AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.04.2002, Side 74

rekstrarskilyrði fyrir alþjóðleg fyrirtæki á sviði hátækni
og þekkingar, jafnhliða því sem grundvöllur hefðbund-
inna atvinnuvega er styrktur. í aðalskipulaginu eru
skilgreind ný rúmgóð atvinnusvæði í Vatnsmýri sem
uppfylla öll skilyrði sem almennt eru gerð til hátækni /
líftækni / og vísindagarða og staðsetningar þeirra; ná-
lægð við háskólastofnanir, háskólasjúkrahús, fjölbreytt
mannlíf í miðborg, gróin íbúðarhverfi, útivistarsvæði
og góð tengsl við stofnbrautir. í Vatnsmýrinni er
mögulegt að skapa eftirsóknarverð skilyrði fyrir þessar
ört vaxandi atvinnugreinar og getur slíkt skipt sköpum
fyrir efnahagsþróun í landinu. ■
REYKJAVÍK: INTERNATIONAL CITY
Emphasis in the Development Plan of Reykjavík
2001-2024.
During the last few decades, international communi-
cation has increased, with improvements in traffic and
telecommunication, as well as an increased freedom in
world trade. The position of the nation-state has weak-
ened, and cooperation and competition has now risen
between metropolitan areas to an international level.
Cities now compete against each other to attract pow-
erful companies, not least in the field of advanced tech-
nology, as well as educated employees, tourists, stage
exhibitions, sport and art events, conferences and
other international happenings.
With this in mind, city authorities have increasingly
formulated policies to strengthen the position of their
cities on an international level. Because of this devel-
opment, one of the main points emphasised in the
Master Plan of Reykjavík 2001-2024 is to strengthen
Reykjavík as an international city.
The International City and the unique-
ness of Reykjavík
The 20th Century was a century of the dilution of
regional culture, especially in the Western world.
Modern cities are progressively becoming more inter-
national, which is well manifested in the built environ-
ment of housing, pedestrian streets and transportation
structures. In many respects, the landscape of cities is
not as diverse as it used to be, especially in new dis-
tricts. There are often few indications of the cultural tra-
ditions out of which the city has grown.
In step with the internationalisation of the built envi-
ronment, the urban community becomes increasingly
more multi-cultural and diverse. The internationalisa-
tion of the built environment is, however, not a premise
for the city to be considered international and to have a
cosmopolitan attraction. On the contrary, the monoto-
nous townscape of the global market community can
reduce the attraction of the city. One of the main
requirements for a city to be competitive internationally
is its uniqueness, what makes it different from other
cities.
Although many aspects of the environment of
Reykjavík are markedly international, there is no doubt
that Reykjavík is quite unique as a city, with its stunning
natural surroundings, open areas and the diverse archi-
tecture which characterises the central area. If
Reykjavík is to be strengthened as an international city,
it is extremely important to maintain and strengthen its
regional identity and at the same time increase the
quality of the built environment.
What type of an rinternational crity?
In what way should Reykjavík be international?
Reykjavík’s Master Plan emphasises that as the
nation’s capital, the city should become a deserving
sentry of the country in global society. Reykjavík should
be able to compete with other cities for multinational
companies, desirable employees, research and univer-
sity institutions, tourists and international events in
sport, culture, politics exhibitions, conferences and
meetings.
Reykjavík should also provide desireable living con-
ditions for a multi-cultural and a diverse society. The
city should have an international appearance, but with
a clear reference to nature, history and the county’s
special features.
There are several key issues in the planning and
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