The City of Copenhagen has selected Team SLA as the winner of a major design competition to develop a large-scale urban nature park in the Nordhavn district. The ambitious project, officially titled "Nordør – New Park," will transform 30 hectares (approximately 75 acres) of coastal land into a comprehensive nature park that balances environmental conservation with sustainable development and public recreation.
Team SLA, led by the internationally recognized design studio SLA, includes a diverse group of specialists comprising VITA Engineers, Urban Agency, Aaen Engineering, Pihlmann Architects, Buro Happold, Kerstin Bergendal, Holdbart, and Aiming Spaces. The collaborative design was developed in partnership with By & Havn, demonstrating the project's commitment to integrating multiple expertise areas in creating this groundbreaking urban environment.
The design philosophy behind Nordør – New Park centers on allowing natural processes the necessary space and time to evolve organically. The proposal envisions a varied topographical landscape featuring diverse social and ecological environments, constructed from decades of deposited soil, slopes, and ridges left behind by Copenhagen's numerous construction sites. This innovative approach to land reuse transforms what could be considered waste materials into the foundation for a thriving ecosystem.
One of the project's most ambitious goals is to function simultaneously as a carbon sink and biodiversity catalyst. The park aims to sequester more carbon dioxide than it produces while serving as a generator for new habitats across land, coastal, and marine environments, both within the site boundaries and extending beyond them. This comprehensive environmental approach positions the project as a potential model for climate-positive and nature-positive urban design on a global scale.
The development seeks to fundamentally redefine Copenhagen's relationship with its waterfront environment. The design incorporates habitats specifically designated for rare species, which will be preserved, expanded, and left undisturbed to support natural wildlife patterns. The landscape will feature an array of diverse ecosystems including lagoons, meadows, beaches, grasslands, forest edges, and marine reefs, creating a dynamic interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments that provides equal space for both human visitors and wildlife populations.
Community engagement played a crucial role in shaping the project's vision through an extensive year-long citizen dialogue process. This comprehensive consultation involved local residents, environmental organizations, neighborhood sports clubs, and various other stakeholders to ensure the park would meet diverse community needs. Based on this input, the design incorporates practical amenities such as football fields, a universally accessible southern beach area, children's playgrounds, various activity zones, and community gathering spaces, all integrated within a framework of wild, naturally developing ecosystems.
The park's design balances active recreation areas with conservation zones to support both human enjoyment and ecological health. Quiet wilderness areas in the northern section will prioritize the needs of birds, amphibians, and insects, while still providing opportunities for visitors to observe and learn about these ecosystems through carefully planned viewing areas and educational features.
According to Mette Skjold from SLA, one of the project's primary objectives addresses the growing disconnection between urban populations and natural environments. The team aims to create a public landmark "rooted in community, wild nature, climate adaptation, and the city's rich diversity of life," serving as both a recreational destination and an educational resource about urban ecology and environmental stewardship.
Several distinctive features will define the park's landscape and visitor experience. The Stub, a 24-meter-high observation point, will provide panoramic views of the park and surrounding coastline. The Ore will offer a west-facing lagoon beach environment complete with small islands that create varied aquatic habitats. The Forest Edge represents a particularly significant addition to Copenhagen's urban landscape, spanning one kilometer in length and featuring species-rich woodland that will be the longest continuous forest environment within the city limits.
Construction of this transformative nature park is scheduled to begin in 2028, marking the start of what promises to be a landmark project in sustainable urban development. The timeline allows for detailed planning and preparation to ensure the project meets its ambitious environmental and community goals while serving as a model for similar developments in other cities worldwide.
This Copenhagen project represents part of SLA's broader portfolio of innovative landscape architecture initiatives. Recent projects by the Danish design studio include plans for a new waterfront island community in Toronto, Canada, and landscape design contributions to the UAE Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025, which bridges natural and architectural elements through nature-based design approaches. These international projects demonstrate SLA's growing influence in sustainable landscape architecture and urban planning on a global scale.
