Attractive rural living : a future vision for Hjalteyri village in North Iceland

Sammanfattning: In an era of rapid urbanisation, rural settlements are becoming more fragile to population decline and other coinciding factors. The restrictions following the Covid-19 Pandemic have demonstrated that now there are more possibilities for remote work than before. Therefore, these conditions might have strengthened the potentials of choosing a place of residence regardless of the workplace location. The main objective of the thesis is to create a holistic design proposal for Hjalteyri village in North Iceland that illustrates a future vision of how the village can grow into an attractive and lively town. The project examines what qualities are important for the attractiveness of rural settlements and the possibilities of rural living in Iceland. The total population in Iceland is about 368 thousand residents, where almost 64% of the population lives in the capital region, and 5,9% live in rural areas and small towns with less than 200 inhabitants (Hagstofa Íslands 2020). The project examines the future possibilities of Hjalteyri village, where today live fewer than 50 inhabitants. Hjalteyri is located within 22 kilometres from Akureyri, the country’s fifth-largest town, making the village an ideal place to live for people working remotely or commuting. The project follows qualitative methodology and is divided into a background chapter with literature review, site analysis and interviews. The literature review introduces theories about what qualities are important to influence the attractiveness of rural settlements. The site analysis of Hjalteyri examines the current conditions to identify future possibilities for the village. The interviews give informative insight from professionals and residents that highlight the identity and future opportunities. The main findings from the background chapter are summarized as design guidelines for the development of the design proposal. Finally, the project results in a holistic design proposal for the village, showing how Hjalteyri can expand and become an attractive place to live, and addressing how small towns in Iceland can be resilient towards depopulation and changes in the future.