Akureyri traffic lights are something of an online sensation: a glowing, red heart instead of the usual stop-light circle. No surprise, the symbolic campaign began as an act of kindness, to remind the people of Akureyri to spread love, but they became even more important just a few months later when Iceland was reeling from a cataclysmic financial crisis in 2008.
Radio host Margrét Blöndal initiated the project with support from city workers and the annual family festival ‘Ein með öllu’, held in the second week of August. The people of Akureyri gave a wholehearted green light — pardon the pun.
As the economy bounced back from the banking crisis, thanks in part to tourism, locals began planning a theme to capture the spirit of Iceland’s smallest city. The idea: More hearts. Bigger hearts. In fact, one grand heart at the crossroads downtown. From a low angle, the heart circles around the iconic Akureyri Church.
Over winter, the hearts beam against gray sky and white ground. Notice, too, how tall some of the traffic lights stand to remain visible in bad storms and deep snow. Stop and wonder: It’s a poetic pole.