Reykjavík City Municipal Plan
The Reykjavík 2040 Municipal Plan is the updated and improved version of AR2030, adopted in 2014. The Municipal Plan was approved by the Reykjavík City Council on October 19, 2021, which also coincides with its approval on December 21, 2021. The Municipal Plan was signed on January 13, 2022 and entered into force with its publication in the Official Journal on January 18, 2022.
Pending Changes
Review all ongoing cases here.
- CityLine
- Sundabraut
- Keldur and surrounding areas
- Local service core within residential area (ÍB7) in Skerjafjörður
- Individual buildings in open areas (OP15, OP28)
- Álfsnes, Esjumelar
- Kjalarnes and rural areas
- Residential development in established neighborhoods
- Urban outline plan 1:20,000
- Land use permissions at Hringbraut
Confirmed changes
The following changes have been confirmed:
Strategic Objectives and Planning Provisions
The binding strategic objectives and planning provisions of Reykjavík’s 2040 Municipal Plan are set out in a memorandum (Green Segment) and on urban and municipal outline plans. The memorandum and the outline plans form Part A of the Municipal Plan. The planning documentation in Part A is the primary tool of the planning authority for day-to-day decision-making and the part of the Municipal Plan that is subject to legal changes under the Planning and Building Act.
Environmental assessments, assumptions, and explanatory data are included in Part B of the Municipal Plan and should be considered, when called for, in the event of disagreements regarding the interpretation of individual provisions and objectives and in the event of individual future changes to the Plan or when deciding to reconsider selected aspects of the Plan. For other supporting documents, see the specification of the Municipal Plan. Documents will also be available in the Urban Planning Viewer and Planning Portal.
What is a municipal plan?
The Municipal Plan outlines the city's long-term development strategy. It determines the location of residential areas and business districts, new streets and paths, areas reserved for recreation, and areas to be protected. The municipal plan creates conditions for continued city growth and shows how authorities plan to accommodate expected population and job growth.
It aims to answer questions such as: What kind of neighborhoods do we want to create? Which modes of transportation do we want to strengthen? Which areas do we want to protect? How do we ensure environmental quality and increase the city's appeal for new residents and businesses? How can we make Reykjavík an even better city, considering the built environment, community, and nature?
Guiding Assumptions and Explanatory Documentation (Part B)
The main assumptions, environmental assessments, ideology, and guiding priorities are considered when making further changes to the Municipal Plan, interpreting the binding policy, and, as the case may be, in shaping planning and decision-making at the lower levels of planning:
- Environmental Report: Reykjavík 2040 Municipal Plan, Revised Policy on Residential and Mixed Construction and Extension of the Planning Period until 2040 (IS) (September 2021, VSO Consulting)
- See also for consideration the earlier VSO Consulting Environmental Report (IS) (July 2013).
- Reykjavík 2040. Informational booklet on the update of Reykjavík's Municipal Plan 2010-2030 (blue booklet)
The older sections of AR2010-2030 are for guidance and they have been given a new title, with explanations of what has been repealed. All binding objectives and provisions set out in the relevant sections, which retain their validity, are also set out in the Green Segment of Part A. In the event of any discrepancy between what is established in Part A of the Municipal Plan and what is established in the below sections, Part A will prevail.