Copenhagen

First Impressions of Copenhagen

Joshua Joseph — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:16:11 +0000

As a Canadian student studying urban planning, I’ve come to realize that our cities face significant challenges that will be difficult to overcome, including urban sprawl, worsening air quality, and a strong ‘car-culture mentality’. One of the largest contributors to these issues is the widespread use of the private automobile. Fortunately, Canada is beginning to realize, as demonstrated in their ambitious plan The Big Move, that our transportation systems need to change.

Copenhagen: Beach park is city’s recreational oasis

Astrid Svane — Mon, 31 May 2010 07:22:59 +0000

Copenhagen Municipal Council examined the possibility of establishing a decent beach park on the Øresund coast south of the city in as early as the 1970s. The original Amager Beach park, which had existed as a city beach since the 1930s was too narrow, and the water was too shallow. The new Amager Beach stretches from the Helgoland bathing facility in the North to Kastrup Fort and ”Tiøren” Park to the south. The park consists of a beach along Amager Strandvej, a lagoon, a new sandy island and the Tiøren and Femøren parks.

Copenhagen: Urban gardens liven up Ørestad

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:49:59 +0000

The association's ambition for 'Ørestad Urban Gardens' is: City dwellers should have the opportunity to grow their own organic vegetables and experience how food gets from the soil to the dinner table. At the same time the gardens must bring verdant life to Copenhagen's new district of Ørestad on Amager, which is still characterised by open spaces and buildings under construction.

Bike-ability: Cities for zero-emission travel and public health

Fredrik Gyllenhoff — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:50:17 +0000

Early this January, 13 million Danish kroner was handed over to the project 'Bike-ability: Cities for zero-emission travel and public health' at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. The Danish Council for Strategic Research was the happy donator and the research project is a collaboration with 4 different universities and the Danish cancer charity, Kræftens Bekæmpelse, and two other institutions.

A report from the Mayors Climate Summit

Fredrik Gyllenhoff — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:51:47 +0000

Mayors representing more than 80 cities around the world have been at the Mayors Climate Summit the last few days. Representing more than half the world’s population, these leaders have more than just a periphery responsibility.

Copenhagen: The world's best city for cyclists

Astrid Svane — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:36:22 +0000

Every day, 55% of all Copenhageners cycle to and from work, jointly pedalling more than 1.17 million kilometres a day. Bike lanes, cycle parking and special traffic lights for cyclists are part and parcel of the Copenhagen cityscape. The infrastructure has been meticulously planned to show consideration for more than 150,000 citizens for whom the bicycle is their chosen form of everyday transport.

Copenhagen: From gasometer to knowledge centre

Astrid Svane — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:16:50 +0000

On the edge of Valby Park in Copenhagen V stands one of the city's landmarks - a 108 metre-high cylindrical gasometer in traditional gas-blue. The structure once held 200,000 m³ of gas in one massive compartment. Natural light enters the gasometer at the top through biunique skylights, revealing the interior surface of the structure, which is rather like black mother-of-pearl. For 40 years, oil was pumped down the gasometer’s massive piston, leaving behind deposits which reflect the daylight.

Copenhagen: Garden up high

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:16:42 +0000

The vertical garden on the gable end of Dannebrogsgade no. 21 facing Otto Krabbes square is CityGardenNetwork's (ByHaveNetværkets) perception of up-to-date local use of rainwater. The project took seven years to complete and now stands as an effective and sustainable urban solution created in collaboration with the Municipality of Copenhagen.

Copenhagen - Pocket parks, a drop of urban green

Anna Esbjørn Hess — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:49:11 +0000

Copenhagen has a vision of becoming the capital city in the world with the best urban environment by 2015. The enhancement of urban green is one of the tools for reaching this vision. Within the next 7 years, the municipality will establish 14 pocket parks throughout the city and plant 3,000 trees to create green streets and connections. The goal is that 90 % of all Copenhageners by 2015 can walk to a park, a beach or a harbour bath in less than 15 minutes.

Copenhagen: Cities can run on wind energy

June-Catherina Starling — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:32:26 +0000

In 2000, the city of Copenhagen took part in a large offshore wind farm project two kilometres off the city's coastline. The project is based on a partnership between the municipality and local shareholders.
Wind energy is not the energy source that immediately springs to mind when thinking about renewable energy in cities. Few cities have enough space within their area to build large wind farms. It is more common to find small wind turbines on suitable locations or even on buildings.

Copenhagen: Waste-to-Energy-Plants

June-Catherina Starling — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:50:22 +0000

Like many other European countries, Denmark has radically changed its waste management strategies in the last 10 to 20 years. Landfills, which used to be the general solution, now only accept only 3% of Copenhagen's total rubbish. As an alternative, 39 % of all material the city collects is incinerated in "waste to energy" plants that generate power for thousands of households and make use of the valuable energy contained within the city's trash.

Copenhagen: From sewer to harbour bath

June-Catherina Starling — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:05:59 +0000

For many years, the discharge of wastewater from sewers and industrial companies had a major impact on the water quality in Copenhagen harbour. The water was heavily polluted with sewage, algae, industrial waste and oil spills from commercial harbour transport.