How Copenhagen is rethinking urban development
Water, light, green spaces and innovative thinking are key elements in Copenhagen's urban development. Across the city, new neighbourhoods, public spaces, and cycling infrastructure are changing how people live and move.
From waterfront districts and climate-adapted streets to bike bridges and urban parks, Copenhagen continues to rethink how to design a modern city around everyday life.
It’s no coincidence that Copenhageners bike everywhere and take the plunge in the clean harbour during summer – or that the Danes in general happen to be ranked among the world’s happiest people.
Over the past decades, Copenhagen has transformed former industrial areas, expanded its cycling infrastructure and created new public spaces throughout the city. The result is an urban landscape where architecture, mobility and everyday life are closely connected.
Nordhavn: Copenhagen's new waterfront district
A recent large-scale urban development project is Nordhavn, Copenhagen’s new neighbourhood in the northern part of the harbour. Nordhavn is one of the largest urban development projects in Northern Europe and has transformed a former industrial harbour area into a modern waterfront district.
Drawing on expertise from around the world, Nordhavn brings to-gether architecture, housing, infrastructure, public spaces and urban life.
Today, it is home to a growing community of residents, workplaces, cultural venues and recreational areas by the water.
Rich fauna and landscaped streets
Greener streets, flourishing courtyard gardens, rich biodiversity and landscaped streets that channel rainwater towards the harbour are some of the features of the renewed Sankt Kjelds neighbourhood in Østerbro.
The project also shows how urban planning in Copenhagen can combine practical infrastructure with recreational benefits for local residents.
One of the world's leading cycling cities
Life in Copenhagen is lived in the saddle, and that's not just because cycling is fun. It's the logical choice in a city built for bikes and repeatedly recognised as one of the world's leading cycling cities. Since the 1960s, urban mobility in Copenhagen has centred on cycling as a smart, safe, and healthy way to get from A to B.
Today, you'll find dedicated bike lanes throughout the city, and 49% of Copenhageners commute to work or study by bike.
Source: Copenhagen Municipality.
Rent a bike while you’re here and do like the locals. Simply because it makes sense and is the best way to explore the entire city.
UN17 Village and the development of Ørestad South
Beyond the green spaces and harbour, another example of Copenhagen's urban development is the Ørestad area. Located on the edge of the Amager Commons nature reserve, Ørestad has undergone more than 25 years of architectural and urban development, culminating with the UN17 Village housing project.
Developed by Lendager Group, UN17 Village comprises 400 homes and draws inspiration from all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project is designed to translate the ambitions of the SDGs into a residential development and is the first housing project to do so across all 17 goals.
The development marked the final stage in the transformation of Ørestad South, completing one of Copenhagen's newest urban districts.
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