COPENHAGUE: um exemplo de sustentabilidade

UMA ÁREA VERDE PERTO DE VOCÊ. POR QUE NÃO?

A cidade de Copenhague, capital da Dinamarca, tem sido um manancial de ideias e inspiração do caminho a se seguir rumo à sustentabilidade das cidades.

O primeiro passo foi obter consenso em torno de um projeto de futuro para a cidade. Para isso, aprovaram uma estratégia em maio de 2008, a ser seguido pelos administradores da cidade. Depois, foi estabelecer metas e orçamento para as ideias saiam do papel.

Dentre essas metas, estabeleceu-se que a cidade será neutra em Carbono em 2025. O texto abaixo apresenta outra meta: que 90% dos habitantes de Copenhague possam chegar a pé, em menos de 15 minutos, a um parque, uma praia ou cais. Ou seja, a cidade disponibilizará áreas verdes ou áreas de lazer por toda a cidade, mesmo que sejam pequenos espaços públicos disponíveis para a população.

Para isso, conceberam o conceito de micro-parques, ou "Parques de Bolso" (pocket parks), que são áreas de menos de 5.000 m2, ou seja, meio campo de futebol. Os planejadores previram ainda o plantio de 3.000 árvores urbanas para criar corredores verdes entre essas áreas de parques.

Como candidato a vice-prefeito de Niterói (RJ), tenho me inspirado nas políticas públicas da capital dinamarquesa para pensar no futuro sustentável de Niterói. Guardadas as diferenças urbanas e culturais, há muito o que se aprender. As adaptações são possíveis.

Axel Grael
----------------------------------------------

Copenhagen - Pocket parks, a drop of urban green Sustainable Cities

Green cities are on the rise. Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is one of the cities trying to improve the urban environment and deal with the daily green needs and desires of its inhabitants. One way of doing so is pocket parks: Open green spaces at a very small scale, often created on vacant building lots or on irregular pieces of land.

Copenhagen has a vision of becoming the capital city in the world with the best urban environment by 2015. The enhancement of urban green is one of the tools for reaching this vision. Before 2015 the municipality will establish 14 pocket parks throughout the city and plant 3,000 trees to create green streets and connections. The goal is that 90 % of all Copenhageners by 2015 can walk to a park, a beach or a harbour bath in less than 15 minutes.


A pocket park is a small park accessible to the general public. It is only a few house lots in size and typically created on vacant building lots or small irregular pieces of land. Functions include spaces for relaxation, meeting friends, taking lunch breaks, reading a book, play areas for children etc. Often pocket parks are placed around a monument, a historic mark or in relation to an art project.

The City of Copenhagen highlights 5 elements key to the creation of pocket parks in Copenhagen:


• Size
• A visible green element
• Openness and a positive image
• Demarcation and protection
• Identity and local community

A pocket park is defined as less than 5,000 square meters - less than half the size of a soccer field. The green element is visible and a clear priority, preferably with a focus on long-term solutions, i.e. vegetation that becomes more green and attractive in time. The park has to be open and inviting to everybody and signs have to be positive and informative. Special consideration must be given to lighting so the park feels safe, also after dark.

"Pocket parks are a unique opportunity to create drops of urban green close to where Copenhageners live."

Klaus Bondam, Mayor for Technical and Environmental Administration, City of Copenhagen

A characteristic feature of a pocket park in Copenhagen is that it has to be situated between other elements in the city; Buildings, walls, maybe a green wall, or art installations. A clear demarcation must be visible on three sides so that it stands out as a “pocket.” Each park will have its own identity and has to be developed specifically to the site in question. Involvement of local residents in the development process is important to ensure that the park fits the needs and desires of the local community.

Besides serving the local community, the establishment of pocket parks throughout Copenhagen also has the potential to benefit the overall urban climate. Communities with parks that meet their needs within walking distance are less likely to drive out of the city for nature experiences, thereby reducing pollution and traffic. Furthermore, pocket parks can potentially relieve pressure on the larger parks, thus allowing flexibility to devote larger areas of the parks to habitat and ecological functions.

In a city strategy from May 2008, the establishment of pocket parks in Copenhagen will go hand in hand with the creation of green streets and connections. The vision is to create a green liveable city with quality and variation which will be a role model in featuring urban environmental responses to global warming.

Copenhagen - Pocket parks, a drop of urban green | Sustainable Cities