Project
The 15,000-square-metres urban park, Grønningen–Bispeparken, is located in the so-called Northwest district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo credit: SLA.
An ambitious cloudburst and urban space project in Copenhagen combines recreational areas with technical solutions for climate adaptation. At the same time, the park's transformed landscape and ‘social basins’ invite local residents to play, interact, and take ownership of the urban park.
In the summer of 2024, a newly renovated urban park was inaugurated in Copenhagen, Denmark. This extensive cloudburst and urban space project seamlessly integrates urban renewal with climate adaptation.
The redesigned urban park features 18 unique 'social basins' that serve as vibrant spaces for recreation and community gatherings while also playing a crucial role in water management for the area. Together, these basins can retain up to 3,000 cubic metres of rainwater during heavy downpours and cloudbursts, helping to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
“With this project, Copenhagen has gained a park that is more attractive and accessible to residents and visitors, while also providing a more diverse urban nature and addressing the need for essential climate adaptation. I am pleased and proud of the result, where we have enjoyed excellent collaboration with NIRAS and the project’s other stakeholders to rethink the park’s design,” says Ann Lilja, Project Manager from City of Copenhagen.
The urban park has been transformed with a new, varied terrain that turns the previously somewhat monotonous grass areas into a dynamic landscape with hills and depressions. This new terrain is designed to invite nature experiences, play, and create space for social activities for the community.
The project has been developed through an ambitious co-creation process, in which residents and local stakeholders have played a central role. Through dialogue meetings, NIRAS and landscape architects from SLA, in collaboration with the artist Kerstin Bergendal, have listened to the residents' wishes and needs. The result is a park that promotes community and security, and which the residents feel a strong sense of ownership of.
“I am excited that we have contributed to this remarkable project, which not only protects the city from flooding but also promotes a more cohesive neighborhood with nature-based solutions.”
Esben Ravn Iversen, Senior Project Manager at NIRAS.
It has required a careful processing of the park's landscape qualities to ensure that the area's historical and cultural values were respected and continued, while at the same time the City of Copenhagen needed to implement important climate adaption.
In this way, the new project has become a textbook example of how climate adaptation can be integrated into urban development, with rainwater being managed efficiently.
“In this project, we chose to let the water flow on the surface as much as possible, rather than burying stormwater pipes underground. We have created an interconnected system of wet and dry basins, which activate during different types of rain events. This design enhances biodiversity and allows for more varied use of the park – even immediately after it rains,” explains Esben Ravn Iversen, Senior Project Manager at NIRAS.
NIRAS was responsible for all engineering disciplines in the project. Over the five-year project duration, more than 100 colleagues contributed their expertise in areas such as water management, hydraulics, road construction and traffic planning, concrete work, fire safety, dialogue and engagement processes with citizens, and much more.
The cloudburst and urban space project Grønningen NV – Bispeparken was inaugurated on Saturday 31 August 2024. About the inauguration, Senior Project Manager at NIRAS, Esben Ravn Iversen, says:
"It was a great day with a vibrant atmosphere, good speeches and lots of activities for children and adults. I am proud that we have contributed to this magnificent project, which not only protects the city from flooding, but also creates a more cohesive and nature-based district."
