A vision of a “five-minute city,” restrictions on polluting cars, an awesomely effective transit system, and a shift to renewable energy are centrepieces of the effort to make bicycle-friendly Copenhagen (Denmark) a carbon-neutral city, a couple of decades ahead of most other leading municipalities and just a dozen years after it first set its 2025 target.
The city has already cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, and is trending far ahead of other communities with deadlines as late as 2050. “We insist on green solutions because it pays off,” said Lord Mayor Frank Jensen. “I think that’s a very important message to send to mayors around the world. Copenhagen’s green transformation goes hand in hand with job creation, a growing economy, and a much better quality of life.”
Copenhagen has long been known for its bike-friendly culture and safe bicycle infrastructure. Fast Company, a monthly American business magazine, describes a series of programs the city has put in place since 2013, when it set out to become the world’s first carbon-neutral municipality. Automated metro lines run at two-minute intervals at rush hour to discourage cars in the city core.
And communities are now planned so that residents can expect a five-minute walk from home to transit and amenities. “It means that people don’t bother to take their car,” said engineer and designer Søren Hansen, who worked on the transformation of the industrial neighborhood of Nordhavn. “It’s more convenient to bike, walk, or take public transit than go to a central parking garage—buildings don’t have garages of their own—and also drive around looking for parking at the destination.”
The city is also moving swiftly to decarbonize electricity and space heat. “To date, it has installed 62 massive wind turbines with a capacity of 158 megawatts; by 2025, it plans to have an installed capacity of 460 megawatts,” notes reporter Adele Peters. And Copenhagen is already looking beyond a target focused on transportation, electricity, heating, and cooling, with new strategies like serving less meat at municipal hospitals, kindergartens, and public spaces.
“I want Copenhagen to be a green leader—also in the future,” Jensen told Peters. “So, we will certainly have very ambitious targets after 2025. Therefore, I am willing to look at all smart solutions, which can make our city greener….”
