Once purely an industrial area, Nordhavn is one of Copenhagen’s districts which is fast becoming the world’s first “five-minute city” in ways that make life simpler, more sustainable, and connected. It was during a canal tour through Copenhagen in 2023 that our guide nodded toward Nordhavn and pronounced it the coolest new city in Europe. It wasn’t quite so apparent then: The area looked a lot more like one big building site, with cranes and residential buildings popping out here and there. Still, curiosity got the better of me, and a year later, I was back to check out the changes for myself.
Nordhavn is just 15 minutes from the center of Copenhagen by metro, yet this is one cool, modern neighborhood. It has glassy apartment blocks, highbrow offices, and a café-lined waterfront. Århusgadekvarteret – a.k.a. the Heart of this Development Shimmered Before me. Colorful beach towels everywhere, as people soaked in the fleeting rays of summer in Scandinavia tranquility peaceful; no chaos related to rush hour transit time, no noisy traffic; thus, serene and calm. And deliberate thinking of planning a life in easy reach.
My guide with Slow Tours, Bente Hoffman, explained that Nordhavn is not just a modern district; it’s the world’s first five-minute city.. The concept is simple: from schools and playgrounds to offices and leisure spaces, anything citizens might need lies within walking distance of 400 meters. This would give them time for activities such as an early morning workout, lunch with friends at the cafe, a swim in the harbor, and playing with the kids before a cozy night in.
Although it looks like any modern district, it’s the world’s first five-minute city – Bente Hoffman
The key to the design of Nordhavn is its commitment to sustainability and minimizing car use. Peter Bur Andersen, an architect involved in the project, underlined the fact that the district is nearly car-free, connected instead by cycling paths and the metro. That means everything is within walking or biking distance from your house for a healthy neighborhood with reduced environmental impact. Such is a concept that manages to merge convenience with eco-consciousness.
Recognized until 2026 as UNESCO’s World Architecture Capital, Copenhagen has given birth to many innovative projects, such as Nordhavn. Although a few cities around the world are testing 10-minute cities, Nordhavn is the most ambitious with its five-minute city approach. It is also the first new urban district in the world to receive a gold certification for sustainability from the German Sustainable Building Council, DGNB.
Sustainability in Nordhavn, however, does not stop with energy efficiency. Every building has to take into consideration its environmental, social, and economic impact. For example, the Big Bio Cinema is made from recyclable materials, which means that when the building is eventually demolished, its materials can be reused. The social fabric of Nordhavn has been carefully planned, too, with a mix of cultural, recreational, and commercial spaces to encourage interaction and inclusivity. Andersen appealed to revive the diversified, communal spaces of yore, where one could visit the butcher, the baker, and the craftsman, all under one roof, thereby ensuring a sense of camaraderie among its inhabitants. Living in Nordhavn was for years a distant dream for many. The district’s bleak, industrial character didn’t make Irshia Nasreen, an engineer who grew up in central Copenhagen, raise her eyebrows at first. But in 2023, she moved here. “The quiet, car-free area has completely changed my lifestyle,” she says. “I like taking walks here. It’s nice to not hear all the humming of cars, and the view of water somehow soothes the soul.
Before its redevelopment, Nordhavn was dominated by cargo ships, grain silos, and warehouses that constituted the free port. But in 2008, a competition was held in which architectural firms were invited to propose a sustainable neighborhood for the future. Four firms, COBE Architects, Sleth, Rambøll, and Polyform, came out as winners and set to work creating an area with “soft mobility,” emphasizing walking, biking, and public transportation over cars. Central to the plan were ‘hybrid spaces’ that combined functions: the top of a multi-story car park might house a gym, while an apartment building might house a public restaurant.
Although the complete development of Nordhavn is not to be realized until 2060, huge parts of this area are already abuzz with activity. Nordø and Århusgadekvarteret are abuzz with activity, filled with locals and tourists alike. Access from the city center became easier when the metro extension reached Nordhavn in 2020. I walked through Nordø and was astonished at how well the old, industrial buildings had been transformed into hip hotspots. The Audio House is a boutique hotel and concept store that used to be a warehouse from 1918, while MENY is a food supermarket located in a gun factory.
Even the raw steel surface of The Silo, once a grain silo, has been transformed into a luxurious 17-storey residential building with a public restaurant. Meticulously combined, old and new architecture makes for a place that is one of a kind in Nordhavn, where sustainability meets history. For Nasreen, who moved to Nordhavn in 2023, easy access to water, a calm environment, and multifunctional spaces have transformed her everyday life. “My nephew is amazed that he can swim in the harbor, go home for a shower, and then go back to the waterfront for coffee. Isn’t that amazing?” she said.
The point of Nordhavn is less a district than a vision towards the future of town living: convenient, sustainable, and communal. But for Nasreen and many other true believers who have taken to heart the notion of the five-minute city, the answer to this question would seemingly be yes, architecture can create a happier urban environment.
