man made and self organized

MAN-MADE

AND SELF-ORGANIZED

3

ULRIKE JÄGERT

A MASTER THESIS

MAN-MADE AND SELF-ORGANIZED

ii

BTN 229

Supervisor - Anne Tietjen August 2016

Faculty of Science - Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management

Master thesis - 30 ECTS

Ulrike Jägert

This thesis is based on the idea of introducing a man-made and selforganized nature into an urban development to connect it to its natural surroundings. The green spaces in the development should be allowed to organize themselves and to create a nature-like experience for the people, even though they are artificial.

This should relate back on how we perceive natural surroundings and that often what we think is nature is actually a cultural landscape formed by man.

The project area is Ă˜restad, it is a district of Copenhagen and it is right next to the 3000ha large nature preserve the Amager Nature Park. One of the main ideas of the development strategy was to connect it to the nature park, but the connection made is either very weak or not existent at all.

The link between the build and the natural area will be created, by introducing a kind nature that organizes itself. Different landscape elements and plant communities from the surrounding areas function as inspiration for the design, to bring the nature aspect into the area.

To enhance the connection between Ă˜restad and the natural area even further structural elements should also be brought into the nature park as a contrast to its wild character.

ABSTRACT

2

94

6

PROBLEM OF THE AREA

ØRESTAD SOUTH 80

ØRESTAD CITY 68

ØRESTAD NORTH 54

URBAN NATURE 32

APPROACH 26

RESULT 24

ØRESTAD 16

NATURE PARK 12

4

WHY IS THE AREA INTERESTING?

iv

TABLEOF CONTENTS

REFERENCES 96

DISCUSSION + REFLECTION

MAINTENANCE 92

DESIGN 50

PLANTS 38

OVERVIEW 36

STRATEGY 22

ANALYSIS 10

THESIS INTRODUCTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THESIS MOTIVE

INTRO

2

INTRODUCTION

The idea for this thesis is to work with the approach of urban nature or man-made nature that is self-organized as a concept of urban design.

With the aim to connect the city better with surrounding natural areas, by creating green finger like structures and eventually intervening the ‘natural’ areas into the urban fabric.

Municipalities and city councils are starting to integrate strategies to enrich already existing green spaces and to define criteria for new ones, to make them appear more natural and diverse.

This should not only help with aesthetic and biodiversity aspects but also with the idea of creating more green and live able cities in the future. Since the cities still grow not only in size, but also in population density as many people move to the cities, which will also be a problem the housing market has to deal with.

Over time the social construct in the city will change as well as the way public and green spaces are used.

Regarding the city of Copenhagen, the municipality just came up with a strategy called “Bynatur i Københavnen” its aim is to deal with their street, park and city-surrounding green spaces, which is embedded in their two visions, first create more urban nature in Copenhagen and second improve the existing urban nature areas. (Copenhagen Municipality, 2015) Drawing from this strategic proposal and the concept of combining the built with the grown, the idea of improving those existing spaces in the city and the attempt to connect the urban with the more natural structures will be the aims of this thesis. Ørestad is a big development area south of the city center of Copenhagen right next to a big nature park is a good location to try out to connect this idea with a real project. As it is a big urban development which will house thousands of Copenhageners there will be a lot of pressure on the green spaces, so it would make sense to try to strengthen the connection between Ørestad and the nature park to have an evenly distributed use over the entire area.

The process of this thesis will be to find and define already existing green spaces in Ørestad and analyse their potential of improvement in the context of the urban nature or man-made self-organized nature concept to not only improve the green spaces but also enable the potential of a better connection to the nature park. It should allow the people living in the area to have a better access and connection to the area, enhancing the reach of their recreational spaces by bringing the ‘nature’ all the way to their doorsteps. This should not just work as an immediate fix of the city’s problems, but as the city grows and develops, so will the greens paces, transforming the spatial construct into a new kind of artificial organism.

THESIS INTRODUCTION

INTERREST

AREA INTRODUCTION

4

INTRODUCTION

Ørestad is an urban development project on the island of Amager just a few minutes away from the city center. The development of Ørestad began in the early 90ies to create a new and thriving center for residential and businesses connected to the city, it can be seen as an attempt to modernize a part of the city while still keeping the historical core intact.

Creating a duality between the old historic small scale composition and the new functional urban development that has larger structures with a high density. With other urban development projects it should give a lift to the cities crumbling image, but it was believed to be too far away and a bit out of reach, as the people living in the center couldn’t see themselves living so far out of inner Copenhagen. (By og Havn, 2011) One reason it was placed there, which is also the foundation of one of the key ideas of Ørestad and what makes it interesting for this project is that it is right next to the Amager nature park.

The area where the park is now used to be shallow sea, but after it was filled up with different materials, it is now a habitat for a variety of different kinds of animals and plants. This special situation was protected under the Nature 2000 project, which preserves specific types of landscapes that are extraordinary in their character, aesthetics and biological value, in short protected is a landscape that is considered to be beautiful.

Because Ørestad is so close to the park, the strategy includes the idea to connect the development with the natural area creating a strong link; this link should be established with the green spaces in the different parts of the new city district. But the connection only becomes visual in the plan view.

The reason for this is the nature park is self-organized and wild appearing area; the green stretches in Ørestad on the other hand are much more controlled and maintained and are visually blunt and appearing more like a sports field with vast shortcut grass areas and sparse trees.

So this project is interested in finding ways to connect the two parts visually and through that enhancing the biodiversity of the parks in Ørestad, which is also benefiting the nature park, through it becomes easier for species to spread, decreasing the fragmentation of habitats and also between the two parts. It could also be interesting to bring in more designed and controlled elements into the nature park, establishing a relation to the designed and functional buildings and green and blue spaces.

Another point why the area is interesting is that Ørestad as well as the nature park are both man-made and through that they are absolutely artificial. It is estranging to think about a nature park as a man-made artificial object when it is in fact perceived as nature or something natural.

Both areas are equally fabricated, but one is organized and controlled and the other in a way is organizing itself. So letting parts of the area in Ørestad organize themselves and if other parts in the nature park would be more controlled, it would create an interesting relation between them and invert the neighbouring concept.

WHY IS THE AREA INTERESTING?

PROBLEM

AREA INTRODUCTION

6

INTRODUCTION

• Green spaces are dull and consist mainly out of vast green spaces and simple punctual uses and not a real thought out program for the sites, this can be seen by landscape architects bringing trees into the park from projects where they had to remove some, to lift the appearance of the parks. Even though grass areas can be interesing in certain cases, due to the fact that the green spaces are so large, it makes one feel lost in the space.

• In Ørestad there are parks and canals to for one bring in greenery and for the other deal with water that comes in as precipitation through heavy rain events. The introduced green and blue spaces are more engineered to cater a function rather than being a designed element that combines function with social and aesthetic aspects so they are reduced to a very specific purpose and other functions and uses are hard to add onto them.

• There is a distinct disconnection to the nature park opposed to the connecting concept – which means that through the placement of streets and paths and the fences around the area strong visual and physical borders were created. Those barriers make it even clearer that the nature park and Ørestad are two different elements that don’t interact at all.

The area has a few problems that need to be dealt with it becomes clear that there were a lot of ideas and considerations to make it a multifunctional space and allow for a variety of connections and functions to happen, but after the implementation it is rather hard to find those ideas in the space, one of the reasons of that could be that the way those concepts were realized is a very technical and functional one without paying much attention to the future needs of the people living there.

Also, it seems to be important to have a lot of streets in the area to connect to the city and make it possible to travel fast from Ørestad to the city center, which caters to the following problems as well.

PROBLEM OF THE AREA

PROXIMITY

AREA INTRODUCTION

ØRESTAD SOUTH

ØRESTAD CITY

ØRESTAD NORTH

8

INTRODUCION

5

5

5

10

10

10

The diagram shows the distance to important places in the surrounding like the airport and the city hall, but it also depicts other places of interest like Ny Havn and the Little Mermaid.

The map shows the nature park and the development area Ørestad, as well as other big and important green spaces in the center of Copenhagen.

As mentioned before there are people who think the area is connected to the city and thereby it is a part of it and others totally disagree, thinking that Ørestad is not integrating itself well into the existing urban fabric.

Proximity to central points in an area whether it is a well-visited landmark, a city or something else is important to connect those things together and create an understanding of inclusion. It seems that the location of Ørestad was well considered, as it is close to the city center, but besides that it is also close to the airport and to the bridge connecting Amager to Sweden and it is also a part of the Øresund region. This adds a wider reach to the development area, and makes it in a sense open to more people and closer to a broader spectrum of interesting connection points.

Also, the closeness to the big Amager nature park is interesting, as it is unlikely for a city to have a connection like this; it has the potential to add a lot of values to the residential buildings or the buildings in general.

If compared to other green spaces in the city, the nature park is clearly manifold times bigger and can relate to a bigger part of the city and address more people, it is also possible to meet the needs for a broader variety of people, and so the green space can cater to more cultures and social constructs and include more activities. Another thing is that the parks in the center are far more maintained and seem controlled, whereas the nature park is wilder and self-organized. Also, the recreational value for such a big scale park is much higher compared to the other ones, as it is more interesting to explore new areas of the park rather than seeing the same parts over and over again.

DISTANCES

km

km

km

ANALYSIS

10

This chapter will introduce and analyse Ă˜restad and the Amager Nature Park, both will have a short historical outline how the areas developed and then it ill be explained how they function now as well as their specifics.

HISTORY

AMAGER NATURE PARK

1960

1940

1930

1850

KALVEBOD FÆLLED

1900

AMAGER FÆLLED

1910

1920

1930

12

ANALYSIS

1940

1950

1960

1970

The map is showing the development of the coastline over time, as found on maps of aforesaid year. It can be clearly seen that at first there is only a shift in the northern part of the island, but the construction of the southern part, happens in a rather short span.

The unmanaged ‘natural’ character of Kalvebod Fælled emerged within only a few decades, so the fact that it is protected after such a short amount of time, leads to the conclusion that self-organized areas seem not only to be preferred but also more worthy of protection.

The Amager nature park is located on the island of Amager a bit south of the center of Copenhagen. The area is very special since it is a huge green space directly next to the city. According to the Nature Agency (Naturstyrelsen, 2013) the park covers around 3000 hectares, not counting the numerous lakes and wetland spread all over the area.

The park consists out of four different parts, each with its own history and development. When looking at maps from around the 1900, the area of the Amager Island that is now the nature park is not existent yet. This means that the park, which is perceived as nature or a natural environment is actually a man-made structure.

The four parts of the nature park are called Amager Fælled, Kalvebod Fælled, Kongelunden, which is a forest primarily used for timber production containing the species spruce and pine and the last part is the coastline that starts from the end of the Kongelunden forest and leads all the way up to the municipality of Dragør.

The first two areas are more relevant to this project since they are right next to the development area Ørestad, sharing a border with the green structures inside the urban construct.

Amager Fælled was a salt marsh and grazing area for cattle in the 1920, but in the 60s it was reused as a military training ground. However, in the 1950s the area from the original coastline, to the one that shape the island today was filled up with construction and domestic waste.

The area where Kalvebod Fælled is now used to be shallow sea, but it was diked in the 40s to create jobs for the people during the war with pumps draining the space until now.

What used to be a sea developed quickly into marshes and grassland and with the succession progressing it evolved into a shrubbery and partially into a birch forest. As Amager Fælled also this area was used as a military training zone.

During that time there was no management of the area and it started to become overgrown. In the 70s the military left the area and the land stared to slowly transform into a forest, to prevent that and keep the landscape rather open. Deer and cattle were introduced to graze, acting as a sort of preservation element in the park.

The nature park was opened to the public in the late 1980s since then it is a much appreciated recreation area from neighbours, as well as people living in the city and its outskirts. (Naturstyrelsen, 2013)

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

1980

WETLAND MEADOW

COSTAL MEADOW

WETLAND

EXTENSIVE PASTURE

FOREST

HABITAT

AMAGER NATURE PARK

14

ANALYSIS

The map shows the location and the type of habitats that can be considered as the main types. It can be noted that the southern part has bigger and more, wet spots than the north, also the part in the middle that is used as a golf course is rather fragmented since they had to lay some parts dry to implement the design for the golf course. (Habitats according to MiljøGIS, 2016)

The nature in the nature park is strongly influenced by its past because most of the area used to be at least partially under water, the habitats that developed, after the area was dried out area connected to the sea.

This includes salt marshes and sandy grasslands, woodland that consist mostly out of water-resistant species, and fluctuating wetlands, which enable a rich bird species variety.

Due to the specific conditions, there is not only a rich fauna but also flora, rare flowers and herbs can be found in the nature park, making it even more important to protect it. (Naturstyrelsen, 2014) As with the historic development of the area, the habitats and species composition varies through the different park segments, which does not mean that the four parts are totally different because the overall plant communities can be put into the same niche of habitat range, saying that the nature park is to be looked at as one unity.

Amager Fælled consists of grassland, marshes, wetlands, meadows, lakes and marsh reeds. As this part used to be a dump yard for the city it is a bit higher than the rest of the nature park and through that the soil is drier, allowing species to grow that can’t be found in the other areas. Through that the succession was also different, resulting in a shrub dominated area with various densities. Cone shaped hills remained from the time when the spot used to be used as a military training ground. The Grønjordssøen, a water body in the area, is the biggest lake in the northern part it is well known to create conditions for rare animals and plants to grow there.

Kalvebod Fælled consists of salt marshes, coastal meadows, reed beds and birch forests. In the west the nature agency planted a 30 hectare big forest out of beech, alder and oak, it will slowly grow together with the already existing birch forest. To maintain the area, the part in the east is constantly grazed, to prevent succession, so that the open character remains, at first the nature agency brought deer into the park, but they weren’t able to slow down the spreading of the plants, now around 1200 hectares are grazed by cows and sheep. In 2012 this part of the park was declared a Natura 2000 area. (Naturstyrelsen, 2014)

HABITATS IN THE NATURE PARK

HISTORY

ØRESTAD

2010

2000

1990

1980

16

ANALYSIS

The map on top is showing a timeline from the 70-80s when some of the university buildings were built and the Bella Center was moved down south, after that the construction of buildings was rather slow, because most of the streets had to be made beforehand due to logistical reasons and due to the fact that there was nothing else there. In the mid-90s and early 2000s the development slowly started to increase. It is clearly visible that the construction of buildings peaked in 2007 to 2009 with the economic crisis bringing in a low around 2010.

Ørestad is a new urban development south of the city center of Copenhagen on the island of Amager. It was an approach in the 80s to fix Copenhagen’s economy and the high unemployment rate.

Copenhagen was not a place where families and companies moved, so the city decided to start several urban development projects, to boost not only the city’s economy but also its image. The project was planned in the 90s when the Øresund Bridge was built, so that there would be a better connection between Denmark and Sweden and Copenhagen could be better integrated into the Øresund area. Resulting out of that the CPH metro system was stretched down south to meet the train stations and the highway, creating a frame for the connecting network.

(By og Havn 2011) A master plan for Ørestad was made in 1994 with the focus on the connection to the metro system, which also acts as a link to the city center, shortening the spans between the inner city and the most southern parts of the development. According to the growth report of By og Havn (2011) the plan which was made by a Finnish architecture studio suggesting splitting the area up in four parts, with concentration areas of housing and business buildings with a rather high density and due to that it is possible to create space in between for parks and other green spaces. Those green spaces would link up to the Amager Nature Park, which is located right next to the urban development. This would eventually play a big role in the character and image of the area, with investors hoping to increase the value of the stretch, which would lead to higher apparent and office space prices. The money derived from the structures would be used to pay of the cost from the metro line and parts of the Øresund Bridge.

Thinking towards the future and climate change the master plan also includes a strategy for heavy rain events, which was carried out with the construction of the retention canals and lakes leading from the north all the way south throughout the area, dealing not only with the water, but it also adds to the aesthetics of the area. The canals are directly accessible since they were built before the people moved to the area and safety regulations didn’t apply then.

One of the biggest problems Ørestad has is the excessive infrastructure network spread over the area since it is rather wide and the metro only comes down from one side, a dense road system was implemented, leading to heavy traffic towards the inner city. This network also is the main reason that one of the key ideas of Ørestad, namely to connect the urban development with the nature park to create a diverse and richer area, failed. (By og Havn 2011)

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

DISTRICTS

ØRESTAD

ØRESTAD SOUTH

ØRESTAD CITY

AMAGER FÆLLED

ØRESTAD NORTH

18

ANALYSIS

Ørestad South: This area is split up into different quarters all will consist of a mix between housing and business areas. This area is after the Amagerfælled area the least developed yet with only the most southern tip really being finalized up yet, but with heavy construction work in all the other segments.

The residential buildings in the south have a very strong focus on architectural design, with one of them being the figure-8 building from the office BIG it is well known and it is very popular to live there.

Between the nature park and the buildings, is a lake that has the main purpose to collect storm water after a heavy rain event with bridges going over it to allow the access to the nature park through the gates of the wooden fence.

Ørestad City: In this part there are a lot of big company and residential buildings, clustered together, but still in one area. Also, the structural interesting shopping center Fields is located in Ørestad City, it is considered one of the biggest in northern Europe and a strong magnet for the area, with people coming from all of greater Copenhagen to shop here.

There are also other interesting buildings like the Mountain a residential building where the flats are staggered in a terrace like style so it looks like a mountain and a hotel from Daniel Liebeskind, who also brought in a version of the development plan which was later reworked. In between the cluster of residential buildings is a big urban park. Like the park in the north it is also rather vast and dull. With landscape architects even try to improve it by bringing in extra trees from their other projects.

Amagerfælled: This is the part that will be developed last, the competition to plan something for the area started in early 2016.

Ørestad North: Inhabits a lot of different public and state owned institutions, like the South campus of the University of Copenhagen, also the IT campus, furthermore there are numerous dormitories and some other residential buildings.

Besides the educational facilities, another big building houses the danish radio and television company DR, which is structurally connected to the big concert hall. Towards the nature park there is a big park for the residents, with a path leading towards the nature park.

The district consists out of four parts namely Ørestad North, Amagefælled, Ørestad City and Ørestad South, each of those parts have different sub master and development plans, some of them even had to be reworked and changed over time due to different economic and political shifts.

All the plans though contain a storm water management canal leading from north to south and green spaces attempting to connect to the nature park from west to east reaching further into the island.

The parts were not built around the same time, but rather in stages, so they in different levels of development, from the northern part, which is almost finished, to the center that will get its own down town in the near future, to the south that has some iconic buildings, but is still in the early stages of the building phase, to the Amager Fælled quarter, which is not even planned yet.

DISTRICT PARTS

SEPARATION

NATURE PARK + ØRESTAD

20

ANALYSIS

As it is of right now the urban development and the nature park have a distinct disconnection, between the two elements is a strong border that separates them not only conceptual, but also physical.

The border in the northern part is the main street that comes from the city center and goes all the way down to the southern part of Ă˜restad.

In Ă˜restad City the street takes a turn and from this moment, a fence becomes the border between the structures and the natural areas, the path first leading along the fence later steers deeper into the nature park, so even the visual connection to the site gets lost.

One of the main ideas of the strategy for Ă˜restad is to connect it structurally or with the help of green strips along the border to the nature park to create the connection and relation to the natural area, the idea was that the green structures would reach out and connect with the park.

Another approach which works better is the connection through the rainwater network as the curvy landscape canal in the northern part of the area, crosses the border and forms a kind of link functioning as a connector. In the southern part the lake creates a connection to reach out to the nature park by creating strong visual relation, but the fence again creates a border between the parts.

As the area used to be a military training ground, people were prohibited to enter the area, due to security reasons. The fence first there to keep people out, but after the area was open for the public the fence remained and that border never truly disappeared and the disconnection still remains.

DISCONNECTION

STRATEGY

22

This chapter will clarify the approach and how the result should look like, it will also go into the green and blue elements in Ă˜restad. Also. the self-organized and manmade nature will be defined and explained, as well as the critera for the spots that will be transformed later.

RESULT

CONCEPT

24

STRATEGY

• Creation of spaces where nature and the urban meets and solutions for interaction points between the built and the grown structures to bring out spaces specific atmospheres of contrast as well as the transition.

• Enriched green and blue spaces in the sense of aesthetics, biodiversity and function, by bringing in plants and plant communities inspired by the habitats of the nature park, introduce multifunctional furniture and creating contrast with different ways of organization.

• Creating a connection to the nature park for a better interlacing of the park and the development, so that it seems like nature is invading the city and maintained elements of the city parks will be introduced into the nature park to create a balance with a strong contrast to the wild aesthetics and also bring in the relation the urban area that the nature park is as well as Ørestad also constructed.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE RESULT?

APPROACH

CONCEPT

planting schemes

26

STRATEGY

• Introduction of native trees and other plants in a more maintained way to draw the relation to the built up areas and their highly designed

• Introduction of habitats found in the nature park into the green spaces in Ørestad to artificially stretch out the nature park into the development and also copying elements found in the landscape that could be brought in, to make the natural aspect even more realistic like topography.

• The relation of the built and grown will be investigated in each area and a design or planting solution has to be found for each spot to mirror the connectivity and interlacing idea in a smaller scale

• Finding intervention sites in the project area that border the nature park which stands in a very strong contrast to it in terms of organization and maintenance.

• Creating an interlinking green and blue network with the blue being the connection form north to south through the project area and the green structure as the green and park spaces in the project area connecting Ørestad with the nature park in a horizontal direction.

The green will also connect to the blue to create a fabric of green and blue serving different functions.

PROJECT APPROACH

GREEN

GREEN AND BLUE

28

STRATEGY

Similar to the strategy the context of the green space also plays an important role in this project, whether it is about relating planting schemes to the nature park or adapting activities in the park to the ones that can be found in the surroundings.

The different green structures in Ørestad are very similar when compared with each other, but oppose a very strong contrast towards the nature park. This becomes even clearer when the two sides are compared by checking the points set in the Bynatur strategy and the level of organization.

In their objectives that are related to the project, they want to strengthen the biodiversity every chance they get; adapt Copenhagen to climate changes; maintain green areas that are close to the city; parks are developed towards cultural, historical, biological and recreational considerations; urban development is required to include quality and extend of the urban nature; ensuring clean water in water bodies and access to them.

Urban nature in this strategy includes all the living creatures and plants in the city, but it often forms an integrated network with recreational services.

A very important aspect that is repeatedly pointed out is that the context plays a very important role in the definition and how the green space will be developed further on, meaning that urban nature should always be related to the immediate and greater context. (Copenhagen Municipality, 2015)

Bynatur I Københavnen Strategy: This is a strategy of the municipality of Copenhagen to improve the green and blue spaces in the city to further improve the live quality of the people living in the city. They try to bring nature into the city with every possible chance, to also prepare the city for future development, strengthening the biodiversity and create a framework for an active urban live.

The strategy includes two visions: • to create more urban nature in Copenhagen • to increase the quality of urban nature in Copenhagen

Urban nature can be seen in a way as a man-made grown environment in the built context, with varying levels of organization, being either what is perceived to be natural or something that is mainly designed, controlled and functional.

The difference to nature is the context and that urban nature didn’t evolve by its own and is not at all undisturbed, even if it appears to be. One can even say that the idea of what is nature is completely disappeared from our modern understanding and what we mean with nature nowadays is actually a form of cultural landscape. Urban nature is also strongly connected to its context, which is the city, due to its nature it always stands in context to urban structures; it is one of the essential things that make up urban nature.

Different definitions: • On one hand urban nature is everything natural, not only big green structures but also plants and creatures e.g., animals in the city, plants between cobble stones etc. On the other hand, urban nature includes all designed, planned and tamed landscapes and also because it is surrounded by the city and or bordering the urban space. (Copenhagen Municipality, 2015) • Architecture consist out of two complementary elements namely the built and the grown environment, they are both equally important.

They are radically different in development, structure, hierarchy, level of control, so a method that is valid for one of the environments cannot be applied to the other one without being totally changed and adapted.

Build and grown are also mutually interdependent, when both aspects are given the same value and validity architecture can appear as and complete description. (Andersson, 2014)

GREEN STRUCTURES IN ØRESTAD

BLUE

GREEN AND BLUE

30

STRATEGY

The influence of water is present until this day as pumps keep the water table low to avoid flooding, this also continued when the city decided to create a new city district, to battle the economic recession in the 8090ies. “Ørestad represents an innovative approach in terms of water. Here, the dis­tinct use of water for aesthetic purposes is directly linked to the storm water management. Thus, storm water runoff is the main supply for the 10 km of ca­nals that form the unique blue structure of Ørestad.”

(Bergen Jensen, Reisegg Myklestad, 2009, p.1) So the water bodies in Ørestad are essential for the management of heavy rain events and provide a certain aesthetic and narrative through the entire area.

As Bergen and Myklestad (2009) mention in their report about the blue and green network of Ørestad each of the four parts of Ørestad has its own characteristic water element.

In Ørestad North there is a canal running from north to south along institutions like the South Campus of the University of Copenhagen and the headquarter of the Danish broadcasting service DR, named the Campus Canal, it is heavily used by the students and employees respectively, but also the residents from the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The meandering canal stops at the top point of the Grønjordssøen, which is a lake in a wetland protected by law from further building development.

Further down south the third part of Ørestad, Ørestad City contains three canals, two going north to south along the metro line, which is also an infrastructural and visual guiding element throughout Ørestad.

The other canal in this part runs parallel to the first one, attempting to create a connection to the nature park, which is located on the west border and it will also connect to the planned mixed use development that will act as a kind of down town.

In the most southern tip of Ørestad and the last part of the area is a big water body, situated between big residential buildings and the nature park, bridges lead over the lake connect with park like strips, in the urban development.

A problem with the canals is that they follow the principle of form follows function or aesthetics follows function since the main thing the canals have to deal with is to transport the rainwater away from the buildings to avoid flooding.

The canals in Ørestad have the main function to act as a storm water management element, so that in chase of a cloudburst, the water can be redirected to the channels and lakes to avoid flooding.

To use the water as an element can be related back as a historical characteristic. The southern part of the island used to be covered in ice, as it melted the sea level rose, but also the land could develop since the weight of the ice was lifted from it and soil could be formed. So the coastline moved closer to the location where it is now.

BLUE NETWORK

ORGANISATION

M-M + S-O

32

STRATEGY

To be able to achieve these results a form of man-made self-organized nature will be introduced. A man-made self-organized nature is a green space or any kind of space that will have plantings to mimic a certain type of nature, mostly derived from the surrounding to create a link to the historical composition of nature. It also shows how the space would have developed if the humans wouldn’t have interrupted the succession and transformation of the plant communities and habitats that evolved over time and are native to the area.

After the planting, the space will mostly be left alone in terms of management to be able to organize itself, in the sense that there will only be very extensive care measures taking place to make sure that no garbage and overgrowth of e.g., paths occur. So even though this aspect of nature will be absolutely fake and not different than highly maintained baroque gardens in the beginning, over time it will develop and maybe even adapt to new changes in climate. It will also adapt to if the uses will change not only the aesthetic of the space but also the composition of plant communities.

This principle of man-made self-organized nature includes development processes and climate as well as its changes, is adapts to the conditions related to the site and through that this type of nature is able to be richer in biodiversity, which does not exclude that it is aesthetically appealing and interesting for various activities.

For the people living in the area or visiting it, the parks should be an experience of wilderness or of the landscape as nature. The landscape should create a difference to the buildings and the infrastructure and allow people to feel excited to discover new areas in the park and they are maybe even intrigued to explore the nature park.

For the visitors of the nature park on the other hand it should be interesting to go into the green spaces of Ă˜restad, as activities and relations from the nature park continue, e.g. the educational aspect of the Amager Nature Center could go on in the park of the southern part where children can learn about plants, insects and other animals living in the water or surrounding it; or for the northern part there could be a rout or map where one can find berries and plants that are edible just as it exists for the Amager FĂŚlled park.

So in short the activities can be another element that connects the development and the nature park, adding another combining layer to the connecting biodiversity.

URBAN NATURE

SELECTION CRITERIA

CONCEPT

34

M-M AND S-O

The green spaces chosen to be transformed are shown on the map on the next page. They are three in total and are in one of each part that is already under construction that means that the part Amager Fælled doesn’t have its own transformation area since it is still technically part of the nature park.

Almost all the parks and green spaces in Ørestad are rather blunt, in the sense of consisting mostly out of low cut grass areas with sparsely planted trees. Through that observation it is unclear in which way the original master plan wanted to connect the area to the nature park.

As another point the green spaces have to connect in some way to a water element, for the green space to become part of the green and blue network. So that the blue network which already exists in the parts of Ørestad that are finished or the parts that are in the process of construction, will work as guide throughout the north-south direction, creating an aesthetic and functional element as a reference point of the area.

Further it should stay in connection with the build-up structures to create a relationship between the built and the grown highlighting the duality between the organized and the self-organized man-made constructions of the area.

The space has to be along the border of the nature park, so that there can be a design intervention binding the nature park closer to the urban park in an aesthetic and biodiversity aspect. It has to be noted that the golf course will be considered part of the nature park in this case because it is a combination between highly maintained and selforganized spots. This composition can be used as an inspiration for the transformation of the spots, as it shows a strong contrast and can relate to the relationship between different levels of organization.

Derived through the definition of the man-made self-organized nature, the spots that will be transformed into it, have to be chosen according to the certain criteria. The criteria should ensure to create a link between Ørestad and the nature park and through that interlace those two standalone elements into a coherent construct catering not only the people but also other factors like biodiversity and aesthetics.

All the green spaces have to be assessed in regarding biodiversity, aesthetics and function.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTINGTHE SPOTS

ØRESTAD NORTH

OVERVIEW

ØRESTAD SOUTH

ØRESTAD CITY

10

50

36

1:10.000

100

500 m

PLANTS

38

This chapter is about the habitats and plani communities, that are in the naturepark and are a guidline for the planing in the green spaces in Ă˜restad. The specifics of the plants are also listed to in which combination they can be planted.

EXTENSIVE PASTURE

WETLAND

PLANTLISTS

COASTAL MEADOW

SOIL HYDRATION

40

PLANTS

WATER TANK

The three parks in the urban development are all bordering to the nature park and with it they also border to three different nature types, namely the extensive pasture, a mix between wetland and moor and the coastal meadow (MiljoeGIS 2016).

Through that the planting in the parks will be inspired by the type that is right next to it on the other side of the nature park border. That will create a very direct and logic link to the natural areas and it will be easier to understand the relation between the parks.

The transition from the very much organized parks to a more selforganized man-made nature takes place over time, the plants, seeds and root shoots will be in incorporated into the soil, but some plants will naturally develop faster and with this the aesthetics will change over time until the appearance resembles the one in the nature park next to the then transformed area.

The soil in the urban parks has to be treated in a way that the plants that will be introduced can also exist there.

This can be achieved with different methods, like loosening up the soil with machines, or even some plants from the planting strategy have those abilities and can be introduced earlier.

Further, soil can be taken away and new soil can be brought in not only filling the holes, but also creating a small hill, which also adds to the current very flat topography.

Another turn on soil manipulation can be to use the storm water to make certain areas wet by bringing in the water with pipes and punctually establishing wetlands.

Through this and due to the fact that there are also water canals and ponds in the urban development the planting strategies will also vary between drier and wetter zones, making not only the landscape more interesting but also allows for a rather broad biodiversity and differentiation in the structure of the plant communities.

PLANT COMPOSITION

ØRESTAD NORTH

PLANTLISTS

Common alder Silver birch Common hawthorn Common beech Common aspen Wild cherry

Common hazel Cotoneaster Sea-buckthorne Dog rose Blackberry Elderberry White Meadowsweet Common bent Early hairgrass Carline thistle Little mouse-ear chickweed Orchardsgrass Wild Carrot Drug eyebright Sheeps Fescue Gentian Early Forget-me-not Bulbous buttercup Yellow rattle Meadow salifraxe

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Prunus avium

Corylus avelana Cotoneaster ssp.

Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Agrostis capillaris Aira praecox Carlina vulgaris Cerastium semidecandrum Dactylis glomerata Daucus carota Euphrasia stricta Festuca ovina Gentiana acaulis Myosotis ramosissima Ranunculus bulbosus Rhinanthus minor Saxifraga granulata

On extensive managed pastures, dry to moist soil, doesn't need a lot of nutrients

Cannot grow in the shade, prefers moist soil

Dry to moist soil, semi to no shade

Sunny pastures with sandy soil, prefers open warm and dry soil

Dry turf and pastures, moist soil, semi to no shade

Well drained to moist soils, semi to no shade

Grows on fresh to dry soils

Grows in moist soil, cannot grow in the shade

Moist soil, semi or no shade

Moist soil, full sun

Well drained to moist soil, light demanding, cannot grow in the shade

Semi-dry to dry areas, fallows

42

PLANTS

x x x x x

x x x x x

x

x

Shrubs

x

x x

x

x

x

Trees

Wet

x

x

x

Dry

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Herbs and Grasses Moist grassland and open meadows, grows also on very disturbed areas, poorly drained to dry soil

Semi or no shade, prefers moist soil

Semi or no shade, moist soil, can tolerate pollution, grows on nitrate rich soil

Prefers well drained and can grow in nutrient poor soils, semi or no shade, moist soils

Well drained and moist or wet soil, grows in semi shade or no shade

Grows in light to heavy soil, cannot grow in shade, can tolerate drought, likes wet soil

Common in scrubby ground, forest grounds, growing along the ground

Grown in coppice, fast growth in juvenile state

Occurrence in forest edges and overgrown pastures, light demanding

Fast growing, sprouting through the roots, grows in semi shade and moist soils

Shade tolerant, typical climax species, regenerates in shade

Occurrence in most soils, but wet peat and poor nutrient sands

Pioneer species, sign of early succession, stable forests in wet soil

Prefers light in juvenile phase, cannot compete in shade, grows well in poorly drained areas

Plant specifics

(Plant specifics according to – Larsen, Rasmussen, Callesen, 2007; Plants for a future, 2016; Klotz et al., 2002)

English name

Latin name

According to the Danish Nature Agency following trees, shrubs and weed grow on an extensive pasture:

The extensive pasture is located next to the park in Ørestad north in the area called Amagerfælled, it is a very well-known and used area for recreational activities like running, biking or walking.

Besides the artificial hills that were built for training purposes for the military, the area is almost flat. To provide a good condition of the pasture, there is no need of intensive measures like fertilization, plantings, spraying with herbicide, but rather allowing natural processes to occur.

To maintain the pasture it is enough to introduce grazing, to keep the trees and shrubs from overgrowing the area or if grazing is not an option, due to the fact that cows or sheep would be too close to residential areas, mowing the grass twice a year is enough to keep the character of the pasture, but still allowing the area to transform over time. (Naturstyrelsen 2016a)

EXTENSIVE PASTURE

ØRESTAD CITY

PLANTLISTS

Common rush Soft rush Heat rush Purple moon grass Mat-grass

Juncus conglomeratus Juncus effusus Juncus squarrosus Molinia caerulea Nardus stricta

In fertile and peaty dry to wet soils, spreads through rhizomes

Moist heathland and bogs, in sandy to peaty and semi dry to wet soils

Wet pastures, bog and damp woods, moist to wet, can grow in water, semi to no shade

Wet pastures, bog and damp woods, moist to wet, can grow in water, semi to no shade

Wet pastures, bog and damp woods, moist to wet, can grow in water, semi to no shade

Semi or no shade, prefers moist soil, grows in boggy meadows and sandy or peaty clearings

44

PLANTS

(Plant specifics according to – Larsen, Rasmussen, Callesen, 2007; Plants for a future, 2016; Klotz et al., 2002)

Meadows, pastures, fresh and damp woods, moist soil, semi to no shade

Wet and boggy spots, moist soil, in semi to no shade

Moist soil, semi to no shade, in grasslands, heath and bog

Devil's bit scabious

Marsh gentia

Gentiana pneumonanthe

Sandy or peat soil, between shrubs, prefers moist soil

Succisa pratensis

Heath grass

Danthonia decumbens

Marshes and bogs, in wet soils, semi to no shade

Sphagnum moss

Marsh cinquefoil

Comarum palustre

Prefers semi light and shade, grows on wet and moist meadows, no nitrate fertilisation

Sphagnum cymbilifolium

Swams sedges

Carex panicea

x x x x x x

x x x x x

Trees

Wet x

Dry

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Herbs and Grasses

Fast growing, sprouting through the roots, grows in semi shade and moist soils

Tormentil

Common aspen

Popolus tramula

Shade tolerant, grows into the canopy, is a gap specialist

Potentilla erecta

European ash

Fraxinus excelsior

Pioneer species, common in wet areas

Well drained to moist soils, semi to no shade, in light woodlands

Downy birch

Betula pubescens

Pioneer species, sign of early succession, stable forests in wet soil

Hair-cap moss

Silver birch

Betula pendula

Pioneer species, sign of early succession, stable forests in wet soil

Polytrichum juniperinum

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera

Prefers light in juvenile phase, cannot compete in shade, grows well in poorly drained areas

In wet boggy moorlands, very rare

Common alder

Alnus glutinosa

Plant specifics

Narthecium ossifragum Bog asphodel

English name

Latin name

According to the Danish Nature Agency following trees and weeds grow on a wetland:

Wetlands, fresh meadows and moors are based on a wet, undrained or flooded soil. Herbs and grasses grow rather low and are light demanding and it is not even necessary to mow or graze the area.

A wetland is a rather sensitive system that drives out plants that are not able to have their roots under water, which allows resistant plants to grow there. (Naturstyrelsen, 2016b) Drainage, water lowering and fertilization of wetter areas as an immense impact and can, if done too intensive destroy the habitat or it will vanish as a result of it. Though it is important to clear out unwanted overgrowth of upcoming trees and shrubs, this will allow the area to have a more open character. (Naturstyrelsen, 2016e)

WETLAND

ØRESTAD SOUTH

PLANTLISTS

Common alder Silver birch Common hawthorn Common beech Common aspen

Common hazel Cotoneaster Sea-buckthorne Dog rose Blackberry Elderberry White Meadowsweet Sea thrift Sea clubrush Red fescue Blackgrass Common Reed Sea plantain Common saltmarsh grass Glassworth Grey club-rush Common cord grass Strawberry clover Sea arrow grass

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula

Coryllus avellana Cotoneaster ssp.

Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Armeria maritima Bolboschoenus maritimus Festuca rubra Juncus gerardii Phragmites australis Plantago maritima Puccinellia maritima Salicornia europaea Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Spartina anglica Trifolium fragiferum Triglochin maritima

In moist or periodically flooded soils, wide spread along coast lines

Salty marshes and grassy places near the sea, wet soil, grows also in water, prefers sunny spots

In poorly drained and wet soils, cannot grow in shade

Tidal muds, moist to wet soils, in semi to no shade,

Grows in shallow water in rivers and lakes, tolerating salt water, semi to no shade

Coastal sandy marshes and meadows, cannot grow in shade, dry to moist soil

Grows well on meadows and marshes, tolerates salt and salt treated roads

In salt marshes, moist to wet soils, prefers sunny spots,

Moist or wet soil, can even grow in water,semi or no shade

Vegetative rhizome growth, colonial population, doesn't like water fluctuations

Used as a turf grass and ground cover, can be left un-mown or occasionally trimmed

In wet habitats, tolerates shade and salt

46

PLANTS

x

x

x x x x x

x x x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Shrubs

x

x

x

x

Trees

Wet x

Dry

x x

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Herbs and Grasses Well drained and moist soil, light demanding, can tolerate drought

Semi or no shade, prefers moist soil

Semi or no shade, moist soil, can tolerate pollution, grows on nitrate rich soil

Prefers well drained and can grow in nutrient poor soils, semi or no shade, moist soils

Well drained and heavy soil, grows in semi shade or no shade, moist or wet soil

Grows in light to heavy soil, cannot grow in shade, can tolerate drought, likes wet soil

Common in scrubby ground, forest grounds, growing along the ground

Grown in coppice, fast growth in juvenile state

Fast growing, sprouting through the roots, grows in semi shade and moist soils

Shade tolerant, typical climax species, regenerates in shade

Occurrence in most soils, but wet peat and poor nutrient sands

Pioneer species, sign of early succession, stable forests in wet soil

Light in juvenile phase, cannot compete in shade, grows well in poorly drained areas

Plant specifics

(Plant specifics according to – Larsen, Rasmussen, Callesen, 2007; Plants for a future, 2016; Klotz et al., 2002)

Tripolium pannonicum Sea aster

English name

Latin name

According to the Danish Nature Agency following trees and weeds grow on a coastal meadow:

As part of the nature park was under water before the Second World War, and it is still surrounded by it, habitats like the coastal meadow could develop. Plants that are part of this habitat are very water resistant and also tolerate salt better that other plants.

The soil those meadows grow on is very sandy and rather saturated. As for the maintenance, it can be very extensive, the plants are rather hardy and have a rather low growth, in earlier days those meadows were also used for grazing, but due to that intensive use a lot of the areas were damaged through that. (Naturstyrelsen, 2016c)

COASTAL MEADOW

OTHER COMMUNITIES

PLANTLISTS

Common Reed Canary grass Bur reed Small reed mace Yellow flag

Frogbit Common duckweed White water lily Water knotweed Broad-leaved pondweed Water soldiers

Phragmites australis Phalaris arundinacea Sparganium erectum Typha angustifolia Iris pseudacorus

Hydrocharis morsusranae Lemna minor Nymphaea alba Persicaria amphibia Potamogeton natans Stratiodes aloides

Boardering water

Wet ditches and ponds, warm and wind protected areas

Lakes, ponds and ditches, less than 1m deep, cannot grow in shade

Lakes,ponds and slow flowing streams, also on river banks, semi or no shade

Marshes, ponds, slow moving streams and lakes, prefers sunny spots

Occurs in still water, grows in sunny spots

In swamps and lakes, prefers sunny spots

In the water

Damp and marshy areas, swampy woods and in shallow waters, semi to no shade

In water up to 15cm deep or wet soil, cannot grow in the shade

Muddy or peaty shores and shallow water, in wet soil, grows in water, from full to no no shade

Wet places and shallow water, semi to no shade, dry moist to wet soil

Moist or wet soil, can even grow in water,semi or no shade

Plant specifics

Common bent Hard fescue Chewing festuce Red fescue Slender creeping red festuce Perennial ryegrass Spreading blue grass

Argostis capillaris Festuca brevipila Festuca nigrescens Festuca rubra Festuca trichophylla Lolium perenne Poa pratensis

Meadows and grassy places, also found in dunes, grows in moist soils, cannot grow in the shade

Meadows and weedy places, moist soils, cannot grow in the shade, tolerate to drought and atmospheric polluntion

Moist and fresh meadows, in sandy to peaty and semi dry to wet soils

Used as a turf grass and ground cover, can be left un-mown or occasionally trimmed

No special soil requirements, grows in semi shade

Occurs in dry and sandy soils but also in fresh meadows, is wide spread, grows along streets and hills

Moist grassland and open meadows, grows also on very disturbed areas, poorly drained to dry soil

Plant specifics

48

PLANTS

(Plant specifics according to – Plants for a future, 2016; Klotz et al., 2002; Müller-Beck, 2016)

English name

Latin name

According to the Deutsche Rasengesellschaft following the following seed mixture should be used for a RSM4:

Further, as the Golf course next to the middle park characterized itself not only through the function but also through the opposed elements of the wilder birch forest and the much maintained golf green. So to add to the site the green will also be implemented, creating a scaled down version of the golf course in a totally different surrounding.

(Plant specifics according to – Plants for a future, 2016; Klotz et al., 2002)

English name

Latin name

According to the Danish Nature Agency following trees and weeds grow in a water body:

Since there is a canal system going from north to south through Ørestad ending in a lake at the most southern point and also passing through or by the three parks. Plant communities in the water are also relevant to discuss and insert into the planting strategy. To mimic a natural planting in the project, plants enlisted in the designated protected habitat list from the nature agency were chosen, to make the plantings in the water bodies seem as natural as possible.

While those three habitats are directly bordering the parks, there are other planting communities and plant compositions that are needed to connect the design idea stronger to the nature park but also to the urban development. So to relate to the blue network to that runs through the area, with a more natural planting and aesthetics, inspirations were found in the lake habitats that also occur in the nature park, closely connected to the canals.

GOLF GREEN AND WATER BODIES

DESIGN

50

The next chapter will go into the three differnt project areas and how the plants were incorporated into the design, it will also elaborate the development over time of the developed plant communities and how they can be combined with activities.

OVERVIEW

DESIGN INTRODUCTION

52

DESIGN

The design is based on the connection that can be brought out through contrast. Like the built and the grown environment is mutually exclusive and mutually interdependent because like the built and the grown the urban development and the nature park have a radically different perspective on both of them it is the structures and constructions on one site and the seemingly natural on the other side. (Andersson, 2014) So the aim is not to break the contrast down by making the green spaces just look like the nature park, but create that look with the awareness that it is totally fake and man-made so it is actually not natural at all.

To enhance the contrast on the nature park side, by also introducing something native, but more organized to the nature park emphasizing special characteristic on the other side of the border, allowing for a connection to be formed through that, like having two standalone elements that are interlinked.

As a planting idea the green spaces in Ă˜restad need to be more selforganized and the plants introduced should mimic the ones in the nature park on the opposite side of the border to mirror the plant families and the wild appearance.

So the green spaces in Ă˜restad are more self-organized to reflect the nature park or rather a classical Danish landscape like it is described on by the nature agency. The landscape should create a feeling and the impression of wilderness. This can be achieved by implementing plant communities that are occurring in close relations to the site in the nature park, making a sort of dialogue between them.

The plantings in the nature park on the other site will be more rigid and should seem more controlled or designed showing what is happening, in the development area.

Native communities that are self-organized also react better to climate changes, as there will be a natural selection of species as the succession proceeds.

This can be related to Sieverts (1998) as he says that what people see as natural doesn’t actually have to be nature, it is most likely a cultural landscape and through that misconception people try to keep that aesthetic, as they think they save a certain type of nature. This is to be associated with the strict nature conservation ideologies and practices.

Self-organized areas are very changeable since they are not protected or preserved and are frozen in a specific time, not allowed to adapt to changes and new influences.

Important to note is that the species used in the nature park have to be native, this is relevant because invasive species could disturb the balance in the nature park.

DESIGN CONCEPT

LOCATION

ØRESTAD NORTH

WATER GUILD ØRESTAD

GF ØRESTAD NORTH

UNIVERSITETS HAVNER BOILGER

54

DESIGN

Regarding the ownership of the green space, the big green space between the buildings where the path leads along and the green spots along the street towards the northern side it is owner and it will be operated by the green space agency of Ørestad North. The green space inside the s-shaped building, which is called Boligslangen that stretches over the canal is owned and operated by the university garden and building agency, the area surrounding the Tietgen dormitory is owned and operated by them and the green space south of the canal and along the concert building is owned and operated by Denmark Radio.

The first spot is in the northern part of Ørestad or Ørestad North, which is the quarter that is nearly completed. The green space is called Grønningen and is surrounded by residential buildings and student housing, it should act as a meeting point for the people from the residential areas. Aesthetically the green spaces is just grass area and feels rather empty and because it is surrounded be all the up to eight story high buildings it feels very over viewed by the flats that surround it because it is so open and wide. There was an attempt to bring in more vegetation towards the street where the path crosses and enters the nature park, but it is rather weak to consider it a link, as the planting doesn’t really relate to the plants in the nature park at all. The activities that are there are very punctual and don’t take advantage of the big empty space.

PARK ØRESTAD NORTH

OWNER + OPERATOR

DANMARK RADIO

TIETGEN

VISUALISATION

ØRESTAD NORTH

56

DESIGN

CANAL

The main narrative for the design idea lies in the curvy landscape canal, as it runs through both the green space in the urban development and the nature park. So the canals acts as a connecting element between the two sides, it will be used as a symbol to bring in the wilder aspect to Ørestad and the tamed and organized nature of the maintained green space, as the characters are exchanged through the reflection of the water.

It should seem like the canal brings the wild plants from the nature park, just like rives can transport seed and through that spreads plants, so the plantings make it seem that the vegetation and plant communities are spreading out from the canal into the area.

To make it even more seem like a natural area, there will be spots that are artificially hydrated by connecting them to the storm water management structure, to simulate an overflowing riverbed and through that a variation of plants that can occur in wetter areas.

On the nature park side the plants will be more maintained and planted in a more rigid matter standing out of the usual vegetation relating back to the development area.

The more organized character of the trees along the path will lead all the way down to the Grønjordssøen, where the canal goes beyond the lakefront into the lake, but without actually connecting the water bodies that shows that a relation and a connection can be made without a physical link, but rather through the contrast that occurs.

The trees in the nature park will develop over time and eventually form a wall like structure, so that the canal and the tree appear to be a city boulevard that is placed in the wild. Besides the plants also furniture for different used will be introduced to add another layer of use to the area.

PARK ØRESTAD NORTH

11

DETAIL 1

12

7

1

2

13

10

ØRESTAD NORTH

6

3

5

4

SHRUBS

TREES

DRY GRASS

WET GRASS

FURNITURE

STREET

PATH

ORGANIZED WATER BODY

NATURAL WATER BODY

DETAIL

SECTION LINE

BUILDINGS

9

25

GRØNJORDSSØEN

50

58

1:2.500

8

100

DETAIL 2

150 m

125

125

121

123

111

124

111

111

113

111

113

113

111

114

121

122 113

123

113

113

114

112

113

PLANT CODE

113

111

112

114

111

ØRESTAD NORTH

111

123

123

111

124

124

121

113

114

124

114

124

123

121 111

113

113

114

111

Trees with shrubby undergrowth on dry soil Shrubs on dry soil High grass on dry soil Trees with elevated crowns on wet soil Trees with shrubby undergrowth on wet soil Shrubs on wet soil High grass on wet soil Maintained trees on wet soil

112 113 114 121 122 123 124 125

DRY (1) OR WET (2)

3

1

2

PLANT TYPE

LOCATION

PLANT TYPES

SHUBS

GRASS

TREES

60

DESIGN

SOIL HYDRATION

WET

DRY

The diagrams underneath are the base for the planting code map as the left one shows the different heights of plants, where dark green are trees, medium green are shrubs and light green are the high grass. The dark and medium green overlap sometimes, this creates the codes 112 and 122. The diagram on the right shows the areas where the artificial hydration of the soil occurs.

Trees with elevated crowns on dry soil

111

Important aspects of the design are the plants and the way they are planted to create certain characters with different densities allowing visitors to see through some areas and other will appear as a wall like element. In this area there are nine different types of plant communities. They can be split up between wet and dry since some parts of the spots will have a more hydrated soil due to the hydration concept. This enables more plants to grow on the site.

As the site will be relating to the part of the nature park that is on the other site of the border namely the extensive pasture, the planting community for this site is inspired by that. The communities are a composition of the planting list of the extensive pasture type, they relate if the soil is wet or dry, if there are trees, trees and shrubs, just shrubs or high grass and herbs. The Planting types for this area are:

CODES

121

114

113

112

111

5

5

5

5

15

15

15

15

Ă˜RESTAD NORTH

25

25

25

25

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Prunus avium Corylus avelana Cotoneaster ssp.

Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Agrostis capillaris Aira praecox Dactylis glomerata Euphrasia stricta Festuca ovina Myosotis ramosissima Saxifraga granulata

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Agrostis capillaris Festuca ovina Saxifraga granulata

Agrostis capillaris Aira praecox Carlina vulgaris Cerastium semidecandrum Dactylis glomerata Euphrasia stricta Festuca ovina Gentiana acaulis Myosotis ramosissima Ranunculus bulbosus Rhinanthus minor Saxifraga granulata

YEARS

Corylus avelana Cotoneaster ssp Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Agrostis capillaris Euphrasia stricta Saxifraga granulat

YEARS

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Prunus avium Agrostis capillaris Aira praecox Dactylis glomerata Euphrasia stricta Festuca ovina Myosotis ramosissima Saxifraga granulata

125

124

123

122

PLANT COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT

15

15

15

25

25

25

5

5

62

DESIGN

15

15

25

25

The sections here show the development of the plant communities over time, from the first area in Ă˜restad North. As the area has both, wet and dry areas the planting compositions differ in their appearance, as a result of some species can’t grow in wet soil while other prefer it and vice versa. The different plants function therefore as indicator of where the various kinds of soil are. Due to the specifics of the inspired habitat the area is also richer in flowers. The aesthetics displayed on this spread also show how much effort has to be put into maintenance, while trees and shrubs mostly need a bit of pruning, the grass area needs a bi-yearly mow. The last planting type should be more maintained, also the area underneath should be kept rather short.

5

5

5

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Corylus avelana Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Festuca ovina Saxifraga granulata

YEARS

YEARS

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula

Agrostis capillaris Festuca ovina Ranunculus bulbosus Rhinanthus minor Saxifraga granulata

Corylus avelana Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Festuca ovina Saxifraga granulata

YEARS

YEARS

5

4

3

2

1

112

114

123

122

SECTIONS 1:100

ØRESTAD NORTH

123

113

123

111

122

9

8

7

6

112

125

125

124

64

DESIGN

125

125

112

111

13

12

11

10

113

113

124

123

SECTIONS 1:100

ØRESTAD NORTH

112

112

113

111

GRØNJORDSSØEN

66

DESIGN

DETAILS 1:300

TREES

NATURE PARK

CANAL

PATH

TREES

SHRUBS

NATURE PARK

URBAN PARK

CANAL

PATH

SIDE WALK

STREET

LOCATION

ØRESTAD CITY

GF ØRESTAD CITY

68

DESIGN

The second spot is in the part of Ørestad City, which is in the middle of the area and is also rather developed. The area contains the Bellacenter, which is a convention center with the Bella sky tower, the tower is a landmark for the area and is visible from far way, like a guide to the area. Also, a big shopping center that functions as a kind of hotspot of the area since it is attractive due to the numerous shops and other facilities it contains. There are also a lot of residential buildings that are special in their design and mixed office buildings. There will be a new building project in the area called Ørestad Downtown and this project should create a social and functional center of that part.

The green space that will be transformed in this project is in the middle of residential buildings and is called the Ørestad city park. It was designed with the help of the inhabitants of the surrounding buildings.

The result of that was a vast, open green space, just like the one in the northern part, but the design also includes artificial hills that serve different functions that were demanded by the neighbours. The problem with this park is that the mixture between those hills and the big open green spaces doesn’t work well together, as the uses and plantings don’t really respect the soil formations and the grass area seems dull, as the space is so big.

Landscape architecture firms tried to improve the park by bringing in trees that had to be removed from other sites. This increased the amount of different species in the space, but that doesn’t imply that they form a working habitat for new plants to be attracted and animals to live in. The entire area is owned and operated by the Ørestad City green space agency.

ØRESTAD CITYPARK

OWNER + OPERATOR

WATER GUILD ØRESTAD

VISUALISATION

ØRESTAD CITY

70

DESIGN

GOLF COURSE

As the park is in between residential buildings it is important to create a space that allows for some more private settings, but it should also strengthen the social construct between the people living there and the visitors.

The golf course right in front of the park is a mix of strong and selforganized areas, it is very interesting how the forest in the course is trying to mimic a natural Danish landscape on one hand and on the other introduces a landscape that is probably the most controlled one.

So by scaling down the scheme of the golf course and fitting it into the city park are, direct relation between those two is created, the connection would even be stronger, if the street that goes between the park and the golf course would be redirected, allowing an easy transition between those areas. Also, the design foresees an implementation of an artificial topography, this is necessary as the soil in the park was compressed during the construction of the building.

The so introduced hills will allow trees to grow and will also be the areas that are wilder relating to the plant communities in the nature park. The flat areas surrounding the hills are going to look like the green of the golf course, as the green is an indication in the golf course where the activities take place, the green in the urban park will have the same functions and will be equipped with different kinds of playgrounds and sports fields. The forested parts on the other hand can be used as a more private place as it is set back from the green.

As the golf course is built in a wet area the forest is more or less established in a wetland. This characteristic will also be implemented into the park, by taking some water from the storm water management system and releasing it on the top of the hills like an open facet, so the water can find a way to spread over the hills, establishing wetlands and allowing plants to grow that are specific to wet areas.

During night time the hills will be illuminated with spotlights in varying colors and sizes to create a calming and magical setting, through that the element that seems potentially unsafe during night time can change its atmosphere and use.

DESIGN IDEA

FURNITURE WET GRASS DRY GRASS TREES SHRUBS

SECTION LINE HILL

PATH STREET

4

BUILDINGS

1

2

25

3

50

1:2.500

100

ØRESTAD CITY

150 m

72

DESIGN

DENSE SOIL

LOOSE SOIL

The diagram in the bottom shows the concept of taking away the condensed soil and replacing it, while also creating hills to form the topography of the landscape, so that trees can grow higher and it is easier for the roots to build a stable foundation in the soil.

Due to the construction work that occurred in the area, to build the residential buildings, the soil of the green space got compressed in the process.

As such, a compression is prohibiting trees to grow and prevents the soil from getting hydrated to establish wetter areas; the soil has to be prepared for that.

Loosening up the top layer should be enough for the green and the other grasses and herbs to grow, so the ills have a kind of double function, they highlight the more natural areas and they are a suitable foundation for taller trees.

The map shows the design of the park as well as the distribution of the hills over the area and the pathways, with two rather straight, each other crossing paths that led through the area and several smaller paths that allow access to the buildings.

To keep the immediate area in front of the buildings more private there are no pathways along them, so even though the flats on the ground floor don’t have direct access to the park by not having people walking by just right in front of the windows, the immediate space becomes part of the small balconies to open up the space for the residents.

PLAN DETAILS

212

212

212 222

212

212

222

212

212

212

222

211

211

221

221

211

222

212

212

222

212

222

212

212

PLANT CODES

222

221

211

221 211

211

211

211

ØRESTAD CITY

212

221

211

212

222

212

Coppice on dry soil Golf green Trees with elevated crowns on wet soil Coppice on wet soil

212 213 221 222

DRY (1) OR WET (2)

3

2

1

PLANT TYPE

LOCATION

PLANT TYPES

SHUBS

GRASS

TREES

74

DESIGN

SOIL HYDRATION

WET

DRY

The diagrams underneath are the base for the planting code map as the left one shows the different heights of plants, where dark green are trees, medium green are shrubs and light green are the high grass. The diagram on the right shows the areas where the artificial hydration of the soil occurs.

Trees with elevated crowns on dry soil

211

Important aspects of the design are the plants and the way they are planted to create certain characters with different densities allowing visitors to see through some areas and other will appear as a wall like element.

For this area there are five different types of plant communities. They can be split up between wet and dry since some parts of the spots will have a more hydrated soil due to the hydration concept. This enables more plants to grow on the site.

The site will relate to the wetland type, but on the other side is also the golf course, so there are elements like the green and the birch forest that are included into the planting communities. The codes can be divided into wet and dry soil and if the birch forest has elevated crowns or if it is maintained like a coppice forest.

CODES

213

212

211

5

5

5

15

15

15

Ă˜RESTAD CITY

25

25

25

YEARS

YEARS

Argostis capillaris Festuca brevipila Festuca nigrescens Festuca rubra Festuca trichophylla Lolium perenne Poa pratensis

Alnus glutinosa Betula papyrifera Betula pendula Betula pubescens Fraxinus excelsior Popolus tramula Danthonia decumbens Molinia caerulea Nardus stricta Polytrichum juniperinum

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula papyrifera Betula pendula Betula pubescens Fraxinus excelsior Popolus tramula Danthonia decumbens Molinia caerulea Nardus stricta Polytrichum juniperinum

222

221

PLANT COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT

15

15

25

25

76

DESIGN

The sections here show the development of the plant communities over time, from the second spot. The area will consist out of a mix between a rather open forest and a coppice forest. Due to their management they will have different densities, which is influencing the plants that grow underneath the trees, as there will be more or less light coming through.

Besides the more organized areas the rest of the space will look like a golf course green, building up a contrast in the planting schemes.

5

5

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula papyrifera Betula pendula Betula pubescens Fraxinus excelsior Popolus tramula Danthonia decumbens Molinia caerulea Nardus stricta Narthecium ossifragum Polytrichum juniperinum

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula papyrifera Betula pendula Betula pubescens Fraxinus excelsior Popolus tramula Carex panicea Comarum palustre Danthonia decumbens Juncus conglomeratus Juncus effusus Juncus squarrosus Molinia caerulea Nardus stricta Narthecium ossifragum Polytrichum juniperinum Potentilla erecta Sphagnum cymbilifolium Succisa pratensis

12

12

213

222

SECTIONS 1:100

211

ØRESTAD CITY

221

213

4

3

78

DESIGN

211

213

LOCATION

ØRESTAD SOUTH

BY OG HAVN

HOFOR

80

DESIGN

The third spot is the lake and the green fingers reaching over it and it is located in Ørestad South on the most southern tip of the development area. The entire southern part is for most of it under construction, in the north it is very much connected to Ørestad city, and in the middle a kind of a sub-part, the Arena Kvartier, which is a residential area surrounding the new arena, is being built right now.

The buildings surrounding the spot are residential buildings with an average of seven to eight levels and a few shops on the ground floor, they also are right next to the lake, so the people living in there have a direct few over the lake into the nature park.

The buildings frame the green strips that lead towards the water body and create a window into the nature park. Continuing into the lake like fingers the strips end up as bridges so the people can cross the water to enter the nature park. The green segments are like the other green spaces in Ørestad rather boring and plain. There are single play elements placed along the way, but beside that not much furniture and design effort was put into the place, one thing that is an interesting feature is that there is no railing on the side of the lake so it is accessible for the visitors.

To create a slight slope for all the water canals, so that the water can go from north to south the area was slightly lifted, but there was a mistake in the calculation so the path after the bridge on the nature park side is lower than the lake and therefore it is not possible to have a direct view from the nature park into the streets of Ørestad south, this also creates a kind of separation and exclusion.

The strips that lead into the water and the green space of the three streets is owned and operated by the Ørestad South green space agency and the path along the lake on the nature park side is owned and operated

by By og Havn.

GREEN SPACE ØRESTAD SOUTH

OWNER + OPERATOR

WATER GUILD ØRESTAD

GF ØRESTAD SOUTH

VISUALISATION

ØRESTAD SOUTH

82

DESIGN

LAKE

The lake can be seen as a key element in the design, it can be perceived as a mirror that reflects the one side to the other and it is supposed to bring in the nature in the constructed and the build in the wild part; it is on the very southern tip of Ă˜restad and it borders the nature park. The opposite sides of the lake should display the contrast between tamed and wild.

Also, the lake will have a wilder, more natural aesthetic and allows plants to grow onto the buildings to disguise them as something more natural.

Boulevard like structures will be continued over the lake and implemented into the nature park, as rows of trees that are more organized and so stand out of the wild vegetation in the park, also the rows will develop over time and grow into a wall-like structure guiding the view from the street beyond the lake and far into the nature park.

Like a picture frame holding an artwork that is preserved over time, the trees frame a landscape that is preserved in its current state.

The green spaces in the development are inspired by the nature, plant communities and activities that are occurring on the other side of the lake. Similar to the other spots there are different types of plantcommunities spreading around the area, making it seem, like it is natural.

Other elements are the islands in the middle of the lake, they are made out of plastic elements that float in the water and in the middle there is the possibility to add soil from the nature park.

There will be no planned planting on those islands, but instead there will be an accumulation of seeds and plants that are brought in by animals or the wind or that were already in the soil and through that the islands will be an example of the natural succession of the nature area as there will also be no maintenance, but the plants grow on the island on their own.

DESIGN IDEA

50

100

150 m

PATH

1:2.500

SHRUBS

TREES

DRY GRASS

NATURAL WATER BODY 25

WET GRASS ISLAND

ORGANIZED WATER BODY

FURNITURE

SECTION LINE

4

STREET

6

8

7

3

BUILDINGS

5

2

1

ØRESTAD SOUTH

84

DESIGN

BEFORE

VIEW

The diagram on the bottom shows the height difference between Ørestad south and the nature park, how the path on the side of the nature park is lower due to the miscalculations of the slope. After the implementation of this idea, the path will be elevated and will allow the view into the streets of Ørestad, which was not possible before.

The map shows the different types of plants, as well as furniture elements which are spread alongside it; the paths are straight through the area, with the view into the nature park as a guide. The islands in the lake have a very structural shape, but as described will probably be the most natural element in this area.

The lake is partly formed by the ditches that were there historically and due to this the shape of the path on the nature park side is kept in that matter, to relate back to that former use.

In the lake there are floating islands, they are made out of plastic elements in combination with planting beds, to make the plants float on the lakes. The plastic should be nontoxic to make sure the water doesn’t get contaminated and the construction should allow plants to grow through the island into the water.

As the lake is used as a retention basin, as part of the storm water management solution of Ørestad the water runs off from the roofs of the buildings and might have some particles and other pollutants in it.

The floating island can help to filter the dirt out and through that the water quality improves.

What grows of the islands should be totally random, in the sense that soil from the nature park should be used to fill the planting beds and everything that’s in it can grow, through that a natural succession occurs.

PLAN DETAILS

AFTER

314 325

325

324

314

324

325

313

323

312

312

314

314

311

324

311

324

324

222

311

314

314

PLANT CODE

314

ØRESTAD SOUTH

314

312

311

313

312

323

313

324

314

314

311

314

314

325

311

314

311

314

314

Trees with shrubby undergrowth on dry soil Shrubs on dry soil High grass on dry soil Trees with elevated crowns on wet soil Trees with shrubby undergrowth on wet soil Shrubs on wet soil High grass on wet soil Maintained trees on wet soil

312 313 314 321 322 323 324 325

2

3

PLANT TYPE

DRY (1) OR WET (2)

3

LOCATION

PLANT TYPES

SHUBS

GRASS

TREES

86

DESIGN

SOIL HYDRATION

WET

DRY

The diagrams underneath are the base for the planting code map as the left one shows the different heights of plants, where dark green are trees, medium green are shrubs and light green are the high grass. The dark and medium green overlap sometimes, this creates the codes 312 and 322. The diagram on the right shows the areas where the artificial hydration of the soil occurs.

Trees with elevated crowns on dry soil

311

The plants and the way they are planted to create certain characters with different densities allowing visitors to see through some areas and other will appear as a wall like element. For this area there are nine different types of plant communities. They can be split up between wet and dry since some parts of the spots will have a more hydrated soil due to the hydration concept. This enables more plants to grow on the site.

As the site will be relating to the part of the nature park that is on the other site of the border namely the coastal meadow, the planting community for this site is inspired by that. The communities are a composition of the planting list of the extensive pasture type, they relate if the soil is wet or dry, if there are trees, trees and shrubs, just shrubs or high grass and herbs. The Planting types for this area are:

CODES

321

314

313

312

311

5

5

5

5

15

15

15

15

Ă˜RESTAD SOUTH

25

25

25

25

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Coryllus avellana Cotoneaster ssp.

Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Juncus gerardii Plantago maritima

YEARS

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Bolboschoenus sp Juncus gerardii Phragmites australis Puccinellia maritima Schoenoplectus sp.

Spartina anglica Tripolium pannonicum

Armeria maritima Festuca rubra Juncus gerardii Plantago maritima Puccinellia maritima Salicornia europaea

Coryllus avellana Cotoneaster ssp.

Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Juncus gerardii Plantago maritima

YEARS

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Crategus monogyna Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Juncus gerardii Plantago maritima

325

324

323

322

PLANT COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT

15

15

15

25

25

25

5

5

88

DESIGN

15

15

25

25

The sections here show the development of the plant communities over time, from the first area in Ă˜restad North. As the area has both, wet and dry areas the planting compositions differ in their appearance, as a result of some species can’t grow in wet soil while other prefer it and vice versa. The different plants function therefore as indicator of where the various kinds of soil are. Due to the specifics of the inspired habitat the area is also richer in sturdy and salt resistant plants. The aesthetics displayed on this spread also show how much effort has to be put into maintenance, while trees and shrubs mostly need a bit of pruning, the grass area needs a bi-yearly mow. The last planting type should be more maintained, also the area underneath should be kept rather short.

5

5

5

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula Coryllus avellana Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Armeria maritima Bolboschoenus sp.

Juncus gerardii Puccinellia maritima Tripolium pannonicum

YEARS

YEARS

YEARS

Alnus glutinosa Betula pendula Fagus sylvatica Popolus tremula

Armeria maritima Bolboschoenus sp.

Juncus gerardii Phragmites australis Plantago maritima Puccinellia maritima Salicornia europaea Schoenoplectus sp.

Spartina anglica Trifolium fragiferum Triglochin maritima Tripolium pannonicum

Coryllus avellana Hippophae rhamnoides Rosa canina Rubus fructicosus Sambucus nigra Spiraea alba Armeria maritima Bolboschoenus maritimus Juncus gerardii Puccinellia maritima Tripolium pannonicum

YEARS

YEARS

4

3

2

1

311

311

312

324

313

SECTIONS 1:100

ØRESTAD SOUTH

324

314

312

311

323

8

7

6

5

325

324

314

90

DESIGN

324

324

GREEN SPACES

MANAGEMENT

92

So to help the green space to develop a broad biodiversity, the care should be very extensive, like mowing the lawn twice or trice a year, trees and shrubs should not be intensively cut, unless they are disturbing activities or overgrow paths and other furniture.

Also, places that are intended to be traverse able should be cleared every other year or when necessary. This goes in hand with the climate adaptation ideas, as the maintenance does not strive to keep specific species, but rather work with the plants that grow in the green spaces on their own as they were attracted by other plant or brought in by animals.

The green spaces should cater to the needs of the neighbours and the people visiting, they should be able to do a variety of activities with and around the green spaces such as working out, playing games, hanging out with other people or just relaxing in the shade. To bring in an extra activity people can participate and help maintain the parks during events that should not only benefit the green space, but it should also create a sense of community and owner ship of the park, so that people appreciate it more.

To define if a space needs improvement, there are four categories mentioned in the strategy as a guideline on how to evaluate and work with the area.

• Biodiversity: The biodiversity should be strengthened in all cases to avoid a decline of species. In natural areas the biodiversity should be high with mostly native species having the wildness aspect in focus but also in the functional aspects of the space as well as the aesthetics.

• Climate adaptation: It should address the control of new species and weather extremes like could bursts and how to transform a green space to make it into a spot with a cooling effect for the surrounding buildings • Functionality: The spaces should be multifunctional and should have a variety of different functions to meet a variety of needs, but also resistant species for a probable high intensive use. The more selforganized the space is the more vulnerable is it to high intensive use since those areas are mostly rather undisturbed and all the uses that occur naturally are extensive.

• Spatiality: Changing seasons in the city influence the aesthetic, similar to light and shadow or different colours do, also a space with urban nature can have an immense effect on the atmosphere of a place. Urban nature also is able to improve architectural value for structures and even an entire district. (Copenhagen Municipality, 2015)

When implementing all those changes to make the different areas appear more natural, maintenance is an important element, to not only establish the character of the green spaces but also the workload and the possible costs in relation to the maintenance that will occur. A certain standard should be defined to see how much work should be put into the green space after implementation.

The urban nature strategy of the municipality of Copenhagen has fixated four points that define standards for urban nature spaces; this will be used as a guide to estimate how much the green spaces should be maintained.

MAINTENANCE

DISCUSSION + REFLECTION

OUTRO

94

The process of writing this thesis was a very dynamic one, beginning with a rather unclear idea that was connected with a missfitting location to transform the idea into a project. After several changes in location and attempts to make the idea clearer, all the development area of Ørestad was chosen to be the site for this thesis.

With the idea that to connect the area with the nature park that derived from the concept of the development strategy and the original idea to combine the built and the grown to create a hybrid between those two. After analyzing the two areas it became clear that one of them is very organized and controlled, whereas the other one is wild and maybe because of the more appreciated by people. The difference in organization among other things was what helped to find the areas that are worked within this project, for each area an element in it or around it was chosen to act as a design inspiration.

The planting strategy was defined, by looking at the habitats around the area. It is important to note that the plantings should develop over time and that final outcome is not specifically defined, but rather the planting codes should be a guideline in which direction the various segments should evolve.

The connecting idea is not only for the green spaces alone, but also for the people that use the space. In continuation to this project, a more concrete plan for the programming of the area is to has to be made, to connect the surrounding functions. As a next step, the connection between the build structures and the green spaces could be better defined, to make sure to find solutions how the built and the grown meet and maybe even to find ways to connect the physically.

REFLECTION

The Amager nature park seems so different from the green space in Ørestad. First of all it has a very wild character, as after it was used as military training ground it was opened up for the public, but there was no management or maintenance plan for the area so the plants just started to grow and the area began to manage itself.

It is interesting to see that something that was essentially left without a specific use could transform into something that allows people to use it in so many ways.

Also, the fact that the nature agency started to protect it as a nature park even though it is no different from all the cultural landscapes around Copenhagen just without people taking care of it, even the land the nature park is on is man-made.

If one relates back to that a ‘natural’ area can be created everywhere, the biggest factor of the transformation of something artificial to something natural is then probably time. Time is also integrated in the development of the different plant communities so that they can evolve and it is not expected that the green spaces look like a kind of nature immediately, so time in a way changes the character and aesthetics of the landscapes gradually. It becomes clear that the more maintained the area is the more it stays the same throughout the time. The self-organized types on the other hand evolve, change their appearance and allow different uses at different moments of the development. It is also not clear which plant species remain and which will be naturally introduced.

The green spaces in Ørestad as of right now are very blunt, they mainly consist out of grass area with a few sparse trees and they feel rather anonymous as not so many people use them.

The open character of the area makes it feel very watched and tangible and besides that the green spaces are enormous, open grass areas can be very appealing and are specific in their aesthetics, but in this case the parks in Ørestad are huge, it seems like every relation is lost. The problems in the three spots were similar, so for example all the spaces lack densities in planting in one of the spaces even landscape architects bring in trees that had to be removed from other sites, to add to the park.

The design foresees to bring in more plants into the area should help to scale down the spaces, as there will be differences in planting density, aesthetics and height to create a diverse experience.

The new connection between the nature park and the urban development should not only push the biodiversity, but also create new links for the people either living next to the transformed park so that the maybe explore the nature park or wake the interest of the visitors of the nature park to visit Ørestad.

Activities that occur around the park in the nature park will be integrated into the transformed green spaces, to create connectivity on a different level.

All the things mentioned should help transform the green spaces into more diverse areas and create a coherent connection between Ørestad and the Amager Nature Park.

DISCUSSION

PICTURES AND MAPS

REFERENCES

96

TEXT

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