The city of Copenhagen has taken a bold step towards reconnecting urban life with nature through the creation of Nordør – New Park in Nordhavn, a 30-hectare coastal park designed by renowned studio SLA, marking the city's most significant landscape project in over a decade; this ambitious initiative reimagines a former industrial site, transforming decades of construction debris into a vibrant, self-generating natural environment where beaches, sports grounds, playgrounds, lagoons, grasslands, forest edges, and marine reefs coexist harmoniously through minimal intervention, allowing natural processes to unfold organically over time rather than imposing rigid structures; the project stands as a climate-positive and biodiversity-rich model, actively sequestering more carbon than it emits while expanding habitats for rare species and creating a dynamic interface between land and sea; developed through an extensive community dialogue, it reflects the needs and aspirations of local residents, nature groups, and sports associations, offering both lively and contemplative spaces, from universally accessible recreational zones in the south to tranquil wilderness areas in the north prioritising wildlife observation; key features include The Stub, a 24-metre-high viewing tower, The Ore, a west-facing lagoon beach with small islands, and The Forest Edge, a one-kilometre species-rich woodland stretch—the longest in Copenhagen; Nordør not only elevates the city’s environmental resilience but also becomes a global exemplar for cities seeking to integrate ecological responsibility with urban identity, illustrating how landscape architecture can lead societal transformation by fostering daily, meaningful encounters with nature in densely populated settings. >
