A new project for the city of Copenhagen is in progress. One of the most environmentally sensitive and green cities in the world is about to use its heavy rainfalls to its benefit. The city`s large urban park, Enghaveparken is replanned to gain a double landscape depending on the weather. Its planted and meticulously cared gardens will be transformed into floodable ponds when the rain falls ruthlessly. Climate-resilient neighbourhoods as well as this water supply and storage programme are quite a big deal for Copenhagen, since the amount of rain water tends to reach the levels of a flood, and thus, should not be wasted, while the cityscape is dipped into a soggy, dirty mug.
As Athlyn Cathcart-Keays, freelance journalist writing on sustainability, explains “during heavy rains, the flowerbeds fill with water and wait to drain until the storm runoff subsides. The upside-down umbrellas collect water to be used later to nourish the plantings. And clever landscaping directs stormwater down into large underground water storage tanks. Above those tanks are bouncy floor panels that children love to jump on — when they do, the energy from their feet pumps water through the pipes below.
Just a few years ago, this square was paved with asphalt and dominated by parked cars — a small grassy area was used more as a toilet for dogs than as a park. Now, it’s the cornerstone of a plan to make the surrounding area of Saint Kjelds into what planners here are calling the world’s first “climate-resilient neighborhood.”
The tarmac has been torn up and the greenery reduces the urban-heat island effect. More parks like it are being built to purposefully turn into small ponds during heavy rains, allowing them to capture and retain water on site until the drainage system has capacity to handle it. During the worst deluges, certain streets with raised sidewalks will become “cloudburst boulevards,” creating a Venice-like cityscape of water channeled safely through the city until it can empty into the harbor. “
This rainfall-friendly approach was originally developed by the Copenhagen-based Tredje Natur landscape architects according to whom Enghaveparken has been an oasis for the working classes, families and new generations for 85 years and now is a chance for them to enjoy it in its full capacity and beauty, along with an environmentally suitable footprint.
More on this story can be found in the original article by Athlyn Cathcart-Keays here.
AFTER THE RAIN
BEFORE THE RAIN
AFTER THE RAIN
AFTER THE RAIN
BEFORE THE RAINREAD ALSO: DENMARK'S LARGEST SEWAGE PUMPING STATION / C.F. MØLLER ARCHITECTS