Co-create Copenhagen

There will be an extra 100,000 Copenhageners in 2025 (population by 2015 is approximately 580.000) and we will have to work harder to keep the city together – both physically and socially.

Getting around will have to be easier. We will need to cope with rising water levels as a result of climate change. There will be more and more pressure on streets and open spaces, and a far greater need to manage resources.

This will require more than traditional planning. It will require a radical rethink of the nature of urban development. The process must be less controlled – it must unleash Copenhageners’ creativity so that everybody works together to build the city we want.

As the capital, Copenhagen must interact positively with other towns and cities – not only in its own region but throughout the country and the world – and invite them to share ideas and solutions so that we can contribute to reaching the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

Havhøst has established a marine garden and an information platform on Kalvebod Bølge, where NGOs, schools, companies, and citizens share a love for the big blue and can promote sustainable development, by bringing people closer to the 70 percent of the earth’s surface which is covered by water. Seaweed, mussels, and oysters are grown under the information platform.

The next big step is educational courses that will give pupils across the country the opportunity to experience the marine garden, and learn how it can help to introduce new favourite dishes and a sea in balance.

Havhøst started as a collaboration between the Technical and Environmental Administration of The Municipality of Copenhagen and has now spread to the rest of the country. Most recently, Havhøst has started testing whether the ideas are viable in a larger Nordic context.