Copenhagen is tackling the risk of flooding by designing a climate-proof neighbourhood. Nature, brought into the heart of the city's buildings, lies at the centre of the entire project.
Four years after the devastating cloudburst that struck Copenhagen, causing damage of more than five million Danish kroner, the Danish government has decided to tackle the effects of climate change by planning the development of a neighbourhood through nature.
On 6 December last, the new Saint Kjeld neighbourhood was inaugurated, designed by Flemming Rafn Thomsen and Ole Schrøder of the studio Tredje Natur. Following a careful analysis of traffic, existing infrastructure and the natural flow of water, several species of trees were planted in the Saint Kjeld's Square and Tåsinge Square area, and green spaces were created to ensure water filtration. Vegetation and water are the cornerstone of this project, which aims to protect the city from rising sea levels and severe storms. The goal is to transform 20 per cent of the urban fabric into green areas capable of independently managing a substantial portion of rainwater without overburdening the sewage system.
Nature makes the city resilient, able to cope with environmental disasters. That resilience — the capacity to adapt — stems precisely from the presence of parks and tree-lined avenues within the built-up core. The Danish studio's project involved replacing the paving of the squares with undulating grassy surfaces to contain water flows and allow filtration. In this way, in the event of flooding or storms, the renaturalisation of the ground ensures that rainwater drains into artificial basins and subsequently into channels that flow directly into the sea. Water from rooftops and streets is directed towards the harbour, where it drains away, while pedestrians can take shelter along elevated pathways.
The approach taken by the local administration can serve as a model of sustainable urban planning, one that encourages technological development to address environmental disasters and improve the quality of life for residents.
The concept of sustainability in the planning of interventions is pursued through the creation of a greener city and through the management of territorial policies aimed at adapting to climate change. It is a fact that awareness of being the architects of global warming — and of the need to counter it through daily practices that are more attentive to the environment — is the best policy for the sustainable development of cities.