URBAN LIFE ACCOUNTS TRENDS IN ’S URBAN LIFE 2010

1 MORE URBAN LIFE FOR ALL 95% of Copenhageners find it important or very important that their city offer a dynamic and varied urban life.* A good urban life is an important fact for the quality of life for Copenhageners, and it is one of Copenhagen’s advantages in the competition with other cities.

Therefore, Copenhagen has a vision of being a metropolis for people. A city with a diverse and unique urban life for all. We have set three goals for urban life in Copenhagen in 2015: More urban life for all, More people to walk more and More people to stay longer.

This booklet focuses on the first of the three goals: More urban life for all. The booklet presents a snapshot of activities and experiences in the city. On this background we take stock of urban life in Copenhagen on a general level and describe some development trends.

* Source: Catinét CONTENTS

1 URBAN LIFE IN COPENHAGEN Urban life in Copenhagen is exciting and varied Copenhagen’s 2015 objective 2010 status

2 URBAN LIFE MEANS OUTDOOR CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS A cafe latte, please! : twice as much outdoor seating as No. 2 Outdoor seating all year round METHOD Pedal-powered juice bar

The urban life accounts are based on figures from several studies, including counts and surveys of pedestrians and the recreational use of streets, city 3 URBAN LIFE MEANS PEACE AND QUIET squares and parks, two polls carried out by Catinét, a Ahhh... poll carried out by Megafon, a study of transport habits Urban life is about feeling safe carried out by the Technical University of and many other figures and statistics from the City of Copenhagen, Technical and Environmental Administration. Most of the figures are from 2010, although some date back to 2008 and 2009. 4 URBAN LIFE MEANS EVENTS In cases where the statistical uncertainty is particularly Events for all pronounced, this is mentioned in a note. Half of all events take place in the inner city The most popular events are concerts, exhibitions and markets Some of the raw data material is available on www.kk.dk. Women prefer markets and dancing Here you will also find additional information about urban Middle-aged Copenhageners go to the theatre, older Copenhageners go to life in Copenhagen to supplement the stories that have been neighbourhood parties highlighted in this booklet.

2 1. URBAN LIFE IN COPENHAGEN

URBAN LIFE IN COPENHAGEN IS EXCITING AND VARIED

All Copenhagen districts are characterized by a close network of public transportati- on and close access to green areas, water and urban spaces that offer a chance to re- lax, exercise or take part in cultural experiences. But there are variations in residents’ perceptions of the quality of the facilities and their distance from the home.

In 2010, we asked the Copenhageners how satisfied they were with urban life. The poll found that Copenhageners generally find the city exciting, dynamic and varied, and that some districts in particular are perceived as inspiring.

TOP 10 DISTRICTS WHERE A LARGE SHARE OF THE RESI- DENTS FEEL THAT THEY LIVE IN A NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH A GOOD MIX OF HOMES, CULTURE, WORKPLACES, SHOPS AND AN ATTRACTIVE URBAN LIFE OVERALL

1. Inner city 2. Vesterbro / Kongens Enghave 3. Østerbro 4. Nørrebro 5. Vanløse 6. Copenhagen is dynamic and varied 88% 7. Amager east There are lots of exciting things going on in the city 85% 8. Amager west Urban life in Copenhagen is boring, there is not enough going on 5% 9. Brønshøj- 10.

Source: Catinét. The list has some statistical uncertainty. Source: Megafon. 3 COPENHAGEN’S 2015 GOAL BY 2015, 80% OF COPENHAGENERS SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAKING PART IN URBAN LIFE.

2010 status IN 2010, 89% OF COPENHAGENERS WERE SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAKING PART IN URBAN LIFE.

THE 2015 GOAL IS THAT 80% SHOULD BE SATISFIED. 2015 GAOL 100% 90% The City of Copenhagen has a Goal for 2015 80% goal of reaching a level of 80% 70% satisfaction with urban life by 2015. 60% This objective was reached already 50% by 2010, in part thanks to initiatives 40% that make it easier to organize events 30% and activities in the urban space and 20% increase accessibility in the city. 10% 0% 2010 2011 The goal was set before the first measurement in 2010. Source: Voxmeter 4 2010 status

2010 status NEIGHBOURHOODS WITH THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST LEVELS OF SATISFACTION Even though a very high share of Copenhageners – 89% – choose ”satisfied” or ”very satisfied” in reply to the general question about their opportunities for taking part in Highest satisfaction: Lowest satisfaction: urban life, the picture changes when residents are asked to assess individual aspects How satisfied are you with the distance of urban life. Here, satisfaction varies considerably, from a high level of satisfaction to blue and green areas? Brønshøj-Husum Nørrebro with distance to stores to a somewhat lower level of satisfaction with the design of How satisfied are you with the facilities in local recreational urban spaces. blue and green areas? Østerbro Nørrebro How satisfied are you with the distance to Inner city local recreational urban spaces? and Bispebjerg Satisfaction with the availability of activities for children in Copenhagen 51% How satisfied are you with the facilities in Inner city Satisfaction with the availability of activities for young people in Copenhagen 56% local recreational urban spaces? og Christianshavn Bispebjerg Satisfaction with the availability of activities for elderly people in Copenhagen 45% How satisfied are you with the availability Vanløse and Satisfaction with the ability to use local outdoor areas for exercise purposes 68% of peace and quiet in your local area? Brønshøj-Husum Nørrebro Satisfaction with the availability of outdoor seating in local cafés and restaurants 79% How satisfied are you with the walking Inner city Satisfaction with the opportunities for playing in the local urban space 63% distance to public transportation? and Christianshavn Amager west Satisfaction with the availability of peace and quiet in the local area 59% Satisfaction with the distance to green areas 77% The list has a certain statistical uncertainty. Source: Catinét. Satisfaction with the distance to local recreational urban spaces 59% Satisfaction with distance to playgrounds 78% Satisfaction with distance to facilities for sports, play and physical activity 60% Satisfaction with distance to public transportation 86% Satisfaction with distance to stores 86% Satisfaction with the facilities in blue and green areas 64% Satisfaction with the facilities in local recreational urban spaces 40% Satisfaction with accessibility in Copenhagen 41%* Feel safe outdoors in the city after dark 57% Feel safe outdoors in the city during the daytime 71%

(*The objective for satisfaction with accessibility is 50%) Replies of “do not know” or “not applicable” are not factored in. Source: Catinét and Megafon. 5 2.URBAN LIFE MEANS OUTDOOR CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS

A CAFE LATTE, PLEASE!

Copenhageners have come to enjoy having their coffee al fresco. As soon as the sun peeks out, the city squares are packed with café goers. Warm blankets and gas heaters extend the outdoor season from early spring until well into autumn, in some places even all year round.

In 2010, the City of Copenhagen issued 450 permits for outdoor seating, which is an estimated 11,500 seats. The number of seats is an estimate because restaurants do not declare how many chairs or benches they put up. The calculation is based on the size of the areas in question. This area is divided by 0.75 based on the estimated size of an outdoor seat of approximately 0.75 square metres.

Most of the outdoor seating is found in the inner city, including Christianshavn, which has an estimated 7,053 seats, 61% of the total number in Copenhagen.

number of permits number of seats (estimated) Inner city + Christianshavn 266 7,053 Vesterbro, incl. Kgs. Enghave 68 1,596 Amager west 33 560 Nørrebro 29 764 Østerbro incl. Fælledparken 22 764 Amager east 13 473 Valby 10 280 Vanløse 4 52 Brønshøj/Husum 3 31 Bispebjerg 2 4

Number of seats is estimated. Source: Copenhagen Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen

6 NYHAVN: TWICE AS MUCH OUTDOOR SEATING AS NO. 2 OUTDOOR SEATING ALL YEAR ROUND

It is hardly a surprise to Copenhageners or visitors to the city that Nyhavn is the area Only 1% of Copenhageners state that they never sit outdoors in a café or a restau- with the largest amount of outdoor seating. With a total of 26 permits and an esti- rant. Outdoor service is used by virtually all Copenhageners, and even in winter, as mated 1,324 seats, Nyhavn has more than twice as much as Gråbrødre Torv, which many as 14% have their coffee or pizza outside at least a couple of times a month. comes second. Generally, 92% of the Copenhageners are satisfied with the availability of outdoor in Nørrebro and Havneparken in are the only two seating in cafés and restaurants in the city, although not everybody is equally satis- areas in the Top 10 list that are not in the inner city. fied with the availability in their own local area. Here, 78% are satisfied with availa- bility, while 10% are downright unsatisfied, and 12% say neither/nor. All restaurants in Copenhagen are required to have a permit for outdoor seating, but it is only in the inner city that the permit costs money. Hence, many restaurant owners outside the inner city may not be aware that they need a permit. Therefore we only have accurate numbers for outdoor seating in the inner city. COPENHAGENERS’ USE OF OUTDOOR SEATING IN CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS

TOP 10 URBAN SPACES IN a few times a month or more rarer never TERMS OF OUTDOOR SEATING Spring 62% 35% 3% Summer 81% 18% 1% Autumn 42% 46% 11% 1. Nyhavn 1,324 Winter 14% 41% 44% 2. Gråbrødre Torv 657 3. / 468 4. Kultorvet 368 In some cases, the figures do not add up to exactly 100% because they are based on a combination of categories, which may have 5. Town Hall Square 359 been rounded up or down. Source: Catinét. 6. Sankt Hans Torv 245 7. 224 8. Kongens Nytorv 172 9. Axeltorv 151 10. Havneparken, Islands Brygge 128

Source: Copenhagen Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen 7 PEDAL-POWERED COFFEE SHOP

A new type of service on wheels has hit the Copenhagen streets in recent years. Pedal-powered coffee shops and motorized juice bars offer Copenhageners access to drinks and snacks in the streets, parks and city squares. Previously, stationary vending stands, such as the hotdog stands, were the main type of street kitchen in Copenhagen, and the hotdog stands are still popular today. But mobile street vending is growing rapidly, and in just a few years it has given the Copenhageners a much wider choice of quick access to refreshments.

For Copenhagen residents and visitors the mobile street vendors add variation to urban life with a new type of recreational space that comes and goes. The mobile carts can adapt to the flow of people in the city, go to places with a peak in demand and seek out events in the urban space.

2010 was the first year that the City of Copenhagen issued permits to mobile street vendors. A total of 128 permits were issued, 61 of them for the inner city. The inner city is the only area where the permit costs money. In the inner city, 49 permits were issued for both summer and autumn/winter, while 12 were issued for autumn/winter only.

NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED TO MOBILE STREET VENDORS IN 2010 inner city 61 The rest of Copenhagen 67

Source: Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen

8 3.Urban life means peace and quiet

Ahhh...

An attractive urban life includes the ability to find oases of peace and quiet. Peaceful, beautiful places that make Copenhageners bring a book or a laptop outdoors or take a walk to clear their mind. When asked why they visit squares and shopping streets, 27% replied that they seek peace and quiet.

Generally, Copenhageners find the city fairly noisy. 54% say that they find the city noisy, and a slightly smaller group, 39%, says that they find their local area noisy. The latter figure matches the fact that 58% say that they are satisfied with their ability to find peace and quiet in their local area. 14% are somewhat unsatisfied, while 9% are very unsatisfied with their ability to find peace and quiet in their local area.

URBAN LIFE IS ABOUT FEELING SAFE There are considerable age differences in perceptions of noise in the local area. The ones who feel most bothered are the 30-49-year-olds; in this group 46% say Copenhagen’s safety index for 2009 has two that they perceive their local area as noisy. This age group has the largest share of main figures for people’s sense of safety: one parents with infants, which is probably a factor for the daytime and one for the night-time: 91.6% feel safe during the daytime 62.5% feel safe at night-time. I am satisfied with the availability of peace and quiet in my local area 58% To some degree or a high degree I feel that the cemeteries in my neighbourhood There are considerable gender differences are places where I can relax and find peace and quiet 94% behind these two figures. In a poll from 2010, I find the city noisy 54% 11% more women than men agree or strongly I find my local area noisy 39% agree that they do not like being outside after To some degree or a high degree I am bothered by the city’s business and cultural dark (Copenhageners in general: 20%). 18% activities (for example businesses, cafés, cultural events) 20% more women than men agree or strongly agree that they worry about becoming a victim of Source: Megafon. Catinét crime when they travel in their local area after dark (Copenhageners in general: 22%).

Source: Catinét + the safety index of the City of Copenhagen 9 4. URBAN LIFE MEANS EVENTS

EVENTS FOR ALL

Over the past 100 years, urban life has gone from a situation where the public space was mainly characterized by necessary activities, especially related to work and trade, to today’s situation where most of the activities are voluntary. The difference is that the voluntary activities mostly take place when the urban spaces are pleasant places to be, and when there are attractive events to seek out.

92% of Copenhageners say that they participate in or watch events in the urban space at least twice a year. Of this group, 18% say that they take part in events at least once a month. Events in the city include sports events, culture festivals, con- certs, exhibitions, stage performances, circus shows, flea markets and many other types.

Every month of the year offers a wide range of outdoor events in Copenhagen, and every year sees the addition of new festivals and sports and cultural events, which gives Copenhageners of all ages additional opportunities for watching and participa- ting.

Development of city life from 1880 to 2005

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

NECESSARY ACTIVITIES

1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

WILL HAPPEN REGARDLESS WILL HAPPEN ONLY WHEN GOOD OF QUALITY QUALITY CITY SPACE EXISTS Illustration: Gehl Architects 10 HALF OF ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN THE INNER CITY SEEN ACROSS THE YEAR, THERE ARE MORE ONE-DAY EVENTS IN THE EARLY SUMMER MONTHS AND IN THE AUTUMN MONTHS. The vast majority of events take place in the inner city, including Christians- havn. In 2010 the City of Copenhagen issued permits to a total of 1,009 events in the inner city, which is about half of all event permits in Copenhagen. The 300 total number of permits for events in Copenhagen in 2010 was 1,916 or an 275 average of about five a day. 250 225 41 permits were issued to events that include more than one district. On the 200 list below, these 41 events are counted once for all the districts that they 175 included. 150 125 100 NUMBER OF EVENTS 75 IN COPENHAGEN BY 50 DISTRICT: 25

July April May June January March August October inner city + Christianshavn 1046 February December September November Østerbro, incl. Fælledparken 204 Nørrebro 193 Vesterbro, incl. Kgs. Enghave 160 Source: Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen Amager west 80 Valby 80 Brønshøj/Husum 68 Vanløse 51 Amager east 51 Bispebjerg 13

Source: Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen 11 CONCERTS, EXHIBITIONS AND MARKETS ARE THE MOST WOMEN PREFER MARKETS AND DANCING POPULAR EVENTS More women than men go to events in the city. Events such as ice-skating rinks, festivals and circus shows have approximately equal shares of male and female Concerts are the type of event that Copenhageners frequent most. As many as 64% patrons, but Copenhagen women frequent dance events more than twice as often have been to a concert within the past year; 43% even in their local area. This means as men, and 17% more women than men visit markets. that music events are both popular and geographically widely distributed in the city.

Three types of events have a majority of local visitors: midsummer’s celebrations, neighbourhood parties and street parties. MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE GO TO THE THEATRE, OLDER PEOPLE GO TO NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTIES NUMBER OF COPENHAGENERS WHO HAVE GONE TO EVENTS Event preferences vary with age. 50-65-year-old Copenhageners go to the theatre IN THE CITY IN THE PAST YEAR and exhibitions more than any other age group. The 66+ group is the most likely to go to neighbourhood parties, and 30-49-year-olds go ice-skating and jogging more than other age groups. Young people are not the largest group in any event category. % throughout the city % in the districts They are very likely to go to concerts (41%), but no more likely than any other age concerts 64 43 group. exhibitions (photography, art) 58 37 markets 56 48 theatre 43 21 TOP 5 EVENTS culture days 42 36 festivals 28 20 15-29-olds 30-49-olds 50-65-olds 66+ midsummer’s celebrations 24 25 jogging 18 14 1. concerts markets markets markets neighbourhood parties 18 19 2. markets concerts exhibitions concerts ice-skating rinks 17 12 3. midsummer’s celeb. culture days concerts exhibitions Christmas parties 13 7 4. festivals exhibitions culture days culture days carnival 11 8 5. culture days midsummer’s celeb. theatre / midsummer’s celeb. neighbourhood parties street parties 11 12 dancing 9 5 circus 7 5 Source: Catinét none of the above 6 15

Source: Catinét 12 URBAN LIFE ACCOUNTS - Trends in Copenhagen’s urban life 2010

URBAN LIFE ACCOUNTS 2010 are the first of their kind in Copenhagen. The purpose of the accounts is to measure the quality of and satisfaction with urban life in Copenhagen. The City of Copenhagen is currently pursuing strategies and efforts to improve urban life.

The urban life accounts were prepared by Technical and Environmental Administration, City of Copenhagen

Text and editing: Niels Bjørn Translation: Dorte H. Silver Design: City of Copenhagen, TMF Grafisk Design Photo: Troels Heien, Gitte Lotinga, Klaus Hjerrild, Gehl Architects, DK NEWS and City of Copenhagen

Copenhagen 2011 www.kk.dk

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