- First,
to ensure that as many residents as possible become
self-supporting by means of an active co-operation with
the local economic life.
- Second,
to further develop the town’s cultural environment
to stimulate dialogue, to encourage resident and user
democracy, and to promote responsibility and participation
in all aspects in the local community.
- Third,
to continue and develop transverse integration between
ages and cultures in te district, as well as between
the district and the rest of Hvidovre.
Contact:
Kvarterløftsekretariatet
Project co-ordinator, Karina Brøggler
Hvidovrevej 278
2650 Hvidovre
Tel: +45 36 39 37 13
Fax: +45 36 39 36 59
E-mail: kab@hvidovre.dk
Homepage: www.hvidovre.dk
Description
of the area.
Avedøre Stationsby,in the municipality of Hvidovre,
is an example of a district which, to a certain extent,
can be said to be segregated from its surroundings, and
which is very much lacking culturally.Physically, the area
gives te impression of facing in on itself, with its surrounding
town wall and the building, the "Store Hus" (The
large house). The area is surrounded by green areas, Vestvoldanlægget
(The West Rampart),Avedøre Sletten (The Avedøre Plain) and
is also adjacent to the huge industrial area, Avedøre Holme.
Avedøre
Stationsby is a non-profit housing estate, and today all
leases belong to the co-operative housing society,AKB. The
estate itself looks like a typical Danish concrete estate
from the 1970’s, which is situated in the immediate
vicinity of a train station. Less typical is the fact that
the area is surrounded by a town wall, consisting of an
adjoining four-storeyed building, which surrounds the terraced
houses. The town wall is equipped with gates, which provide
access to the recreational areas outside the built-up area.
A wide
variety of institutions run across the built-up area where
the areas’ nurseries, kindergartens, the school, the
church and the sports centre are situated. In this way,
people can literally be serviced from cradle to grave. These
institutions are situated at first-floor level, which means
that the users – primarily the area’ children
– can visit without coming into contact with car traffic.
At the
end of the building, next to the train station is the "Store
Hus" – a high-rise block consisting of 480 flats.
All te daily shopping in the area is done in the "Store
Hus", where a large proportion of the area’s retail
trade and service industry have been established. It is
not a main shopping street as such, but most necessary purchases
can be made here. Green open spaces are situated between
the blocks of flats.
There
is no production industry in Avedøre Stationsby, but just
10 minutes’ drive away, on Avedøre Holme, is one of
the country’s largest industrial areas
Quite
a few institutions are situated within the town wall. The
area houses eight nurseries/day-care centres, four after-school
centres (one of which is an experimental project), one school
and Avedøre Gymnasium (Avedøre Grammar School), which lie
end to end. In addition, there are a library, a sports’
centre with a swimming bath, a church and residents’
rooms, assembly- and meeting rooms and the newly opened
joint facilities in the "Store Hus", which includes
a citizens’ advice bureau, administration centre and
café, among other things.
In the
immediate vicinity of the "Stationsbyen" lies
"Avedøresletten" (The Avedøre Plain) and the large
old fortification "Vestvolden" (The West Rampart)
which runs around approx. one third of the building as a
protected green belt. Within the town wall is "Byparken"
(The town park), which is a large green area with clusters
of trees, bushes and two artificial lakes. There are additional
green open spaces and inner courtyards between the terraced
houses.
The
area’s residents
A large part of the adult population in the area receive
some sort of social benefit, which the area’s income
distribution - approx. 30% under the average income for
the rest of the municipality -clearly shows. Furthermore,
the area is characterised by its high proportion of young
people and the fact that that approx. 25% of its inhabitants
are foreign citizens. Half of the children placed in care
in the municipality, come from the area, which indicates
that there are specific social- and family related problems
in the area.
However,
the residents of the "Stationsby" are also an
important resource for "Kvarterløftet" (the urban
regeneration) For example, over te years, a number of associations
have been established with the help of active and resourceful
residents. Since Avedøre Stationsby has also functioned
as an Urban Committee Initiative, there has previously been
an interest before "Kvarterløft"- in divising
a plan to encourage alternative resources stemming from
the local area.
Problems
and resources
Avedøre Stationsby is situated as a town within a town,
which has made it difficult for the area’s residents
to identify themselves as Hvidovre citizens. In many ways,
Avedøre is considered to be an independent local area. As
a result, many of the residents have become very attached
to their area and have put a lot of their energy into local
projects. On the other hand, this development has also resulted
in a kind of physical and cultural isolation.
Architecturally,
the area appears somewhat monotonous, with buildings placed
in straight lines. The area around the station is run-down
and appears messy, giving a slightly threatening first impression
of the area. The spaces in front of the shops are also very
run-down.
