AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.06.2005, Blaðsíða 17

To achieve excellent designs
we need to understand well what
constitutes a sustainable urban
form. The sustainable city has
many nuclei with mixed land uses
that give priority to pedestrians,
bicyclists, and public transport,
where the district is the building
block. Connection networks within
the district and between the district
and the city is decisive in whether
the city works (see pictures 3 and
4) This is not a question of more
regulations. We have to trust the
knowledge and creative abilities of a
good designer rather than the letter
of the law, which has until now not
delivered good results.
To achieve excellent designs
we need to understand well what
constitutes a sustainable urban
form. The sustainable city has
many nuclei with mixed land uses
that give priority to pedestrians,
bicyclists, and public transport,
where the district is the building
block. Connection networks within
the district and between the district
and the city is decisive in whether
the city works (see pictures 3 and 4)
Houses alone do not make a
district. People on the other hand
can create a strong and vibrant
district community. In order to make
this possible a certain number of
people are necessary. Mixed land
use in the districts is also necessary
as it encourages formal and informal
intercourse between inhabitants,
which gives life to the district.
The dense form of the city
emphasises the value of proximity
and facilitates social contact. There
are different ways of planning
dense development. In picture
5, a-c different solutions for the
same density. Unfortunately most
lcelanders only appear to think
about tower blocks in open areas
when they talk about more dense
development.
In planning the district it is
necessary to give public areas
where people meet and talk priority.
With excellent planning it is possible
to create buildings to make space.
In this way it is possible to create
shelter and good outdoor conditions
for people. It is also important
to make travel on foot a realistic
alternative. This does not, however,
mean the end of the motorcar. With
proper transportation connections
between districts it is possible to
offer workable public transport (of
various means) that also opens up
paths for pedestrians. Incorporating
both pedestrian and cycle lanes as
an alternative means of commuting
around the city can reduce
automobile congestion. It should
be kept in mind that it is possible to
design streets in a way that makes
them enjoyable to walk about in.
When it is successful, the
sustainable city works as
a net of connected places
dedicated to human interaction.
People delight one another.
The historical dimension, or the
forth dimension as I like to call it, is
important to people in connecting to
and sensing the near-surroundings.
The new “renaissance” has to
be founded on knowledge and
respect for historic features of the
city; it’s buildings and districts.
Providing the buildings with a new
use can bring this about. Picture
7 shows a good example of the
economic recycling of buildings.
When looking at the situation
in Reykjavík today some serious
question arise. In Reykjavik’s
Master Plan for 2001 -2024 it is
estimated that apartments will
increase by 16,000 by 2024. If
these apartments are built at the
average density of Reykjavik’s
suburbs, that is 25 apartments
per hectare, then the added area
will cover 672 hectares. There is
a policy in Britain (Planning Policy
Guidance Note 3, Housing (PPG3))
that of new construction sites 65%
should be in redevelopment areas.
The search for previous construction
sites has moved on from old
industrial areas (e. brown-fields)
to areas where in many cases on
can find schools, hospitals, military
facilities and institutions, in other
words areas on the fringe belt.
This does not only concern
land, but also the accompanying
illnesses of city expansion, that
is, more traffic, more energy
consumption, excessive exploitation
of natural resources, increased air
pollution, fewer tranquil areas, loss
of biodiversity, and social isolation.
Therefore it is obvious that we
have to emphasise dense, varied,
and humane cities (see picture 8)
where an equilibrium exists between
the city, community and nature.
Reference: Urban Task Force 1999:
Towards an Urban Renaissance.
London. ■
8. mynd. Miðbær
Warwick er gott
dæmi um sam-
þjappað borgarform
og andstæða þess
sem kemur fram á
mynd 1 (UrbanTask
Force 1999). / The
central area of
Warwick is a good
example of a dense
city contrary to
what can be seen
in picture 8 (Urban
TaskForwce, 1999).