2017 Planning Strategy

A planning strategy is a political document designed to visualise the municipal council's strategy for future planning in the municipality. As such, the planning strategy forms the basis for the further development of the 2014-2016 Town Plan for Qaasuitsup, and it forms the basis for an overall strategy for sector plans and policies.

The 2017 Planning Strategy focuses on the same ten strategy focus areas as the basis for specific priorities and decision:

• Industrial development
• Education
• Settlement and great housing
• Culture and identity
• Safety and the good life
• Health and prevention
• Infrastructure
• Climate, environment and nature
• Cultural heritage
• IT, democracy and dialogue.

The focus areas are described below.

The draft 2017 Planning Strategy keeps to these focus areas, but adjusts them in order to: 

• increase focus on development of tourism throughout the municipality.
• increase focus on development infrastructure with a view to expanding the airport in Ilulissat and boosting infrastructure throughout the municipality.
• increase focus on expanding and developing Ilulissat by zoning new urban areas.
• increase focus on business and industry by zoning new industrial areas and strengthening the fishing industry.

In the planning strategy, the municipal council primarily treats the physical settings and identity of the municipality. The strategy aims to secure cohesion between the vision and the physical development. The strategy must be operational and allow for further development of the town plan.

Decision to prepare sub-revision of town plan

Based on an assessment of the developments in the municipality and the existing strategy, the municipal council has decided to carry out the revision of the town plan as a sub-revision.

The municipal council finds that the overall spatial planning challenges have not changed considerably since the adoption of the first united town plan in April 2014 and, thus, the strategies and development goals listed in the plan are to be maintained. However, changes will be made to several of the descriptions of towns and settlements, the delimitation of subareas as well as the provisions stated in the town plan.

The foundation of values and strategies created in connection with the thorough debate preceding Strategy 2020 must be carried on. Now, it must be translated into specific initiatives.

Based on the strategy and the coalition agreement, several focus areas emerge and these will be included in the future planning work and the continuous updating of the town plan. The focus areas point to what specific planning projects should be launched in the future.

Infrastructure and airports

The work on the Sector Plan for Roads and Traffic and the Bylaw for motorised traffic in the open country makes up the specific basis for updating the town plan. It may also cause a need for preparing detailed plans for expanding infrastructure.

The decision in principle made at the Parliament of Greenland's autumn session in 2015 to construct an international airport in Ilulissat has made it relevant to plan the airport and derived projects as well as carry out preliminary studies and planning of regional runways in Kangaatsiaq, Qasigiannguit and Qeqertarsuaq.

Planning has already started for a holistic development of Nordre Næs and the other areas between Ilulissat and the airport, the airport expansion as well as the areas north of it by Bredebugt. This masterplan is to be elaborated by preparing detailed planning of the expansion of subareas and necessary infrastructure.

The municipality expects that expanding the infrastructure and in particular airports is a clear prerequisite for broadening the existing industrial possibilities and boosting the competitive strength of Qaasuitsup Municipality, both locally and internationally.

To support the focus area IT, democracy and dialogue, the town plan's general provisions on technical supply plants and other infrastructure are to be updated to also include radio relay systems and expansion of submarine cables. Consequently, the provisions in the revised town plan will state:

"The areas comprise large infrastructure facilities such as airports, heliports, permanent port facilities, large road systems, tunnels, aerial cable ways, radio relay systems, submarine cable and ancillary technical buildings, tanks and the like."

Two principal industries

Ilulissat is the leading tourist town in Greenland and tourism is a massive contributor to the economy. But fishing remains our principal industry and our bread and butter. In the future, we must protect it even more.

The company structure is characterised by many small companies with few employees complemented by a handful of large companies – that goes for both the fishing and the tourism industries.

We need to create long-term, stable and attractive framework conditions for companies. During the past planning period, vast efforts were made to secure favourable framework conditions, e.g. by planning for fish processing plants and tourism project such as the Ilulissat Isfjord Centre and the preservation and tourism project in Ilimanaq.

The coming period will continue to prioritise the establishment of good framework conditions, for the two principal industries in particular, but also for other industries. In this context, one of the main tasks will be to secure sufficient development possibilities for tourism in relation to the airport expansion.

Urban spaces and room for children

Given the demographic trends and migration patterns of the population, there is still a need for planning for the expansion of residential areas – especially in the larger towns.

The coming period is to focus on creating a larger, more varied range of homes – both in terms of size, ownership and location – in order to secure quality and diversity.

The coming planning period is to focus on urban spaces, leisure areas, recreational areas and all of the areas between homes, in particular to secure room for persons to thrive and be active, and to secure high-quality layout of urban spaces and links between leisure areas in our towns and settlements.

The work on the Sector Plan for Recreational Areas and Activities makes up the specific basis for updating the town plan in terms of securing quality and diversity in the layout of our communities.