From village to city: the evolution of Reykjavík

Maps

Using open data to track 140 years of growth in Iceland’s capital city

Although it has a population of over 200 000 today, Greater Reykjavík had fewer than 8 000 residents in 1880. In the interactive map of the buildings below you can see how the city has grown every year since. See also a related map and how I made it).

188018901900191019201930194019501960197019801990200020101960687 new buildings

Move your mouse across (or tap your finger on) the years in the bar chart to see how the city’s buildings looked at that point in time.

Note: only buildings not since demolished are shown; buildings whose age is not known are excluded. Source: Landupplýsingakerfi Reykjavíkur, Þjóðskrá Íslands, and OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap data © 2013 OpenStreetMap contributors. Hand icon by Pham Thi Dieu Linh.