The Danish ‘city’ designed for easy living

Copenhagen’s once industrial harbor is planned in such a way that everything – from schools and playgrounds to businesses and recreational areas – can be reached within five minutes.

While sailing on the canals of Copenhagen in the summer of 2023, my guide noted Noordhaventhe city’s once industrial district, which excitedly claimed it would be the coolest new city in Europe. From the boat I couldn’t see much beyond a few residential buildings and a lot of gigantic construction equipment, but as an architect I wanted to know more.

So twelve months later I returned to Copenhagen and headed back to Nordhavn, just a 15 minute metro ride from Copenhagen Central Station.

This time, standing at Århusgadekvarteret, the core of the new development, I could see gleaming apartment buildings, luxury office spaces and a cafe-lined promenade along the former industrial harbour. Dozens of people lay spread out across the water’s edge on colorful beach towels, all bathed in the Scandinavian summer sun. It was a peaceful, serene scene, without the chaos of the morning commutes I was used to seeing in cities around the world.

And that’s because Nordhavn is specially designed to make life easier.

“Although it looks like any modern neighborhood, it is the world’s first five-minute city,” explains my guide, Bente Hoffman of immersive cultural tour company. Slow journeys. “When the project is completed, everything you need will be within a 400-metre walk.”

Commuting is one of the biggest challenges of modern life because it adds so much time to the daily routine. Nordhavn (officially a district of Copenhagen, but described as a city due to its scale and scope) is designed to make everything – from schools and playgrounds to businesses and recreational areas – accessible within five minutes. It forms a blueprint for a world in which residents can do a morning workout before walking to the office, have lunch in a nice cafe, take a swim in the harbor and still be home in time to take your children to the playground. – all before enjoying a cozy candlelit dinner at home.

Imagine doing all this without driving from one point to another, without feeling exhausted, and being able to repeat it every day while remaining carbon neutral.

“We are creating a neighborhood that meets everyday needs and special occasions,” explains Peter Bur Andersen, an architect from BRIQ Studios who played a crucial role in the zoning plan for Nordhavn. “Everything is within walking or cycling distance, minimizing the need for commuting. The area also promotes a largely car-free lifestyle, connected by cycle paths and the metro.”

Copenhagen is currently the Architectural capital of UNESCO (until 2026) and innovative solutions for smart living incubate in the Danish capital: from Paper islanddesigned to focus on public spaces and housing for all income groups; Unpleasant Carlsberg district which is built on four pillars of beer production: science, innovation, art and culture.

But Nordhavn’s five minutes city ​​concept is unique. Although there are a few 10-minute cities being developed around the world, including one in Seoul, South KoreaNordhavn’s unique concept is the most ambitious urban development project in Scandinavia. It is also the only new city district in the world to receive a gold certification for sustainability from the German Council for Sustainable Construction DGNB (the largest sustainable building network in Europe), says Andersen.

In Nordhavn, sustainability is about more than just reducing energy consumption. Every building constructed must take into account its social, economic and environmental impact. For example the Large cinema – the city’s newest theater – is built from recyclable materials such as aluminum, in case the building ever needs to be demolished.

And according to Anderson, social and economic inclusion is at the heart of all planning. “It’s important to bring back what has worked well in history,” he said. “We used to have the butcher, craftsman, baker and cheese shop – that diversity in everyday encounters. The future city must combine recreational, cultural and commercial spaces, all easily accessible within the district.”

But until recently, no one would have considered living in this once-industrial neighborhood. Irshia Nasreen, an engineer born and raised in central Copenhagen, says: “While I was looking for a new neighborhood to move outside of the city center, I never thought I would move here.”

Bente adds: “I didn’t think I would do tourist walks in Norhavn. There was nothing to see.”

After all, Nordhavn was a free port full of cargo ships, grain silos and metal containers for centuries. The existing buildings were warehouses and industrial shipping structures. Subsequently, in 2008, a competition was launched to create a sustainable neighborhood for the future of Copenhagen: 179 proposals were submitted and a group of four architectural firms, COBE Architects, Sleth, Rambøll and Polyform, were winners.

They designed an urban area of ​​”soft mobility“, where it is easier to walk, cycle or use public transport than to drive; and introduce the idea of ​​hybrid spaces – something that “avoids the creation of lifeless spaces and promotes community between residents, workers and visitors promotes,” says Andersen – For example, in Nordhavn, a multi-story parking garage could have a gym on the roof; an apartment building could house a public restaurant;

Although the entire Nordhavn project will not be completed until 2060, it is being developed in islets (small islands), with key areas such as Nordø and Århusgadekvarteret already complete and full of life, packed with locals and tourists. In 2020, a metro extension to Nordhavn and Orientkaj opened, providing easy access to the city center.

As Hoffman and I walked through Nordø, I admired the ingenuity of using once modest buildings to create chic destinations. Audo housea warehouse from 1918, is now a boutique hotel, concept store and café. On the other side, MENY The food supermarket was once a factory for building weapons. Due to the building’s protected status, MENY had to use the same walls, windows and ceilings as the former World War II weapons factory to create what is now a futuristic food market. Nearby lies the rough steel surface of The Silo still resembled its days as a grain silo. But it has now been transformed into a luxurious 17-storey residential building with a public restaurant.

“The beauty of Nordhavn lies in the mix of old and new architecture standing side by side,” said Hoffman. “Sustainability is also about preserving the past by repurposing old buildings for modern use.”

Nasreen moved to Nordhavn in 2023 and says the quiet, car-free environment has changed her lifestyle. “I love walking around here,” she said. “After living in the city center for 40 years, it is refreshing not to hear the hum of vehicles. The proximity to water in all residential areas gives a feeling of peace and fresh air. My cousin is impressed by the fact that he can swim in the harbour, walk back home to shower and then back to the waterfront to enjoy coffee in a cool cafe. Isn’t that great?”

She added: “I work from home, and when I need a change of scenery I go to The Audo House. It’s a multi-purpose space, so you see tourists checking into the hotel and people buying art and furniture while I drink coffee. in his café on a winter afternoon.”

When legendary Danish designer Arne Jacobsen said at the turn of the 20th century, “Architecture is not just about creating buildings; it is about shaping the environment and improving people’s lives,” it was theoretical. A century later, Hoffman leads curious designers and architects like me on walking tours of Nordhavn. As curious as I am, and perhaps with the same intention, they are looking for answers to the question: can architecture be one of the keys to creating a happier urban environment?

For Nasreen and many others living in Nordhavn, the answer is a resounding yes.