NORDØR
NEW PARK IN NORDHAVN
Copenhagen is preparing for one of its most significant urban transformations in decades: the creation of a new 30-hectare coastal park in Nordhavn. Urban Agency, as part of Team SLA, will together realize this unique project which will become one of the capital’s largest green areas and a landmark example of how cities can reconnect with nature while providing space for community life, recreation, and biodiversity.
The park, named Nordør – New Park in Nordhavn, is built upon a unique foundation: the rugged landscape of slopes, ridges, and deposited soils left behind from years of construction activity. Rather than erasing this industrial past, the design refines and adapts it, turning an artificial terrain into a vibrant meeting point between people, city, and sea.
At its heart, Nordør is conceived as a place where nature and people coexist on equal terms. Minimal interventions shape the terrain into a mosaic of meadows, lagoons, beaches, forest edges, and marine reefs. These varied habitats preserve and expand the living conditions for rare species, while simultaneously offering Copenhageners spaces for sports, leisure, and quiet immersion in nature. Football pitches, playgrounds, activity zones, and universally accessible beaches are integrated with wilder areas, ensuring the park speaks to both everyday needs and deeper ecological resilience.
The project achieves a rare balance, providing room for biodiversity and climate-positive growth while at the same time creating generous opportunities for recreation. The park will act as a carbon sink, absorbing more CO₂ than it emits, and function as a biodiversity catalyst not only within its boundaries but also across the wider region.
A defining feature of Nordør is its variety of experiences. In the south, active facilities such as sports fields, a beach, and community spaces invite social interaction and outdoor activity. Moving north, the landscape transitions into quieter natural zones where wildlife takes priority, and visitors can observe birds, amphibians, and insects in close proximity. Landmarks such as a 24-meter-high viewpoint, a west-facing lagoon beach, and Copenhagen’s longest forest edge will give the park distinct identities within its larger framework.
In addition to the natural and recreational design, Urban Agency contributes through carefully placed architectural interventions – small-scale structures that act as “acupuncture points” across the site. These elements are deliberately minimal in footprint yet rich in impact, offering new ways for the public to engage with the landscape and its coastal setting. Our contributions will allow visitors to experience the park in multiple dimensions, seamlessly integrated into the broader ecological and social vision.
The development of Nordør has been rooted in an extensive dialogue process involving citizens, local organizations, and community groups. This collaborative foundation ensures that the park will serve as both a gathering point for everyday life and a sanctuary for nature. It also reflects Copenhagen’s broader ambition to remain a global leader in climate adaptation, urban livability, and nature-based design.
Nordør is not only a park but also a catalyst for the city’s future identity. It demonstrates how large-scale urban development can be shaped by natural processes rather than imposed upon them, and how public spaces can simultaneously respond to ecological imperatives and human needs. The project stands as a model for sustainable urbanism worldwide, rooted in Copenhagen’s tradition of democratic, inclusive, and forward-looking design.
Construction of the park is scheduled to begin in 2028. Once completed, Nordør will offer Copenhageners a unique coastal landscape where the boundaries between city and nature are redefined – a living, evolving space that will continue to grow alongside its community, climate, and environment.
Program: Coastal park
Size: 30 hectare
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: Municipality of Copenhagen, By og Havn
Collaborators: SLA, VITA engineers, Aaen Engineering, Pihlmann Architects, Buro Happold, Kerstin Bergendal, Holdbart and Aiming Spaces
Type: Winning competition, commission
Status: Ongoing
Team: Henning Stüben, Heechan Park, Gaspar Canepa, Kristen Van Haeren
Image credits: Team SLA
