Iceland review - 2015, Page 78

76 ICELAND REVIEW
modal split [the percentage of travelers
using a particular type of transportation],
and we learned a lot in that process,” she
explains. “Reykjavík scores high when it
comes to providing unfiltered water and
renewable energy sources, but we have
heavy amounts of traffic, which worked
against us. Reykjavík has a lot of roads
and other impermeable surfaces that block
natural water passages, and our reports also
showed us that emissions from transport
are far beyond acceptable.”
Once these areas for improvement were
identified, Kristín and her colleagues set
a goal of reducing car traffic by the year
2030. “We have drawn a strict urban growth
boundary for Reykjavík, which means that
most new construction is being built within
the city, allowing us to make better use of
existing infrastructure. ... We are also put-
ting more effort into better public transpor-
tation, safer bike lanes, and improved public
spaces with emphasis on pedestrian safety.”
Recycling is an issue of great concern
to Kristín as well. “The current adminis-
tration is working hard to eliminate resi-
dents’ obstacles to recycling, as everything
shows us that the people of Reykjavík are
willing to recycle more,” she reports. “We
are in the process of developing a 20-year
recycling plan, which among other things
includes replacing trash bins in public spac-
es with recycling bins.”
PLATFORM FOR PEACE

Despite leaving office in 2014, former
Reykjavík Mayor Jón Gnarr has been work-
ing tirelessly on executing his vision for
Reykjavík as an international city of peace.
He wishes to add to the city’s diplomatic
image as the home of Yoko Ono’s Imagine
Peace Tower and Höfði—the house where
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
negotiated the beginning of the end of the
Cold War—by establishing the Center for
Peace at the University of Iceland.
“My hope is that in ten to 15 years
Reykjavík will be considered a leading
player in global peace issues,” Jón explains
in a call from Houston, Texas, where he
currently works as a writer-in-residence at
Rice University. “For example, I would love
to see peace negotiations between Israel
and Palestine happen in Reykjavík, and I
would work hard to see that happen.”
Although the Center for Peace is still
at the conceptual stage, Jón has ambitious
plans for its future. “I want this project
to serve as a platform for peace studies
and educating young people about matters
of conflict resolution and peace-keeping
because these matters are going to be of
even greater importance in the future,” he
says.
Partly inspired by the University of Peace
in Costa Rica, the Center for Peace will
serve as a forum for illuminating human
rights issues and resolving conflicts across
URBAN LIFE
Marching down Bankastræti at the opening of the 2014 Reykjavík Jazz Festival.