Reykjavik to bring back city-centre parking for winter

Reykjavik’s new city majority has decided to restore parking spaces in the city centre over winter, a change columnist Árni Helgason describes as necessary in a piece published by mbl.is.

For years, the city pursued a policy of reducing parking in the centre. Although spaces remained, large concrete planters and a shelter wall were placed in them to prevent cars from parking there. Helgason writes that few people used the wall, while the planters mainly served as large ashtrays for cigarette butts and nicotine pouches.

He argues that people need to be able to drive to shops, restaurants and other services. Iceland’s summer evenings can be pleasant, he writes, but for much of the year cold, wind and icy conditions make access more difficult.

Helgason also points to a shift in the city centre’s businesses in recent years, with fewer traditional offices and shops and more businesses aimed at tourists. He says more parking could help attract a wider range of businesses.

He argues that city-centre planning should focus on what works rather than on the idea that cars are undesirable. In his view, centres should include pedestrian streets, cafés and bars, as well as space for small and medium-sized businesses to serve customers and operate effectively.