Mapless has gone overseas. The first stop was Iceland. A beautiful country whose landscape ranges from almost extraterrestrial scenes to lush green rivers, which often cascade down stunning waterfalls. Reykjavík, the capital city, hosts a population of 121,230 on the south-western side of Iceland. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas make up two-thirds of the total Icelandic population. The sun doesn’t come out much.

Our trip through Reykjavík started at Reykjavík Backpackers hostel. It was conducted on Thursday, June 18th at 4:42 PM. To view the map follow this link:

HERE IS WHERE REYKJAVIK TOOK ME

Takeaways:

The first part of the trip was dominated by the conscious efforts to shape Laugavegur as a pedestrian friendly street. Highlights 1 and 5 (found below) show some of these efforts. The street had a wide range of interesting business and street art. The rush of people also drew me into continuing to follow the street. Which came first the people or the efforts to support the people? Here is a short video showing the slow speed of cars and the comfort of the pedestrians.

The second major factor was the water. This was first spotted at Highlight 7. Cities must take advantage of any water they possess. It offers a retreat and can often be used as a backdrop to enliven any event/space, see Highlight 10 and 14.

The third was the architecture of the concert hall, Harpa (Highlight 15). It was unique and attractive.

The negative aspects were grouped together as Highlights 6, 7, and 8. The first one was found a short distance before the Laugavegur and Barónsstígur intersection and the other two are shortly after.

The parking in Highlight 6 could be relocated to a road with less pedestrian activity.

The negatives of Highlight 7 are not necessarily reflections of poor planning. Pedestrian centered, lively streets cannot make up an entire city. Yet if the city wishes to increase the size of this business district, this intersection could be highlighted as a place to do it.

Highlight 8 is where the highway is located. The separation of city and water by means of a highway wastes one of the most valuable assets a city can have. The sad thing is, once built the damage is difficult to reverse.

Highlights: (I recommend opening the map and as you follow the trip you can refer back to these highlights)

Start:

1) Video showing the street blocked off

2)

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The alley leads to this:

4)

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End: