Vision

Background

The masterplan evokes the unique potential of the Suðurnes region as a dynamic place at the crossroads of Europe and North America. Attracting advanced skills and knowledge, new opportunities will be created in the fields of business, transport, technology and sustainable development. Driven by Icelandic culture, open-mindedness and respect for nature, the region will be a global beacon of innovation, tackling international challenges in a creative way.

Keflavík International Airport functions as the gateway to Iceland. The largest airport in the country, Keflavík has a forecast of 6.1 million for 2022 and of 7.8 million for 2023, a considerable recovery after the pandemic. 
The airline network with its focus on North America and Europe positions Keflavík at the crossroads between Europe and North America. The airport plays a crucial role connecting Iceland, with a population of 372’295 inhabitants in 2021, the to the world. 
The airport area and the Suðurnes region can build on this potential to further develop into a place of exchange between people, knowledge and goods.

Keflavík International Airport is located at 50 km from Reykjavík. Up until now the airport has mainly functioned as an infrastructure. This masterplan outlines the enormous potential to utilize the airport area as a bigger economic driver than is today, for the region and potentially the country as a whole.
With cohesive decision making, the Keflavík airport area has a strong potential to strengthen its role as an economic driver for the region and the country as a whole and in synergy with the capital city.

Keflavík Airport area is the area surrounding the airport and includes the municipalities of Suðurnesjabær (3,753 inhabitants in 2022) and Reykjanesbær (20,416 inhabitants). The wider Suðurnes region includes the municipalities of Grindavíkurbær and Vogar
Due to its gateway position, hosting the Keflavík International Airport, the Suðurnes region has in recent years been characterised by population growth with a high influx of Icelanders and migrants. This growth has lead to an increased need of housing and infrastructure development.
The masterplan provides an opportunity to strengthen collaboration in support of a coherent spatial and economic development approach.

The Suðurnes region is characterised by a unique environment and landscape of wide expanses, renewable energy sources and fishing villages framed by the ocean. A peninsula that offers a variety of landscapes, including fissures, lava fields and geothermal activity, setting it apart from other places in Iceland. 
A hotbed of geothermal activity, it is part of a UNESCO Geopark: the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, which was designated in 2015 as one of 177 Geoparks in 46 countries around the world. This provides ample opportunities to expand the tourist sector.
Great opportunities lie in this region, both as a place for innovation and as a remote destination en-route of international air traffic.

We want to make the KAA the economic engine of the Suðurnes region, driving opportunity in all sectors (innovation, tourism, harbour…) and for everyone (local and international workers, entrepreneurs, tourists…).

The breathtaking landscapes of our land testify to the commitment of Icelanders to live and thrive in harmony with nature. We want this spirit to be embedded into every aspect of our project as a signature statement.

The plan is born from the stakeholders’ will to gather people and forces around a shared vision for Suðurnes, making the renewal of the area a collective and collaborative project anyone can engage in.

Having undergone many disruptions over the past years, Suðurnes is probably the region of Iceland most prone to resilience. Its residents best embody a positive attitude that makes all things possible.

The area will be a life-size laboratory for a practical, sensible and accessible sustainability. We want to set precedents from which other institutions can learn, in fields as diverse as air cargo, fishing industry or energy production.

We believe the success of KAA will depend on an efficient mobility grid on two scales: improving the connection between Suðurnes and Reykjavik, and develop a smart local network to promote the dynamism of the peninsula.

Iceland and more precisely the KEF Airport area is located right between Europe and North America. Our ambition is to transform this mere geographical fact into a strong mental image of a must experience at the crossroads of continents, skills, cultures and lifestyles.

Vision

Vision

Strategic point at the crossroads of Europe and North America

Future regional urban node

Unifying driver for the Suðurnes region

Gateway to the Suðurnes region’s wonders

Stakeholders perspectives