Urban planning & Strategy

About our team
Our team consists of deeply dedicated Landscape Architects, Architects and Urban Planners and our goal is to design and develop places, landscapes, cities and strategies in the highest quality. To us, quality does not only concern aesthetics. To us a landscape- or urban project is a success, when it supports local communities by giving space to everyday life, recreation, biodiversity, movement and Human meetings

Shift the focus from the beautiful to the lived-in

The term "cultural heritage" brings reminiscences of something "beautiful," original and monumental - an architecture and building culture that conventionally fits into a classic heritage systems like SAVE. A valuation that a defunct auto repair shop in the Nordvest neighborhood of Copenhagen or an old factory complex doesn't stand a chance of achieving cultural heritage recognition – and therefore protection. This means that much of our shared urban and industrial cultural heritage is being torn down, without questioning what this type of heritage can contribute with to urban development. The current valuation, which primarily focuses on the quality and history of individual buildings often overlooks the environments and potentials in industrial areas.

This requires that we create a new language when it comes to our cultural heritage, one that focuses on the place and urban heritage rather than solely on the buildings. This opens up an entirely new landscape of potentials and possibilities.
We need a language as urban planners and architects to develop the cities of the future while respecting the uniqueness of a place, its historical development and narratives. A language that we, as citizens in a society, need to understand the story of our industrial society's evolution. At the same time we need to comprehend that urban development and architecture encompass something other and much more than just "beautiful" buildings and city spaces.

If neither decision-makers, architects, urban planners, nor citizens learn to see, understand, and appreciate the overlooked potential cultural heritage, it will surely disappear.

The consequence, bluntly put, is that all our cities will start to resemble each other. You won't have a clue whether you're standing at the harbor in Aarhus or Copenhagen's Nordhavn. Another consequence is that a chapter of Danish urban and industrial culture is permanently erased, and we become even more detached from craftsmanship and practical skills.

One size does not fit all
Different urban areas require tailored development to preserve their dynamics and adaptability. A uniform approach, akin to "one size fits all" is not conducive to sustainable urban development. Site-specific adaptations are crucial to respect each city's unique identity and meet the needs of its citizens, especially if we aim to create cities that are diverse in their expression, accommodating the unconventional, the diverse and the dynamic.

Examples of successful transformations of industrial areas include Spinderihallerne in Vejle, Godsbanen in Aarhus and Torpedohallen on Refshaleøen. In Årslev, the Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality purchased the closed-down rubber factory in 2015 and transformed it into an active and social gathering point called Polymeren. This project, part of a larger urban development, received the Urban Planning Award in 2020 and illustrates the importance of thinking in terms of entirety rather than individual buildings.

The overlooked "ugly” cultural heritage also deserves attention. Environments like those along Rentemestervej in Copenhagen's Nordvest district, Hersted Industripark in Albertslund, and semi-empty industrial areas constitute a valuable yet often overlooked part of our shared urban history. Although they seldom meet today's preservation requirements, they have the potential to be transformed into various functions, including startup businesses, cultural centers, and small enterprises.

To realize the transformation of these areas, a shift in our approach to cultural heritage is required. The focus should shift towards continuity based on urban changes and temporality to preserve and revitalize these important parts of our urban environments. Preservation and transformation of abandoned industrial areas are not solely about preserving buildings but about creating a vibrant and temporally changing urban environment. There is an undeniable importance in incorporating the overlooked cultural heritage in urban planning to achieve a more sustainable and dynamic future for our cities.

This is an excerpt from a column written by Kasper Albrektsen, Business Ph.D. at the Aarhus School of Architecture, Rosa Lund, partner at STED, and Sofie Yde, urban planner.