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kAl Borgmesteri Asii Chemnitz Narup: Nutaanik
sanaartortilluta pingaartuuvoq inuttaasut oqaluttuasartaa
naleqartitaallu paasissallugit.
the municipal administration, local and international architects
and, not least, the people who live in the apartment blocks that
are to be renovated. We have brought in the tenants of the old
apartment blocks. We have listened to their experiences and
how they feel about the place, they are leaving. It is important
to understand which human stories and values that are important
to take with us, when we build new homes, says Asii
Chemnitz Narup. It is her goal to build a Nuuk without ghettos.
– Towns for people. This is the common thread in urban development.
Nuuk must not just be town where people come to
work, continues Asii Chemnitz Narup, who had a long career in
national politics before she was elected mayor in 2008.
– In Nuuk, people get together, both indoors and outdoors. This
is why we have in mind an urban space for important events
and a place where we can enjoy getting together. We have, for
example, established Katerittarfik Amisut and we can create a
park-like environment at Holm-ip Aqqutaa near the cathedral in
Nuuk, says Asii Chemnitz Narup. In the same breath, she points
out the well-known amenity values in Nuuk, not least Godthåb
Fjord, which many Nuuk citizens use actively in their spare
time. It is not for nothing is Nuuk called the pantry of Greenland.
The waters are filled with fish and marine mammals.
And there is a large population of reindeer in the fjord systems
around Nuuk.
art and air travEl
Asii Chemnitz Narup and the town council have not ignored
the importance of art and its effects on modern society in their
planning.
The municipality has established a culture foundation and set
aside funds to spend on the incorporation of art in new building
projects. If the financing falls into place, there is the prospect
of building Greenland’s National Gallery – a national art
museum that, an independent foundation is presently trying to
raise funds for.
Dk Borgmester Asii Chemnitz Narup: – Det er vigtigt at have
forståelse for de menneskelige historier og værdier, når
vi bygger nyt.
GB Mayor Asii Chemnitz Narup: - It is important to have an
understanding of the histories and values of the people
when we build new buildings.
We need new thinking in society. The creative power of art
can either provoke us or make us think in new ways. There has
been a lot of focus on sports for many years. I would like just as
much focus on art and culture, both for our own sake and for
the sake of others.
The discussion regarding the transatlantic airport is a recurring
subject. Over the years, there have been several proposals for
such an airport, which would give Nuuk a more central position
with relation to the rest of the world. However, the final decision
has still not been made. The town council has therefore
taken the stand that in principle, it wants to extend the runway
to 1199 metres, during the wait for a transatlantic airport.
While Nuuk develops at lightning speed, it is a town that attracts
citizens from the whole of Greenland. The town is growing
rapidly and yet DKK 100 million of the taxpayers’ money is
set aside for the rest of Greenland. This is for an inter-municipal
compensation scheme that, although it does drain Nuuk’s coffers,
it does not meet with disapproval from Asii Chemnitz
Narup. However, there are other areas that she would like to
see encompassed by the principle of solidarity.
Our solidarity with the rest of Greenland is proven, with what
we hand over through the compensation scheme. However,
another way to show that we stand together is through sharing
the public tasks in Greenland in such a way that we all experience
growth and become self-sustaining. We must find a way
to do this. We must also find a way to share the work, when
extraction of oil and minerals begins, says Asii Chemnitz Narup
– mayor of a town originally founded by a handful of Danish
felons and harlots under the leadership of a missionary hunting
for Norse settlers. Today, the town has more than 16,000 inhabitants,
over 3,000 cars and 125 km of road – and it has become
an Arctic metropolis.
Suluk #03 Air Greenland Inflight Magazine 2012 43
Leiff Josefsen