Future living

Is the name of a public hearing and discussion event held Tuesday 5th May 2009 in Copenhagen. The outset was how to make it easier, cheaper and better to live in Copenhagen. The focal point for the discussion was a processing of the Copenhagen strategy for housing policies structured around three themes: Sustainability, social diversity and security.

As a prelude to the hearing, three study trips to residential areas in Copenhagen were executed. The aim of the trips was to put into perspective the focus areas which the housing policy addresses. Around 300 people attended the study trips and/or the hearing and much input was given to the ongoing discussion between the six panellists, who were consistent speakers throughout the three themes.

Housing policy is an issue with many approaches characterized by different positions in relation to ownership, social functions, individual or collective responsibility etc. Discussions ranged from the particular cooperation between the police and residential social workers that is important for the security of an area to broader discussions on the kind of world we want and how the credit crunch might make us stop and consider what our future visions are.

The discussion on social multiplicity and how to create mixed residential areas with room for everyone also took up a significant amount of time. Here some of the more tangible ideas in relation to creating sustainable communities in some of Copenhagen's social housing came forward. Professor John Andersen from Roskilde University presented proposals on how Copenhagen’s large number of students in need of affordable housing could become an active part of the process.

“Send the ‘young poor creative class' in to activate residential areas, let’s create cultural housing where young people move in together in a 'project practice together’. Lets make Copenhagen a participatory and ecological planning laboratory.”