Nordhavnen, located only 4km from the city centre of Copenhagen, is the largest metropolitan development project in Scandinavia in the years to come. With its fantastic accessibility to the city's core infrastructure and direct access to the water, Nordhavnen will become a unique city district. The post-industrial harbour site will be developed over the next 40-50 years, featuring a total floor area of up to 4,000,000 m2, providing living space for 40,000 inhabitants and workspace for another 40,000 people. Located on the Øresund coast, Nordhavnen will utilize its direct access to the sea by providing a multitude of recreational urban spaces and public facilities at the water.

As a project of sustainable urban development, Nordhavnen is leading in the effort of creating a better climate and shows how cities can help reverse the climate change without sacrificing quality of life, welfare or democracy. COBE is collaborating with Rambøll, Sleth, and Polyform in the development of strategies for energy supply as an integrated part of the development of Nordhavnen. Various clean-tech technologies are used as well as heat storage, solar installations, wind turbines, and geothermal energy. The sustainability strategy for Nordhavnen has been certified in accordance with DGNB standards (gold certificate).

The Green Loop

A key element in the sustainable urban development of Nordhavnen is the traffic system - The Green Loop. The Green Loop is Nordhavn's backbone for sustainable traffic. With a metro line, a bicycle path passing through the entire neighbourhood, and good connections for pedestrians, The Green Loop creates optimal conditions for traffic flow, while having the lowest possible impact on the environment. The Green Loop passes through different public spaces and combines the different areas of Nordhavnen. The Green Loop adjusts to the character of the different areas, while maintaining an efficient and safe traffic flow through Nordhavnen. The Green Loop is continuously developed according to the extension of the Metro.

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: Copenhagen City and Port Development
Program: Strategy and development plan
Size: 3.6 mio m²
Status: 1st prize in competition 2008, appointed as final advisor for Copenhagen City and Port, 1st phase under construction
Collaborators: Sleth, Polyform, Rambøll