Tórshavn allows denser and taller construction

Tórshavn municipality has reached a turning point in land use policy and will now permit denser and taller construction in the capital, city architect Birita Wardum said in the second part of the radio series Oyggjar undir trýsti, reported Faroese broadcaster KVF.

Under the municipality’s 2020 plan, 3,000 new homes are to be built by 2032. Halfway through the plan, the municipality faces a persistent dilemma over land use.

Wardum confirmed that land in Tórshavn is limited and urban densification is necessary. Asked whether densification risks valuable green spaces in the city, she called it a choice between “pest and cholera”: either build more densely within the city or take more open land.

Building denser and taller will reduce the amount of land needed for development, she said.

The municipality has set itself the goal of mapping all natural areas and creating a detailed land use plan to better protect valuable nature, as noted by mayor Elsa Berg and Marius Müller, head of the environment department, in the broadcast.