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PARK

How Copenhagen could transform one of its busiest roads into a park

Tivoli, the 175-year-old amusement park which is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic tourist attractions, on Monday presented two new projects which could transform the centre of the Danish capital.

Published: 17 June 2019 17:25 CEST
How Copenhagen could transform one of its busiest roads into a park
An artist's impression on how the section of Vesterbrogade in Copenhagen would look if turned into a park. Photo: Tivoli

Along with city planners Gehl, Tivoli presented on Monday a proposed 10,400 square-metre “recreational space” with only pedestrian and cyclist access in front of Tivoli and adjoining Copenhagen’s City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen).

That would mean closing the busy Vesterbrogade to traffic between the central roads H.C. Andersens Boulevard and Bernstorffsgade, near to City Hall Square and the Central Station.

Trees and grass would then be planted as part of a new park and recreational area which would replace the current heavy traffic in front of the entrance to Tivoli.

“Only through projects such as this can Tivoli stay relevant for future visitors. It has been proven time and time again, that depending on Tivoli’s historic charm is not enough. Change is in Tivoli’s DNA, it is our heritage, and Tivoli has always hired the best architects to make sure that new additions will stand the test of time, because we are building for the future,” Tivoli CEO Lars Liebst said in a press statement.

Following Monday’s presentation, the next step for Tivoli and Gehl is to make final the proposals for the project and submit them to Copenhagen Municipality. There will also be a period for public hearings.

“I never say 'no' to more trees in (Copenhagen),” Lord Mayor Frank Jensen told Ritzau on Monday.

“The first step is to look more closely at traffic and put together an overall plan for the whole area, so we can ensure people can still get to and from the centre of the city and that there won’t be extra traffic in the area,” Jensen added.

“I will be at the forefront of this together with the city planning municipal committee leader (Karina Vestergård Madsen),” the lord mayor said.

A plan for financing the project must also be agreed before any start date can be considered.

In addition to the new park, Tivoli also wants to build a new 70-metre tall, 18-storey hotel. The new hotel has been designed by lead architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group.

That project must also be approved by the municipality.

READ ALSO: Four ways Copenhagen is leading on innovation

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ENVIRONMENT

Copenhagen to miss 2025 zero emissions target

Copenhagen will not reach its longstanding target of becoming CO2 emissions neutral by 2025.

Published: 5 November 2021 15:37 CET
Cyclists on Copenhagen's
Cyclists on Copenhagen's "Lille Langebro" bridge. The Danish capital has admitted to errors in emissions calculations and says it won't be climate neutral in 2025, a long-standing target. Photo by Febiyan on Unsplash

A city councillor told newspaper Jyllands-Posten that the city, which has long stated its aim of becoming the world’s first CO2-neutral capital, would not meet that target as scheduled.

“I won’t need to stand there in 2025 and say ‘hurrah, we’re CO2 neutral’, because I know that CO2 will still be emitted (then),” elected representative Ninna Hedeager Olsen of the Copenhagen Municipality environment section told Jyllands-Posten.

Tourist board Visit Denmark has previously used the emissions goal to market the city, while Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen named the target during the C40 climate summit when it was hosted by Copenhagen in 2019.

But the municipality has included wind energy produced in other municipalities in its calculations on energy sustainability, according to the newspaper report.

This means it effectively still emits CO2 overall.

The company which supplies energy to the city, Hofor, has erected windmills in a number of municipalities outside of Copenhagen. But the electricity produced by these windmills has been used in calculations of CO2 emissions in both Copenhagen and in the municipalities in which the windmills are actually located.

The replication of the energy production in data for different locations can “rightly” be said to be “cheating the scales”, according to Hedeager Olsen.

But that is not the only problem in calculations of the city’s emissions, she also admitted.

“There are loads of things that haven’t been counted,” she said.

The goal to become climate neutral by 2025 was first set by the city in 2012 in a climate plan adopted by the city government.

Copenhagen was the following year awarded the Cities Climate Leadership award for the plan.

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