Arkitektúr og skipulag - 01.12.1991, Page 66

ENGLISH SUMMARY
This issue of Arkitektur og skipulag
(Architecture and Planning) focusses
on the man-made environment, its
influence and the role it plays in our
day-to-day lives.
Page 10 The Built Environment
Áslaug Brynjólfsdóttir examines the
effects on the individual of the man-
made environemnt, for instance in
school, in the home and in the
workplace. She emphasises the spe-
cial needs of children for a secure yet
stimulating environment, both indoors
and out, and suggests that children
should have a greater say in the crea-
tion of their own surroundings. The
environment of the workplace plays
an important role in how people feel
at work. In lceland, the long dark
winters present a problem which must
be dealt with particualrly to make the
winter months pleasant.
Page 11 Environmental Education
and Architecture
HafdísHafliðadóttirpointsoutthelack
of interest in the importance of the
man-made environment, and the
absence of general education in this
field. Experiments have been carried
out in lceland with architectural proj-
ects at primary-school level. An inter-
national conference on Built Environ-
ment Education in Schools is to be
held in 1992. The aim must be to give
today's children the necessary
grounding which will make them
aware of their environment, whether
natural or man-made.
Page 17 Environmental Impact
Assessment
Jónas Elíasson writes about Environ-
mental Impact Assessment, which is
already being applied widely in lce-
land, although no legislation has yet
been passed on the subject. He ar-
gues that a clear system of assess-
ment is the only means to protect the
environmentadequately. Hesuggests
that environmental impact assess-
ment could be linked into the plan-
ning system. This would mean that
construction projects would not be
delayed by the need for environ-
mental impact assessment at a late
stage.
Pages 19 and 21 Reykjavík’s Pe-
destrian Street
Two articles on the controversial sub-
ject of Austurstrceti, the only pedes-
trian street in Reykjavík, now re-
opened to traffic for a trial period.
Kjartan Jónsson argues against the
abolition of the pedestrian street, and
suggests that other approaches
would have more success in re-enli-
vening the Old Town. Pétur Sveinbjar-
nason suggests that the pedestrian
street itself is not sufficient to make
the Old Town attractive to shoppers,
and that efforts to keep the district
alive have been only half-hearted.
He points out that the district must
underline its unique attractions,
emphasise the historic aspect, etc.
Page 23 Location Planning
Þórarinn Þórarinsson writes about the
planning and design of areas within
the overall urban plan, for instance
forthe city of Reykjavík. Many factors
must be taken into account in plan-
ning: building on sloping ground can
cause problems, although it also of-
fers the possibility of views. Planning
must take local climatic factors into
consideration. Routes for motor traf-
fic and for pedestrians, as well as
access to public transport, must be
carefully planned, as well as supply
lines for hot and cold water, electric-
ity, and, not least, drains, which must
be planned to utilise natural slopes for
drainage. The planner must aim to
createapleasantenvironmentwhich
meets the needs and expectations of
its inhabitants.
Page 27 Planning Green Spaces
in the Urban Environemnt
Reynir Vilhjólmsson writes about
LaugardalurinReykjavík,whichisnow
being developed as a leisure area,
following the completion of a plan for
the park in 1986. Developments in-
clude paths and vegetation, im-
provements and additions to the
botanical garden, a small zoo and a
skating rink. A Family Garden is being
designed, and a concert hall is
planned for the future.
Page 30 A Voice from the Past
With reference to a controversial new
plan to locate a bonemeal factory
on Örfirisey, adjacent to the centre of
Reykjavík, Arkitektúr og skipulag re-
prints an article written half a century
ago, to protest against a project of
the time to build a herring factory in
the same place, on the grounds that
it would create a foul-smelling public
nuisance and destroy the environ-
ment of Örfirisey.
Page 35 Architects’ Association
page Should Architects be
Trained in lceland?
Sigurður Harðarson argues for the
necessity of offering architectural
training in lceland. Ideally, architects
would study partly in lceland and
partly abroad, enabling them to see
their own traditions and environment
in a broader context. He feels that
real lclenadci architecture can only
grow out of lcelandic nature and
culture, and that architects in lce-
land will only earn respect and trust
when this is the case.
Page36 Antiquities and Places of
Historical Importance in Reykjavík
Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Keeper of City
Antiquities in Reykjavík, writes about
various sites in Reykjavík of hisforical
and cultural significance, which en-
joy protection by law. She wites with
particular reference to Laugarnes,
where remnants of a saga-age farm
and a churchyard have been pre-
served. She argues that Laugarnes
should be preserved in the future as a
rare location of natural beauty and
historical significance.
Page 41 Traffic and the Environ-
ment
Þorsteinn Þorsteinsson writes about
the effects of motor traffic on the
environment: direct effects include
accidents (which can be reduced by
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