Price Tags contributor James Bligh checks in from Copenhagen, a city of almost identical population and area to Vancouver.
Yet, while we scrap over bicycle politics — yes, it’s still a thing, don’t pretend otherwise — 62% of Copenhageners cycle to work and school. It’s not controversial, and perhaps it never was; likely due in part to the “Finger Plan“, a 70-year-old rail-oriented transit strategy that has influenced the movement of people and goods in central Copenhagen for generations.
Much like present day transit and housing strategies that, for better or worse, tend to suck up all the oxygen in places like Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Vancouver, it’s a fair assumption the Finger Plan influenced much of the post-war urban development in Copenhagen, resulting in a city that is now so pleasing for people movement. And thus, why it could easily top Vancouver’s claim to “Greenest City” credentials —Copenhagen aims to be carbon-neutral by 2025, the same year 75% of trips in the city will be expected to be made on foot, by bike, or by using public transit.
But all this is just background. One of the main attractions for James and his travel parter Errin is the Copenhagen reputation for also being one of the greatest “design cities” in the world, with a quality (and cost) of living to match.
While we saw shades of Vancouver in Copenhagen, three particular differences stood out: plenty of of young families living in the city centre, the high cost of goods and services (although transit was relatively affordable), and a smorgasbord of creative public spaces at every price point — including free.
One such example of free public spaces follows in this first Instagram post, in which James and Errin literally and figuratively jumped off with a “harbour bath”:
As James notes in the post, a 2016 exhibition at Museum of Vancouver included a proposal from HCMA Architecture + Design to transform Vancouver’s, ahem, “no fun” approach to public spaces and in particular our stodgy, yacht-ridden waterfront at Coal Harbour, with our own harbour bath. Read more on their web page for this concept, as watch their video presentation below:
And we continue with more Copenhagen, which can also be seen on the Price Tags Instagram feed:
