Copenhagen, Denmark -- Today, the City of Copenhagen, Denmark houses 500,000 residents, a number expected to grow to 580,000 by 2024. The road and housing infrastructure in the city is already under stress and cannot accommodate the increased pressure from a growing population: Traffic congestion is expected to increase by 30-40% if conditions remain as they are at present.

To accommodate the growth and remain a desirable place to live, Copenhagen is undertaking a massive urban development project on the peninsula of Nordhavnen, slated to break ground this year.

Nordhavnen is located on the Øresund coast, only four kilometers from the Copenhagen city center. Presently, Nordhavnen acts as the receiving harbor for cruise ships and carrier vessels. Most of the heavy industry historically occupying the area has left, leaving an opening for the city to change the character of the peninsula. However, the area will continue to house an active harbor and some industrial facilities.

Nordhavnen was chosen for the development, in part, because of its close proximity to the city center. The development is meant to counter the trend towards increased commuting, by creating new local housing and workplaces, allowing use of public transit and cycling to move people and goods. 

To plan the development of the area, the city hosted an international competition in 2008-2009. Among 180 entries, three projects were chosen to receive a grant and two months to further develop their vision of Nordhavnen. From the three competitors, the Danish drawing office of COBE in cooperation with SLETH and the engineering firm Rambøl emerged as the winners with their “Urban Delta” vision. The companies now act as consultants on the redevelopment, along with the company Polyform.

 

The Sustainable City of the Future

Image: FXFOWLE's design included verticle urban farming towers, visible in this rendering.

The overall vision of the plan is making Nordhavnen into a “five minute” city, meaning residential, commercial and public transit are all within five minutes of each other. To do this, the general plan splits Nordhavnen into small, independent “islets,” or neighborhoods, each with its own identity, housing, commercial space and close connection to public transit.

Development will be dense and low-lying, much like the City of Copenhagen, with recreational and greenspace interspersed with development.

Exceptional public transit and the highest priority for pedestrians and bicyclists are defining characteristics of the plan. In addition to increasing livability and easy commuting, Nordhavnen strives to be an urban development with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining a high quality of living.

Within Nordhavnen, the main traffic artery will be "the green loop" -- a series of traffic junctions starting and ending in Århusgade. Public transport will connect these junctions into a loop in combination with a super-bicycle path. The loop will cover the entire district so there will never be more than a 400-meter walk to public transport -- 400 meters equal the distance a pedestrian covers in five minutes. For commuters into the Copenhagen city center, Nordhavnen will connect to the rest of Copenhagen by transit and road, and also by the world-famous network of bicycle routes.

Fully developed, Nordhavnen will feature four million square meters of building space, accommodating 40,000 residents and workspace for 40,000 more. In the initial building phase, 2,000 residential buildings (200,000 square feet) and 200,000 square meters of commercial space will be built. 70,000 square meters of non-residential buildings will be preserved.

Development in the Århusgade quarter will commence in 2011, after the general plan is approved. Full development of Nordhavnen is expected to take 50 to 60 years.

The four overarching guidelines of the general plan are the following:

  • Nordhavnen will be a relatively low city – as the rest of Copenhagen. A building height of 5-6 floors in the majority of the district, but with strategically placed high-rises.
  •  Most of the Nordhavnen will be built on, but there will be green recreational and public spaces along the waterfront for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
  • Nordhavnen will have public transport of a high standard. A metro will provide optimal infrastructure and make sustainable transport visible in the public space.
  •  Nordhavnen will be a five-minute-city, with short distances to everything and an interweaving of the mixed city’s functions.

To follow the development of Nordhavnen visit the districts website at www.nordhavnen.dk.

To check out FXFOWLE's vision of Nordhavnen, visit their website at www.fxfowle.com.