AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.12.2004, Side 23

The Implementation of
Planning in Reykjavík
Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir, Chairman of the Planning and Building Committee
Photos: Gatnamálastofa.
During a relatively short period
Reykjavík has changed from a town
to a city with the accompanying
consequences, both positive and
negative. Around the middle of the
last century the city experienced
rapid inward growth. New districts
were built like Hlíðar, Melar, Tún,
Vogar, Lækir and Sund. Much
expansion took place in all areas
and in the 70s and 80s the sub-
urbs of the city were built, Árbær,
Breiðholt and later Grafarvogur and
Grafarholt. Built areas within the city
limits have expanded enormously
during a few decades. The inclina-
tion has been to always take new
land for development in new dis-
tricts as it is almost always the sim-
plest and quickest way to develop
new housing districts. This inclina-
tion can also be put in a social con-
text. A young urban society that had
become relatively affluent after the
Second World War was now ready
to expand, invest in new and larger
houses with more space than previ-
ously - and the advent of the private
car “reduced" the distance between
home and work. in this way we see
that the oldest districts of the city
are in Kvos, Vesturbær and Þingholt,
the districts that came about before
car ownership became common,
and where some of the largest den-
sities are to be found. The density
is also considerable in the districts
that were built around the middle
of the 20th century and it is first in
the new suburbs that were built in
the 60s and 70s that development
becomes less dense. The reason for
this is that it is cheaper for develop-
ers to build in the suburbs, as will
be covered later. If densities of sev-
eral districts are compared (number
of dwellings / hectare) it becomes
clear that in Vesturbær there are on
average 34,9 dwellings per hectare,
in the Hlíðar district 28,9/ha in the
Staðar district 10/ha and in the
Foldir district on average 12,5/ha.
In the next development district of
Reykjavík, Úlfarsárdalur, the density
is considerably higher than has
been the case in the suburbs or 32
dwellings/ha.
In the approved Development Plan
for Reykjavík increased densities
are a key issue because people are
becoming more and more aware
of various negative effects of low
densities. This does however not
Ibúðarsvæði á Grafarholti. / The Grafarholt housing area.