The first time you visit the Climate Neighborhood, it may well be difficult to see what makes it so different in terms of climate adaptation, but that is actually by design. One of the ideas of the project is to create solutions adapted to the surrounding city. Following on the heels of its success, a number of projects throughout Copenhagen are direct offshoots of the Climate Neighborhood in outer Østerbro. From climate neighborhood to climate district, from climate district to climate city. We may be witnessing the future of Copenhagen right here.
The area has become a lab for experimentation in storm water protection and climate adaptation. The Climate Neighborhood is home to around 20 different projects. Courtyards, urban spaces, streets, buildings and entire climate blocks have been designed and built in an effort to make the area climate-adapted.
The Climate Neighborhood has demanded extensive innovation from the contributing parties. The Climate Neighborhood is a project conducted under the auspices of the City of Copenhagen, in collaboration with HOFOR and a number of public, private and voluntary participants. The volunteer participants have been a particularly big part of the project, as citizen involvement was a core element of the neighborhood design process from Day 1.
The spearhead project at Tåsinge Plads is Copenhagen’s first climate-adapted urban space. The square, designed by GHB Landscape Architects, is a green oasis capable of managing large volumes of rainwater while also serving as a new meeting place for the neighborhood’s residents. The 1000-square-meter urban wilderness can delay flooding and provide drainage of rainwater from a surrounding area of approximately 8,000 square meters. The square is a lively urban venue, where you can enjoy a good cup of coffee and take in the green view. Visitors also have the opportunity to explore the lush “Danish rain forest”.
The square provides drainage of rainwater from local roofs and squares, diverting it from sewer systems and increasing Copenhagen’s ability to withstand torrential rains of the future. Tåsinge Plads thereby strengthens the city’s infrastructure while also serving as a park. The project is especially important to the City of Copenhagen because it confirmed that storm water protection cam be more than sewers and subterranean installations. The city and its residents get the most for their money if the investment can take shape at ground level for the benefit of all. Tåsinge Plads proved this very point, and today it draws visitors from around the world.
Facts:
- The square is furnished with light installations: Water drops and rain umbrellas. The drop-shaped containers mirror the sky and invite visitors to explore and climb. Manual pumps on one of the containers can be used to extract water, which then flows out into the greenery.
- Tåsinge Plads has received numerous international awards, including a Special Award in connection with the European Award for Urban Public Space 2016, and it is on Sustainia’s list of the world’s 100 most visionary climate projects.
Close by
Denmark’s tallest wooden building will be constructed on Østerbrogade 190. In more ways than one, the new 22-meter-tall building on the corner of Østerbrogade and Sionsgade represents the future of architecture. For example, it will house student residences, and it will be built using the hottest material in the construction industry today: wood.
The garden of the future lies close to Tåsinge Plads. At Askøgade 4-11, you can see an example of how future Copenhagen courtyards might look. This rolling landscape is equipped with innovative and recreational rainwater solutions.
