What makes: Copenhagen?
Our round-up of the core ingredients that create Copenhagen’s sense of place
Over the course of a week in Copenhagen, we’ve traversed themes of mobility, luxury, community and development. It’s clear that this city is facing firmly forwards, preparing for a future in which its population will keep growing; in which climate change will become a real and pressing challenge; and in which residents and visitors will have ever more elaborate wants and needs.
In Copenhagen, there is a sense that these needs are truly being catered for. Whether through community-centric flood defences in Kokkedal, or through the personal touches of experiential luxury in the Nimb Hotel, placemakers in Copenhagen are listening to the drivers of their ‘place-consumers’ – responding with pragmatism and original thinking to the challenges they observe.
But what makes Copenhagen as a place? Where does its ‘sense of place’ come from? To answer these questions, we reflect on how the city serves its people. Here are our three key themes:
High standards
In almost every aspect of city life, Copenhagen sets the bar high. The streets are kept clean, the Metro runs on time, the coffee is fresh, the people are polite, the traffic is controlled. In short, Copenhagen offers a high standard of living, coinciding with high living costs and average wages.
These high standards in public space and local services create not only a pleasant place to be, but a strong sense of shared city pride and belonging.
Conscientious innovation
The relationship between the Danish government and the people of Copenhagen provides a perfect laboratory for exploring new solutions to arising challenges. There is an inherently innovative spirit among planners, architects and placemakers in the city – and where needed, this innovative spirit is mirrored back from within the Danish government.
As new districts are created to serve the growing population, architects are working together with the government to ensure these places are functional as well as beautiful. They may not always get it right, but the boldness of the ideas is clear to see. For residents, these innovative new places are a marker that they live in a city of the future; a city and a government set on doing the right thing.
Enriching mobility
Copenhagen is a city that cycles. There aren’t many places in the world in which the bicycle is so well catered for; this is a city connected by wide lanes, winding parkways, and a clear set of traffic etiquette that keeps cyclists safe.
It may seem simple, but this manor of travel transforms the city experience. It contributes to a latently healthy population, and it also allows people to travel quickly while immersing themselves in the sights, sounds and smells of the city. The daily ritual of the cycle commute is one that truly brings people closer to the elements, and to the spaces through which they travel.
