Tunnelling the Peninsula of Trolls: A Case Study of Road Infrastructure Improvement and Demographic Dynamics in Northern Iceland

Abstract

Geographical isolation is closely associated with rural population decline and policies for regional and rural development frequently emphasize better transportation infrastructure improvements. Although poor access to jobs and services may lead to negative rates of net migration and skewed age and gender distribution in rural and remote areas, research on the association of road infrastructure improvement with rural demographic dynamics remains sparse. The current study adds to the understanding of these issues by examining the effects of a large-scale road tunnel project in Northern Iceland. The results suggest that improved road infrastructure coincides with a break in long-term population decline through parity in net migration and positive changes in the composition of the population of sparsely populated areas.

At the intersection of urbanisation and counterurbanisation in rural space: Microurbanisation in Northern Iceland

“…We have also largely ignored the global and country-specific structures and structural changes that may channel migration flows. In the Icelandic context, rural migration flows have for instance been affected by neoliberal fisheries management, industry mergers, regional agglomeration and technological innvotion in the fishing industry (Chambers et al, 2017;Gunnlaugsson and Saevaldsson, 2016;Kokorsch and Benediktsson, 2018), the uneven geographies of welfare and austerity in the wake of the 2008 economic meltdown (Huijbens and Thorsteinsson, 2017;Gústafsdóttir et al, 2017), the explosive growth in tourism and the transformation from rural extraction to rural attraction (Cunningham et al, 2012;Lund and Johannesson, 2014), improvements in road infrastructure (Bjarnason, 2014(Bjarnason, , 2021Keeling, 2020) and the growth of regional universities and distance education (Bjarnason and Edvardsson 2017;Bjarnason and Thorarinsdottir, 2018;Edvardsson, 2014). Future research should explore the association of both individual motivations and social structural processes with microurbanisation.…”

The Role of Air Transport Infrastructure Towards Breaking Seasonality in Emerging Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study of Akureyri, North Iceland

“…Despite the recognition of air infrastructure's importance, María Helena underscores that several factors impede efforts to bolster air transport and expand airport capacities: "Remote locations like Akureyri struggle with fuel costs and complex landing procedures due to its deep valley location, necessitating specialised pilot training and higher operational costs." The interviewee's insights highlight the multifaceted challenges of improving air infrastructures, acknowledging the complexities beyond mere expansion desires, such as geographical constraints and financial burdens, which affect the region's competitiveness and operational viability in attracting more tourists on a year-round basis (Baum & Lundtorp, 2001;Bjarnason, 2021). Hjaltí from Visit North Iceland stresses the challenge of explaining 'the job to the state,' which nevertheless appears…”

“…In the current globalised world, the attention directed towards the development of region-based tourism has gained significant momentum (Qu et al, 2023). This heightened focus is particularly pronounced in remote tourism destinations seeking greater visibility and prominence within the industry (Bjarnason, 2014(Bjarnason, , 2021. Certain insular and archipelagic locations are disrupting the market thanks to an increased public interest "in the environment and in tranquil, less developed areas such as coastal settings which are still pristine for tourism purposes" (Agius et al, 2021, p. 149).…”

Big in the neighbourhood: Identifying local and regional centres through their network position

“…In reasonably regular spatial systems, settling in the largest settlement often minimizes aggregate travel times for the entire market (OECD & JRC, 2021). In the case of public services, local democratic processes are relevant, which benefits the largest settlement as it likely has the most voting power (Bjarnason, 2021). In case of spatial competition, Hotelling's (1929) central location considerations may apply as well.…”