URBAN LIFE ACCOUNT TRENDS IN COPENHAGEN’S URBAN LIFE 2011 Copenhagen’s vision is to be a metropolis for people. A city with a diverse and unique urban life for everyone. We have set three goals for Copenhagen’s urban life until 2015: More urban life for all, More people to walk more, and More people to stay longer. In 2010, the City of Copenhagen released its first urban life account. The account described certain general trends. Urban Life Account 2010 also marked a baseline for the three goals. Urban Life Account 2011 takes renewed stock of the goals. In addition, we have focused on Copenhagen Harbour, which over the past ten years has seen increasingly intensive use as a setting for urban life. A trend that is going to continue in the future with new connections along and across the harbour, new locations for bathing, and new opportunities for recreational activities on the water. Another clear trend is that Copenhageners increasingly use the urban space for their daily exercise routines. Urban Life Account 2011 therefore takes stock of physical activity, running and play in the city, both on an everyday basis and during one of the major Copenhagen events of the year: the International Cycling Union Road World Championships. CONTENTS 1. MORE URBAN LIFE FOR ALL 2011 status The city is vibrant and diverse 2. MORE PEOPLE TO WALK MORE 2011 status Also in 2011, Copenhageners walk more than the average Dane Copenhageners choose to walk in their free time Copenhageners enjoy being outdoors Improved sense of safety and security Urban life among construction sites Come rain or come shine… METHOD 3. MORE PEOPLE TO STAY LONGER 2011 status The Urban Life Account consists of figures from The most popular places to spend time surveys, including traffic counts of pedestrians and Blue and grey summer skies observation surveys of the amount of time spent in Stays on a good day and a less ideal day streets, squares and parks, two questionnaire surveys Events in the urban space carried out by Voxmeter, a questionnaire survey carried International Cycling Union Road World Championships out by Megafon, transportation habit surveys by the Technical University of Denmark and many other 4. URBAN LIFE BY THE HARBOUR figures and statistics from the Technical and Environ- Public baths in Copenhagen mental Administration of the City of Copenhagen. Harbour Bath Islands Brygge Pedestrians and recreation by the harbour Some of the surveys carry a certain statistical uncertainty. Nyhavn is the most popular harbour promenade In cases where the uncertainty is particularly pronounced - and many people spend a long time in Nyhavn it is noted in the report. 5. PLAY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Some of the raw data is available at www.kk.dk/metropol- Physical activity in the city formennesker. The site contains information and figures The most popular route for running about urban life in Copenhagen in addition to the Urban Life Room for play Account 2010 in Danish and English. Playground in Nikolaj Plads Playground on Elefantens Bastion 2 PREFACE A METROPOLIS FOR PEOPLE In 2009, the Copenhagen City Council passed the initiative Metropolis for People. The vision described in the initiative is, “We want to be the world’s best city to live in. A sustainable city with urban spaces, which invites to a multiple and unique urban life. We want to be a metropolis for people.” Specifically, the initiative sets three general goals for urban life in Copenhagen: More urban life for all, More people to walk more, and More people to stay longer. Urban life in Copenhagen is of course a broad term, but the three goals should be taken to mean that if everyone has the opportunity to take part in urban life, if they choose to walk rather than drive a car, and if they like to spend time in the urban space, then Copenhagen essentially has a rich and unique urban life. The Technical and Environmental Administration is already involved in a wide range of projects that promote the goals in Metropolis for People, and we launch new activities on an ongoing basis. Urban Life Account 2011 gives us a qualified basis for cooperating with citizens, landowners, businesses and professionals about what specific steps to take to make this the world’s most liveable city. Ayfer Baykal Mayor, Technical and Environmental Department 3 1. MORE URBAN LIFE FOR ALL BY 2015, 80% OF COPENHAGENERS SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAKING PART IN URBAN LIFE. 2011 STATUS IN 2011, 87% OF COPENHAGENERS WERE SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAKING PART IN URBAN LIFE. 100% 90% 2015 GOAL Goal for 2015 80% The City of Copenhagen has the objective of achieving 80% satisfaction with urban life by 2015. 70% This goal has already been achieved, in part due to initiatives such as “Gang i København”, which has 60% made it easier to organize events and activities in the urban space, and “Plads til Leg” (Room for play), 50% which renovated all the approximately 125 public playgrounds in the City of Copenhagen between 2008 40% and 2012. 30% 20% 10% 0% 2010 2011 Source: Voxmeter 4 100% 90% THE CITY IS VIBRANT AND DIVERSE THE CITY IS VIBRANT 80% AND DIVERSE 70% In 2010, 89% replied that they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” when asked gene- 60% rally about their opportunities for taking part in urban life, and generally, the level of 50% satisfaction is fairly stable. 40% 30% The drop to 87% in 2011 is so minor that it falls within the statistical margin of error. 2009 20% There is, however, also a small drop in satisfaction in relation to the statement that 2010 10% “The city is vibrant and diverse”. Since 2009, there has been a shift from “strongly 2011 0% agree” to “agree”. If the two categories are combined, however, the level is stable at 88% across the three-year period. agree strongly disagree agree strongly There has also, however, been a drop in the priority Copenhageners place on a vibrant disagree and diverse urban life. But again, the level is almost unchanged if the two categories “very important” and “important” are combined. neither agree nor disagree 100% 90% HOW IMPORTANT DO 80% YOU THINK A VIBRANT 70% AND DIVERSE URBAN 60% LIFE IS? 50% 40% 30% 2009 20% 2010 10% 2011 0% tant at all important very important nor unimportant not impor of minor importance 5 neither important 2011 STATUS Asking residents about their satisfaction with individual aspects of city life reveals a more complex image. Generally, the level of satisfaction is the same as in 2010 or a little higher, and the lowest level of satisfaction still relates to the design of 2011 recreational local urban spaces. 2010 Satisfaction with the availability of activities for children in Copenhagen 3,55 3,44 Satisfaction with the availability of activities for young people in Copenhagen 3,58 3,52 Satisfaction with the availability of activities for elderly people in Copenhagen 3,43 3,34 Satisfaction with the ability to use local urban spaces for outdoor exercise 3,88 3,74 Satisfaction with the availability of outdoor seating in local cafés and restaurants 3,99 4,07 Satisfaction with the ability to play in the local urban space 3,73 3,70 Satisfaction with the availability of peace and quiet in the local area 3,52 3,42 Satisfaction with the distance to green and blue areas 4,10 3,97 Satisfaction with the distance to local recreational urban spaces 3,77 3,56 Satisfaction with the distance to public playgrounds 3,91 3,93 Satisfaction with the walking distance to facilities for sport, play and physical activity 3,91 3,67 Satisfaction with the walking distance to public transportation 4,15 4,18 Satisfaction with the walking distance to shopping facilities 4,30 4,26 Satisfaction with the design of green and blue spaces 3,68 3,60 Satisfaction with the design of local recreational urban spaces 3,32 3,13 1 2 3 4 5 The figures are averages on a 5-point scale with 1= disagree strongly and 5= agree strongly. 6 2. MORE PEOPLE TO WALK MORE BY 2015 PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED BY 20% IN COMPARISON TO 2010. 2011 STATUS IN 2011, COPENHAGENERS WALKED FOR 14.53 MINUTES A DAY. TRIPS THAT INCLUDE OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS FIGURE. THE GOAL FOR 2015 IS THAT COPENHAGENERS SHOULD WALK FOR 12 MINUTES A SAY. (2010: 9.86 MINUTES A DAY) 2015 GOAL 16 min. The ambition of the 2015 objective is to have the Copenhageners walk 20% more than they did in 14 min. 2010, corresponding to 12 minutes a day. In 2011 Copenhageners walk an average of 14.53 minutes Goal for 2015 12 min. a day. Thus, the goal has been achieved in 2011, but the possibility of sampling errors means that 10 min. findings can vary considerably from year to year. 8 min. The City of Copenhagen undertakes a wide range of efforts to improve the opportunities for walking in the 6 min. city. Establishing footpaths in new and existing urban areas, safe routes to school, visually interesting 4 min. facades, renovation of shopping streets and traffic safety projects increase safety and make walking in 2 min. Copenhagen a more rewarding experience. 0 min. 2010 2011 Source: Transportation habits study, Technical University of Denmark 7 ALSO IN 2011, COPENHAGENERS WALK MORE THAN THE AVERAGE DANE The average Copenhagener walks for 14.53 minutes a day, covering 1.33 km. That is more than 5 minutes and half a km more than the average Dane, who only walks for FOR HOW LONG DO YOU WALK ON A TYPICAL DAY 8.88 minutes, 0.81 km a day.