A massive new urban park is coming to Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district, promising space for nature, sports, and recreation. Designed by the acclaimed Danish firm SLA, the the new park in Nordhavn aims to blend wild natural landscapes with city life in a sustainable, accessible way. The decision on the design of the park was made through an international competition, where 5 landscape architecture teams participated.
Ambitious Nature-Inspired Development
A transformative project is underway in Denmark’s capital as Copenhagen’s municipal government and the development agency By & Havn have selected a winning design for a major new park in the upcoming Nordhavn district. The international competition, which attracted five highly-regarded teams, including BIG and Henning Larsen, was ultimately won by the landscape architecture firm SLA and their collaborators.
Spanning about 30 hectares, the proposed park – named “Nordør” – will reshape the northeastern tip of Copenhagen’s waterfront into one of the city’s largest green spaces. The design features a striking blend of untamed nature and urban amenities, offering a rare fusion of tranquility, activity, and biodiversity along the city’s coast.
Diverse Features for All at New Park in Nordhavn
The Nordør park will include a wide range of elements to accommodate both nature preservation and urban recreation. Planned features include football fields, sandy beaches, tree-lined noise embankments, walking trails, bathing zones, shelters, forest edges, and marine stone reefs. Elevated terrain, including a hill rising 25 meters, will provide panoramic vistas across the harbor and city.
The park is also designed with sustainability in mind. SLA’s vision prioritizes habitats for endangered species, including protected breeding grounds for the green toad – a requirement mandated by Danish environmental laws. A network of accessible paths will ensure that all areas of the park are open to the public, regardless of age or ability.
Architecture Meets Ecology
SLA and its team, which includes landscape architects, engineers, and biodiversity experts, presented a design that highlights Nordhavn’s industrial past. The area’s manmade hills and waterfront are incorporated into the park’s natural form, telling the story of its history while promoting a future vision rooted in sustainability.
The new park in Nordhavn is viewed as both a recreational escape and a climate-positive space. According to project leaders, the design will absorb more carbon dioxide than it emits and increase biodiversity both in and around the site. This aligns with Copenhagen’s broader climate goals, including its ambitions to drastically reduce the city’s global climate footprint by 2035.
Multiple Phases and Funding
The competition covered both a baseline and an optional expansion phase. The base park has a confirmed construction budget of approximately 95 million Danish kroner (roughly 13.8 million USD), fully funded by By & Havn. Additional features—like bird towers, SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) zones, and sports pavilions—could be added later pending further financing through public-private partnerships or grants.
A substantial civic engagement phase preceded the competition, with residents from across Østerbro and Nordhavn contributing ideas. Preferences for natural spaces, community gathering spots, and athletic amenities helped shape the project’s final design brief.
What’s Coming for the New Park in Nordhavn
The Nordør park project is currently moving into a formal planning stage. Final political approval will be required later in 2025, followed by detailed design work and continued dialogue with citizens and stakeholders. Groundbreaking is expected around 2028, with phased development extending over several years.
Future access will be enhanced by proximity to the upcoming extension of the M4 metro line, scheduled to open in 2030, further integrating the park into the city’s expanding transport network.
Conclusion: A New Landmark for Copenhagen
As Copenhagen continues to grow both in population and density, projects like Nordør represent a powerful investment in urban livability. Not just a park, but a hybrid space for biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreation, Nordør is poised to become a defining element of the city’s evolving identity. With room to relax, play, and reconnect with nature, it reflects a future-focused vision for what cities can become.
