Urban Greenspace

After walking through several more parks throughout Copenhagen today - Frederiksberg Park, Assistens Cemetery, Mimersparken and Superkilen - you start to notice how individuals use the given space differently. With urban greenspaces taking the world by storm, it has become more apparent what kind of functions and benefits they have.

Some benefits of developing greenspaces in an urban area include three main categories: ecological, social and economical. The ecological benefits include a decrease in run off, pollution and temperature, carbon capture, cleaner air, sound/sight dampening and biodiversity in habitats. The social benefits include better mental/physical health, lower stress levels, educational opportunities and a sense of community. The economic benefits are job growth, tourism, retail, lower health costs and the profits from the ecological benefits.

These benefits play a huge impact in the surrounding environment, especially when it comes to the city of Copenhagen. With the initiative to be carbon neutral by 2025, Copenhagen's drive to establish new greenspaces is stronger than ever. Copenhagen has been improving their city in green and sustainable ways for years now, being awarded the award for Greenest City in 2014, providing functional greenspaces is a step in the right direction. 

When visiting all these parks, you notice how people use the space differently. Frederiksberg seemed to function more as a walking trail park, while Mimersparken was more meant for teenagers and children with the playground and soccer fields. These two greenspaces show that spaces can function differently, while still providing some of the fore-mentioned benefits. Every greenspace will provide some benefits, but could function completely differently. For example, Assistens Cemetery, a still functioning cemetery where users can run/walk and enjoy a picnic, is a completely different vibe than that of Superkilen. Superkilen is a mostly concrete park with swings, workout equipment and a greenspace with a basketball court and swings. Both of these parks include a place for pedestrians and bikers, but also for a quiet picnic area. The difference is that Superkilen functions more as a workout area and space for a diverse group of users. As long as the greenspace can hit all the benefits and people use it, it seems that it functions successfully.