Norenstal

Norenstal
Federal City of Delkora
Country	Delkora
Founded	312 CE
Government
• Type	Devolved legislature
• Mayor	Eva Dafengar (NL)
Population
• Total	8,528,475
Website	www.norenstal.del

Norenstal is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Delkora. With an urban population of over 8.5 million and a metropolitan population of over 10 million as of the 2015 Federal Census, it is also one of the largest cities in Tyran. The city is a major hub of international trade and an important political, cultural, and financial center.

Geography

Norenstal stands on the Trydenvar River in central Cybria, which runs through the city from the northeast to the east. The urban center of the city is characterized by relatively flat land, while the northern parts of the metropolitan area gradually rise in elevation the farther one gets from the city center. The city has a primarily oceanic climate characterized by mild winters and summers and frequent precipitation. Because of the presence of the Trydenvar and variations in elevation throughout the metropolitan area, much of the city is designated as a floodplain, which has necessitated the development of an extensive system of levees and embankments to mitigate the effects of flooding.

A distinction is often made between Norenstal proper, which encompasses only the municipal boundaries of the city, and the Norenstal Metropolitan Area, which includes not just the city proper, but also surrounding suburbs and towns that are culturally associated with the city. Areas within Norenstal proper are often described with reference to various historical districts.

Old Norenstal is located at the heart of the city and is known for its historic buildings, many of which date back to 16th Century. Telberath Palace, which houses the Federal Parliament, is located on the banks of the Trydenvar, with the Federal Constitutional Court located directly across the river from it. Three blocks south of Telberath Palace is the Chancellery building, which houses the office of the chancellor and hosts meetings of the Federal Executive Cabinet. The Elvensar Parliamentary Office Complex is located down the street adjacent to Vydenhelm Square. Because of its highly-visible location next to the office complex and within view of the Chancellery building, Vydenhelm Square is commonly utilized for public demonstrations and protests. Valdenharm Palace, the home of the Delkoran royal family, is located a mile north of Telberath Palace on the bank of the Trydenvar. City hall, which houses the Norenstal Assembly and the office of the mayor, is located several blocks to the west of the royal palace.

The Downtown District encompasses the parts of the city center outside of Old Norenstal and is home to a number of government offices, including the headquarters of most federal ministries, foreign embassies, and the headquarters of a number of major Delkoran companies. The Historic West End District is a residential area located just outside of the downtown area that is home to iconic late 19th Century buildings, including Kanzlerhus, the official residence of the chancellor.

The city's northside is home to some of the city's most affluent districts, including University Hills, which hosts the University of Norenstal, the Eastbank Market District, consisting of popular shopping malls and high end restaurants, and Avrenorn Park, one of the country's wealthiest neighborhoods. The city's southside, in contrast, has long had a more working class character and, due to racist zoning laws and de-facto segregation in the late 19th and early 20th Century, has a number of minority-majority neighborhoods. The Southwest Side is home to a large Syaran Delkoran community, and is sometimes colloquially referred to as "Little Syara." The Far Southside has a notable industrial base and is known for its prominent Mubatan Delkoran community.

Government and Politics

Norenstal is classified as a federal city under the Delkoran Constitution, which grants the federal government the authority to govern it directly. Since passage of the Norenstal Administration Act of 1907, the city has been governed by a devolved legislature called the Norenstal Assembly that consists of 125 members elected using party-list proportional representation with open lists. The city's 21 wards serve as constituencies for elections to the Assembly, with each one allotted seats proportional to its population. After an election, parties attempt to form a government in a manner similar to the federal and state parliaments. The Mayor of Norenstal is directly elected using instant-runoff voting. Elections for the mayor and assembly occur every four years.

List of Mayors

Edvard Bastholten (NL) 1907-1915
Torzven Gaerengaard (NL) 1915-1919
Klara Telmerund (NL) 1919-1927
Harold Klausterveld (Con) 1927-1931
Ingrid Aldenheim (NL) 1931-1939
Sedric Grimvard (NL) 1939-1947
Norbert Bardhelm (Con) 1947-1951
Adric Daerenmyr (NL) 1951-1959
Hanna Vestfolt (NL) 1959-1971
Thaaren Halberald (Con) 1971-1979
Emma Olymyr (NL) 1979-1983
Jon Aberhart (Con) 1983-1991
Kristofer Kardenfel (Gr) 1991-1999
Edric Boerenheim (NL) 1999-2007
Eva Dafengar (NL) 2007-present

Policing and Crime

Routine policing in Norenstal is handled by the Norenstal Metropolitan Police Department, a civilian agency with around 23,500 uniformed officers. The NMPD also has limited jurisdiction in certain parts of the Norenstal suburbs, where it shares jurisdiction with the Cybria State Police. Security for federal buildings is provided by the Federal Police, which also provides security details for the chancellor, members of parliament, and foreign dignitaries.

Although crime rates in the city have been declining in recent years, parts of the city, especially on the southside, have notably higher violent crime rates than the rest of the country. A total of 96 homicides were reported in the city in 2018, including 12 firearm-related homicides, making it the second deadliest city in the country in terms of gun violence per capita after Gothendral. NMPD officers fired a total of 12 gunshots in 2018, resulting in 4 injuries and 2 deaths. Robberies and petty theft are the most commonly reported crimes in the city, followed by assault.