Quality of Life Hub and Eden Garden in Akureyri

Akureyrarlistinn wants to build a quality of life hub for senior citizens and an Eden Garden that utilises waste heat from data centres.

A quality of life hub is a residential core with integrated services for senior citizens in one place. Currently, around 40 apartments are planned at the Tjaldsvæðisreitur site for this age group and a similar number at Norðurtorg, but that is not enough to form a quality of life hub because such services require economies of scale.

Location and Development

Akureyrarlistinn’s idea for the location and development of such a hub is at Rangárvellir, where we currently sort waste — which cannot be considered a good use of this excellent area. A large quality of life hub with 200–300 apartments could be built there, along with a large enclosed and heated Eden Garden that utilises waste heat from nearby data centres. It would be absolutely wonderful to use this energy, which would otherwise go to waste, to create a place that improves the quality of life for all residents of Akureyri.

The Eden Garden

The garden would be open to everyone and owned by the municipality of Akureyri. It would serve as a gathering place all year round, make it easier for residents and townspeople to exercise during winter, provide wonderful indoor entertainment for children, and be a destination for visitors to the town.

On the ground floor, space could be allocated for services such as a café that would benefit from synergies with the residents’ dining hall, growing facilities, playground equipment for children, mini-golf, and a large assembly hall that is desperately needed for the Senior Citizens’ Association in Akureyri.

Vision for the Future

Such a quality of life hub could be built much sooner at this location than the planned hub west of Kjarnagata, and when the state is ready, a nursing home could also be added to the area.

Such economies of scale would enable the municipality of Akureyri to provide better home services in one place and allow people to live at home for longer.

According to figures from HMS, the fastest-growing age group in Akureyri is the oldest, and bold action is needed. These plans would free up numerous family-friendly properties near schools, which could save significant funds in nursery and primary school infrastructure development, as well as contributing to balance in the housing market and lower interest rates and inflation.