Nye – nature-driven urban development

Nye

GOAL no. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17

A brand-new urban district north of Aarhus gives its inhabitants access to both nature and city. With solutions that make room for nature, community and biodiversity, it sets new standards for future sustainable urban communities.

In many places, urban development is happening rapidly, but this approach has far-reaching consequences for nature and climate.

With the city as its front garden and nature as its back garden, the Nye district celebrates the growing trend of people wanting to live in or close to a city while at the same time having easy access to nature. The new district, which is still under development, is a visionary collaboration between a private player, the municipality and a utility company.

Nye is located 10 kilometres north of Aarhus adjacent to the new light rail track, which means residents can reach Aarhus city centre in 30 minutes by public transport. It is a dense development with housing constructed mainly from sustainable materials, and available under a variety of ownership schemes. The district will also feature shops and public services.

Wild green roadside verges and medians and open water trenches are part of the landscape design and biodiversity strategy. Rainwater is managed on the terrain and gathered from the entire area to be purified and used for flushing and laundry in the new homes.

Community is a key aspect of Nye where car sharing, shared office spaces, communal evening meals and strategically placed communal areas in different scales and with different programmes form the basis of strong neighbourly relations and sustainable solutions.

The project demonstrates the future of urban development in a set-up where multiple players work together to build dense, varied developments with an emphasis on community-building, sharing economy and nature conservation.

Project details

Where: Nye, 8200 Aarhus N

Completed: Ongoing

Developer and project owner: Tækker Group

Architects and advisors: CEBRA (architect and urban planner), LABLAND (landscape), Territorium (planning consultant), COWI (water and mobility)