The Blue Ribbon of Akranes
A walk through history
Year
2022
School
Lund University (LTH)
Location
Akranes, Iceland
Share
There is only one large ocean that makes up our blue marble, even though we’ve given it many different names. It’s difficult to see where one ends and another begins and change in one place has an effect elsewhere. The ocean connects us all and we are depended on its grace to provide us with life. The beach opens our way to the world and closes us off. It is a conflict zone in times of climate change and it’s where life becomes so tangible through the power of the waves and the delicateness of each shell.
The sea provides us with a variety of foods, evens out the temperature on Earth and plays a key role in the water cycle. Life as we know it would not thrive without it and every other breath we take comes from the sea. Even so we often treat the ocean with litle respect, like don’t care for it nor need it.
Coastal towns such as Akranes have a duty to defend these borders and make them accessible and safe for both the ocean and us who walk the land. During the last few decades Akranes has gone through rapid transitions from being dominated by industrial fishing and cement factories that have shaped the coastline and now the town stands at a crossroad, once again, to reinvent itself.
This project proposes to enhance the existing attraction of the shoreline in Akranes. By connecting, activating and rebranding the shoreline the municipality would be a pioneering town in Iceland to address nature experiences, effects of climate change and connect water and land with nature-based solutions that would also serve as a platform for education by offering people a window to the magical world of these transformation areas.
Masters in Sustainable Urban Design degree project spring 2022 individual work
identity as a
coastal town
The municipality of Akranes should have a positive approach to urban development, activities and businesses connected to water.
rich flora and fauna
The urban development of Akranes should contribute to a healthy and vibrant coast with a rich flora and fauna.
accessibility
The accessibility to the coast should be improved in order to meet the need for recreation, leisure activities and small-scale business activities connected to water.
strenghten cultural heritage
The path should have strong cultural connections to historical development of the town and its origin to enhance its unique identity.
protecting high natural values
Marine environments with high natural values should be protected.
By implementing the coastal path, the town’s entire path system will be more integrated and the town’s inhabitants will have more travel options. The path is free of all motorized traffic, which reduces stimuli, increases connection with nature and creates greater safety. With constant visual connectivity, the smell of the sea and the sounds of birds, the path will promote psychological rejuvenation as people
travel from place to place, thus contributing to the happiness of townspeople and visitors, whether they are walking the path in its entirety or taking a shorter (or longer) route in between of everyday errands and events. The path ties together the loose ends of the existing path system, the history and identity of the town, like a ribbon that neatly wraps a gift.
This project has resulted in a comprehensive plan for the coastline that improves residents’ access to the sea, is educational in an interactive way and creates an attraction for visitors. It can be expected that with this change, visitors to the coastline and the number of tourists would increase in Akranes, thus increasing the town’s economy.
Akranes would be known for its excellent connection to the sea and residents would be more aware of how the sea affects us and more importantly; how we affect the sea. Akranes would be a pioneer for other municipalities in Iceland and an incentive for others to think carefully about the blue fabric of our planet
The red thread throughout the work process was to implement a realistic pathway that would reflect the towns history and tie together it’s existing pathsystem while creating conditions where weather can be weather and natural forces are on display, celebrating these elements that have shaped Icelanders for centuries.
The project is a love letter to the Nordic climate, Icelandic nature, the community in Akranes, but above all to the sea.