamba Tanaka moderated a talk with Ragna Marie Fjeld, general manager of Oslo Sauna Association (Oslo Badstuforening) and one of the pioneers of Norway’s nonprofit sauna movement; Mikkel Aaland, a photographer/filmmaker/author and an internationally known expert on bathing culture; and Emily Weidenhof, Assistant Commissioner of Public Realm at NYC DOT. Across European cities — from London to Oslo and beyond — a rapidly growing nonprofit sauna movement is charting a dynamic new model of public health infrastructure: low-priced, high-design public saunas located along waterfronts, rooftops, and public parks. At the center of the story is the Oslo Sauna Association (Oslo Badstuforening), a nonprofit that operates over 25 floating saunas across the Norwegian capital. Supported by a grassroots volunteer operation, these saunas have become beloved pieces of civic infrastructure, social lifelines for a city with long winters and a high proportion of residents who live alone. In 2025, the Oslo Badstuforening was recognized by Time magazine as one of the World’s Great Places. Drawing on Oslo’s experience, the panel examined how creative activation of public spaces for community health can support physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen social ties, and make cities more livable year-round. The conversation also explored governance and business models, from nonprofit and volunteer-led operations to cooperatives – and what it takes to adapt these approaches to the U.S. context, particularly given rapid growth of the commercial sauna market. Learn more about programming at Scandinavia House at: https://www.scandinaviahouse.org/ #saunaculture #saunalife #sauna