A world of solutions | Well-designed neighborhoods

(Copenhagen) “Have you seen the new district?” I was asked this question several times during my stay in Copenhagen. Each time, I was told about a different district! The Danish economy, boosted by the pharmaceutical industry – we are in the land of Ozempic! – and the knowledge industry, is in a good position if we are to judge by the number of cranes in the sky. The new districts are coming out of the ground, and there are still many projects on the drawing board. Our columnist presents some of our favorites.

Refshaleøen

I asked urban planning and architecture professor Deane Simpson what his favorite neighborhood was. “Refshaleøen,” he answered without hesitation. Why? Because everything is still possible there, he says. About 20 minutes from central Copenhagen by water bus, it feels like the end of the world. It’s a former industrial area with a bit of everything: a small lake, lots of vegetation, gravel paths, a thermal power plant converted into a ski slope, a contemporary art center in a former warehouse, and a few gourmet restaurants. I wanted to go back to school when I discovered Urban Rigger, a set of affordable student studios in old stacked shipping containers on the waterfront, designed by the architectural firm BIG. At the northern end of Refshaleøen, there is a huge open-air street food market serving Italian, Afghan, Tibetan and even Canadian poutine (sic) that can be enjoyed on the riverbank. This area will be developed in the coming years (they want to make it a multifunctional area with housing, start-ups and cultural infrastructure), but for now, the fact that it is still difficult to access by public transport makes it an oasis in the heart of the city.

Carlsberg City District

After Nordhavn, which I told you about in another article, Carlsberg Byen is THE neighborhood that I have heard about most often. Located right in the center, it was developed on the site of the former Jacobsen family brewery that made Denmark famous. At the end of 2008, following a merger, the brewery moved its facilities and gave part of its land to the City of Copenhagen so that it could be transformed into a neighborhood. In 2009, the Entasis firm won an international award for its vision of the development of this former industrial site that could inspire future designers of the Bridge-Bonaventure neighborhood. It is true that the integration is particularly successful. Visually, the neighborhood, still under construction, has a family resemblance to the Distillery District in Toronto, but much more lively. It is a residential neighborhood, with daycares, schools, shops and a magnificent park in its heart. It is also one of the few neighbourhoods in Copenhagen where there are residential towers. In fact, Copenhagen has very few tall buildings. “We are paranoid about fires,” explains Lærke Helmer, a guide at the Danish Centre for Architecture. “For years, it was said that a building should not be taller than a fire ladder…” The planning of the Carlsberg City District was meticulous, and several activities were scheduled before construction to create links with the neighbouring neighbourhoods, Vesterbro and Frederiksberg. A successful bet. “It’s a destination neighbourhood,” confirms Julie Tremblay, a Quebecer who has lived in Copenhagen for several years. “Unlike Nordhavn, which is more of a neighbourhood where people work or live, people come to Carlsberg City to eat at the restaurant.”

Ørestad

Julie Tremblay had arranged to meet me in front of her house and I admit that I was blown away. Since 2021, the Quebecer has lived in Mountain Dwellings, a building designed by BIG that has managed the masterstroke of hiding a parking lot under homes where each occupant has a small, intimate garden. It’s magnificent. The Ørestad neighbourhood is highly criticized in Copenhagen. “This is a neighbourhood planned in the 1990s, we would never do things like that again,” observes Helle Søholt, the big boss of the Ghel firm. On paper, the idea was good. And bold. Build a subway line in the middle of a field and densify around it (an inspiration for future structuring transport in the east of Montreal). The problem is that they concentrated all the businesses in a huge shopping centre, North American style. “The streets were deserted, people felt isolated,” Julie Tremblay explains to me as she shows me around her neighborhood by bike. Since then, things have changed. “Neighborhood life is more interesting,” she assures me. “Within a 250-meter radius, I find supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, a bar…” Not to mention the magnificent Copenhagen Symphony Hall, designed by Jean Nouvel. “I don’t need to go to the center of Copenhagen if I want to have fun.” Ørestad is really very different from other neighborhoods in Copenhagen; it feels more like a suburb. What I liked: the architectural experimentation, the huge park surrounded by apartment buildings that literally overlook the park, and where everyone meets at the end of the workday. Another advantage of the neighborhood: its proximity to nature. Sipping a lemonade in front of a body of water on which swans glide while a little further away, in a field, you can see cows grazing, all this 20 minutes by metro from the city center, it’s unique.

The Opera Park

I can’t not tell you about the Copenhagen Opera Garden. It’s a unique place in the city. Built in 2005, the Opera was designed by architect Henning Larsen and financed by businessman Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller. The latter didn’t want another building to overshadow “his” opera. The firm COBE was therefore commissioned to transform the neighboring space into a park. And the result is absolutely magnificent. The park is divided into several zones with their own distinct vegetation. At its heart, there is a café in a glass pavilion topped with a large green roof that blends in with the park. All this on the water’s edge and above the opera’s parking lot, which you can’t see, except for its beautiful wooden entrance (yes, a parking entrance can be beautiful!). In the middle of the city, this place of great beauty provides an absolutely soothing feeling of calm. Sitting in the middle of all this greenery, I thought about the park next to the Grande Bibliothèque where Hydro-Québec is considering building a transformer station…

Harbour parks

To understand the soul of Copenhagen, you have to understand how important democracy and citizen involvement are. And the best example of this is Havneparken (the harbour park) in the Islands Brygge district. Deane Simpson, professor of urban planning and architecture from the Royal Danish Academy, met me there. In his eyes, it is the most successful neighbourhood in Copenhagen. “This park was born out of a citizens’ initiative in the late 1970s,” he explains. “In the early 1980s, the industrial owners of the land gave one hectare to the citizens’ committee. In 1995, the park was extended by 2.8 hectares,” adds Deane Simpson, taking in the crowded riverbanks, the five floating pools and the beach volleyball court. “It is the liveliest place in Copenhagen, thanks also to the cultural centre frequented by the residents of this former working-class neighbourhood.” A great example of a grassroots project that people are very proud of.” Imagine similar parks around Nuns’ Island or along the river in eastern Montreal.