Musterstadt Kopenhagen?
Die Auswirkungen einer nachhaltigen Stadtentwicklung

This thesis looks at Copenhagen as one of Europe’s most prominent examples of sustainable urban development. Starting from the city’s strong international reputation as a green and livable “model city”, for my bachelor's thesis I wanted to understand what actually sits behind this image and, more importantly, who benefits from it.

I focused on three approaches that have strongly shaped Copenhagen’s development: urban green spaces, waterfront development, and green mobility. Through the neighbourhoods of Nørrebro, Vesterbro, Ørestad, and Nordhavn, I explored how these strategies influence not only the environment and the economy, but also everyday life and the social structure of the city. The project was also my first deeper engagement with the idea that sustainable planning cannot be evaluated through ecological performance alone, but has to be understood through its social consequences as well.  

The research showed why Copenhagen is widely considered a role model: its investments in cycling infrastructure, green and blue spaces, harbour regeneration, and climate-conscious neighbourhood development have contributed strongly to the city’s environmental quality and livability. At the same time, looking more closely at the four neighbourhoods revealed processes of green gentrification. Improvements in public space and environmental quality can increase the attractiveness and value of an area, but they do not automatically benefit everyone equally. In Nørrebro and Vesterbro, renewal was connected to rising housing prices and changes in the social composition of the neighbourhoods, while newer developments such as Ørestad and Nordhavn were already comparatively difficult to access for lower-income groups.  

The thesis therefore became less about asking whether Copenhagen is a “perfect” sustainable city and more about questioning what sustainability actually means in planning. My main takeaway was that ecological, economic, and social goals cannot be treated separately: a city can become greener and more attractive while at the same time reinforcing inequality and displacement. This early project strongly shaped my later interest in inclusive planning and in looking critically at who actually benefits from urban transformation.