Þórdís Lóa Þórhallsdóttir, leader of the Liberal Reform Party on Reykjavík City Council, says she cannot see how the planned number of parking spaces will fit into the new Úlfarsárdalur neighborhood, where 4,000 new apartments are set to be built.
“Based on the assumptions we’ve seen, this will be an extremely high density area,” Þórhallsdóttir told mbl.is.
Earlier this week, Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir told mbl.is that she expected the maximum number of parking spaces allowed to accompany the new apartments in Úlfarsárdalur, noting that the area is far from downtown and that the Borgarlína rapid transit system will not be ready for some time.
According to the city’s parking policy, the maximum number of spaces is one per one- or two-bedroom apartment and 1.5 spaces per larger apartment.
Conflicts with the City’s Housing Policy
Þórhallsdóttir says the uniform housing design planned for the new district contradicts Reykjavík’s official housing policy. The neighborhood is intended primarily for younger, lower-income residents, which she argues goes against the city’s goal of mixed communities.
“If you build such a homogeneous area — mostly for young people — then you have a much greater need for infrastructure like schools and preschools. Experience shows that when we develop neighborhoods, it’s far more successful to create mixed communities — with different ages and income levels. That’s how you get a more balanced neighborhood,” she said.
Mayor accused of rushing: “This feels like an election move”
At a city council meeting yesterday, Þórhallsdóttir strongly criticized the coalition parties for rushing the process and called for a postponement until the council had received a full briefing and a chance to discuss possible options.
She said that a major construction initiative had been “snuck into” the council agenda under the guise of a working group report, when in fact it represented a strategic decision about methods and priorities in costly housing development in Úlfarsárdalur.
“We’ve read the documents, but we’d like a detailed briefing and a chance to talk to the experts about the alternatives. We haven’t had any such opportunity. I find it deeply disrespectful toward the city council to handle things this way.”
Þórhallsdóttir said the mayor was moving too quickly, likely motivated by political timing.
“I think the mayor needs to pull up her socks a bit when she’s rushing things to the point where the city’s top governing body — the council itself — isn’t even consulted. This feels very much like an election move, and I think people shouldn’t lose sight of proper process just because an election is coming up.”
Source: Icelandmonitor.mbl.is
