News
Nature based solutions
Green Roofing Copenhagen
Strolling through Copenhagen, you may have encountered one of the 40 green roofs nested around the city. Coming in all scales and sizes, from cycle shelters, to schools and mixed use buildings to landscapes above underground garages, green roofs provide a unique opportunity to transform traditional surfaces into green life-giving oases. They lead to larger quantities of rainwater being absorbed in a sustainable way and can curb the rise in temperature at the same time. They also create habitats for animals and plants.
Green roofs policy and planning in Copenhagen
Back in 2008 the City of Copenhagen began focusing on alternative ways to handle rainwater and the Wastewater Plan 2008 became the first plan document that included approaches in that direction. In 2009 Denmark was in charge of the UN Climate Change Conference COP15 which defined the framework for the strategies that could be implemented to meet the challenges of climate change. During that period, the focus on green roofs intensified setting a goal for urban design with green roofs in the Climate Plan of the City of Copenhagen.
- Watch video: Liveable Cities – A Danish Approach
Since then Green Roofs have become integrated in different guidelines such as the guidelines for Sustainability in constructions and civil works, which mandates green roofs for all the municipalities buildings. Green roofs are also a part of the city’s Strategy for Biodiversity. Since 2010 green roofs are mandated in most new local plans. A calculation based on approved new local plans mandating green roofs gives a total of 200.000 m2 of green roofs to be installed.
- Explore Green Roofs on Copenhagen
The case examples
The City of Copenhagen has collected a number of cases and local plans from residential commercial and public green roofs projects. Besides illustrating the cases through images and background information the publication also includes data on Roof Area, Build Cost, Client Name, Development Type, Architect, Landscape Architect and System Supplier. Included cases are:
Residential buildings
- 8 – house
- Birkegade Penthouses
- Nørrebrogade 184
Commerciel buildings
- Nordre Toldbod
- The City Dune
- The New National Archives
- TCC – Hotel
- HENKEL / Carl Jacobsensvej
Public buildings
- Tagensbo skole
- The Library / Bispebjerg kulturhus
- Gyldenrisparken
- Korsgadehallen
- Environmental centre
- Download the publication: Green Roofs Copenhagen
Source: Danish Ministry of the Environment / City of Copenhagen
