The Knowledge Network recently received a grant of ISK 4,500,000 from the Regional Research Fund to carry out the project Can the history of Flatey in Skjálfand and Skála in Langanes be useful for today's fragile settlements? – Past, present and future of fragile settlements .
The project is a mixed qualitative and quantitative case study where the development of settlements in Flatey in Skjálfand and Skálar in Langanes is analyzed based on historical sources, demographic data and the narratives of those associated with the settlements, as well as comparing them with the development of one fragile settlement.
The intention is to investigate whether lessons can be learned from the history of Flatey and Skála, both of which are settlements where settlement ceased in the last century. In the case of Flatey, the government tried to reverse the trend by means of port improvements, while in the case of Skála, port construction was financed by private parties. However, neither was successful in the long term, whatever may explain this, but that is partly the subject of the project, e.g. to investigate whether the start was made too late or whether other factors played a role.
The intention is to compare the development of the settlements and actions to save them with fragile settlements in the present day and the actions that have been taken in the effort to turn the development of the settlements in a more positive direction in that settlement, including with regard to population development, timing of actions and more, with the aim of investigating whether there is anything to be learned from the history of Flatey and Skála and what it is that can be useful to prevent other settlements from going down the same path, for example, those that have now participated in the Regional Development Agency's project Fragile Settlements.
Helena Eydís Ingólfsdóttir, project manager at the Knowledge Network, received the grant at the annual meeting of the Regional Development Agency, which took place in Kirkjubæjarklaustur on May 28th.
Kjartan Ólafsson, Chairman of the Board of the Regional Research Fund, presents the grant to Helena Eydís Ingólfsdóttir, representative of the Knowledge Network.
Kjartan Ólafsson, Chairman of the Board of the Regional Research Fund, Hanna Dóra Björnsdóttir, specialist at the Regional Research Fund, along with representatives of those who received grants from the funds this time.