AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.04.2002, Page 20

stages of the work and publication.
The main objective of the development policy is
threefold: financial growth and development, social and
sociological needs, and improving environment. The
development policy is intended to:
Create conditions for public participation in the lawful
control of development.
Create the basis for coordination and equality in
development and land use.
Form the basis for development control and continu-
ous monitoring.
The development policy deals with the area called the
City Centre District, which includes the city centre and
its sphere of influence. The area is bound by Höföatún,
Langahlíö, Hringbraut, Ljósvallagata, Hofsvallagata,
Ægisgata, Trygvagata and Sæbraut.
The development policy can be looked upon as a
brief and policy of the city authorities forthe preparation
of local plans. The development policy creates the
framework for detailed planning in the city and acts also
as a model for others. It is published in a foider with 8
pamphlets, where the 8th is a description of the policy.
The development policy as a whole was approved by
city authorities at the beginning of 2001. It has already
been put to the test through building applications, and
both the City Centre District Council and the Planning
Fund are instruments that are now in use and came
about as part of the poiicy. The development policy has
priority, and now it is important to closely monitor and
review it in the light of experience, aspect by aspect as
was originally intended.
Local plannníng
The preparation of local plans is a statutory method
to direct development in the city, according to goals and
according to the public interest. A local plan is prepared
within the framework of the Development Plan and the
Development Policy. In the City Planning Department's
plan of work for 1999, a request was made for the fund-
ing of a special action in the preparation of local plans
for the city as a whole and they have now been com-
pleted for many areas of the city. This action came as
a result of changes in the Planning Law, which took
effect at the end of 1997. The emphasis is put on the
review of local plans where building applications have
been made, with a special emphasis on the city centre.
This is a direct continuation of the work on the devel-
opment policy, which forms part of the framework for
local planning. This project has been an addition to the
continuous review of local plans and the planning of
new areas.
The basic work on plans, general policies and the
planning framework has been prepared in the City
Planning Office (Planning and Building Department
today), but the planning work itself is done by inde-
pendent consultants. At the beginning of 2002, some
20 consulting firms were working on local plans for the
city and of these, around 50% are working on plans in
the central area.
To start with, a preliminary selection was carried out
among consultants with the occasional competition,
such as for future planning of Grafarholt, which is now
being built. Additional competions include ones for
Hollar, Hamrahlíðarlönd and Úlfarsárdalur, and an idea-
competition in the heart of the central city for a concert
hall, conference centre and hotel (TRH), which has
recently been completed. (These last two projects are
dealt with elsewhere in this magazine). A new competi-
tion for the western part of the old harbour and its envi-
ronment is now being prepared as a sequel to the TRH
competition. An idea-competition for the development
of Vatnsmýri is also intended. A planning competition
for the whole of the University Campus is now project-
ed in 2003.
An emphasis has been put on the review of existing
plans next to Laugavegur and to use the framework of
the development policy to support development and
redevelopment there on this main shopping street of
the capital.
The preservation value of buildings, townscape and
whole areas has been investigated, based on the
theme pamphlet of the development plan 1996-2016,
„The Preservation of Buildings in Reykjavík and the
Preservation Policy of the Development Policy.
The plans for a shopping street similar to Laugavegur
must be reviewed constantly because of consumer
shifts, but it is also important to retain the unique
streetscape - the space of Laugavegur. To quote the
pamphlet of the development policy on preservation
and development, “One of the main issues of local
planning in the central area has to be to work in a cre-
ative way with these contrasts in the townscape, play
them down or sharpen them as required in order that
preservation and development can go hand in hand. In
this way it is possible to retain the special aspects of
Reykjavík. This does not only apply to individual hous-
es, but also to rows of houses, streets and parts of dis-
tricts.
An emphasis has been put on finding areas where
sites can be joined or where new buildings can be
added to make space for modern service activities.
According to the existing local plans, some 50,000 m2
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