The
Holmbladsgade-area
The purpose of "Kvarterløft" (Urban Regeneration)
in the Holmbladsgade-area in the municipality of Copenhagen:
- To improve the physical environment by means of visible
physical activities
- To ensure that the residents actively participate
and assume responsibility for the development of the
area
- To ensure that working relations are built up with
the local economic life and to increase the local rate
of employment by means of establishing new job opportunities.
- To establish stamping grounds to support and promote
the social networks and the residents’ leisure-time
activities.
- To bring run-down and outdated buildings up to date
and to improve the surrounding open spaces through a
democratic urban renewal process.
Contacts:
Kvarterløft Holmbladsgade kvarteret
Project co-ordinator, Jørgen Sprogøe Petersen
Jemtelandsgade 3, 3rd floor
2300 Copenhagen S
Tlf: +45 8232 5522
Fax:+45 8232 5530
E-mail: js.holm@of.kk.dk
Homepage: www.holmbladsgade.dk
The Municipality of Copenhagen
The Secretariat of Urban Regeneration
Rådhuset
1599 Copenhagen V
Tel: +45 33 66 25 15
Fax: +45 33 66 70 30
Description of the area.
The "Holmbladsgade-area" makes up a large part of
the district "Sundby Nord" on Amager.
The urban regeneration area is approx. 2 km x 800 m. The
terrain is low and flat, like the rest of Amager. There is
an obvious difference in character between the buildings in
the residential area to the Southwest, and the industrial
areas to the North and East. The housing estates mainly consist
of four- to five-storey blocks. Around the area of Hessensgade
and Bøhmensgade, are smaller areas with lower blocks of flats
of a more complex nature. The newer buildings are predominantly
constructions of varied height, ranging from five-storey buildings
to the Øresundskollegiets (The Øresund Hall of Residences’)
eight-storey building.
The building mix in the area is very complex, which is due
to the closure of older industrial forms, the demolition of
the oldest blocks of flats and the fact that the newer blocks
of flats and institutions have been incorporated into the
area’s older built-up area.
It is characteristic of the area, that flats under a multi-ownership
scheme are the most common form of housing. Furthermore, there
are a large number of owner-occupied flats. The share of non-profit
housing makes up approx. 13% of the entire housing stock,
which is below the average of Copenhagen (1997). Of the majority
of the dwellings in the urban regeneration area, approx. 80%
are two- to three-room flats (1997). Approx. 28% of the dwellings
in the area do not contain a shower. All together, there are
just under 3000 dwellings in the area which have no toilet
or no bath or neither (1997).
There are relatively few green and open spaces within the
area itself. "Vor Frelsers Kirkegård"("Our
Saviour’s Cemetery"), with its mature trees and
park-like character, is the largest green space in the area.
To a large extent, the traffic areas consist of the rectilinear
road network, which was laid out in connection with the construction
of the blocks of flats at the end of the 19th century.
The through-traffic is a burden on the area. On Amagerbrogade,
on average, 22,500 cars per day use the stretch of road from
Amager Boulevard to Holmbladsgade, making it one of the busiest
stretches of roads in Copenhagen. Furthermore, there are a
consiberable number of lorries driving to the industrial firms
in the area.
Industry
In the beginning of the year, in 1996, there were approx.
6,000 jobs in the urban regeneration area. The jobs were spread
out over approx. 800 firms. The firms were characterised by
being one-man firms or smaller firms with 1-4 employees. Compared
with the municipality as a whole, there are relatively many
firms specialising in production, trade and the hotel and
service industry.
Institutions and Cultural facilities
Within the area there are two primary and lower secondary
schools for 7- to 16-year-olds, a number of day-care centres,
a library, a swimming bath and a sports centre.
The area’s residents
There are approx. 16,000 inhabitants in the area, of which
approx. 15% are foreign citizens (1997). This is a great deal
above the average for Copenhagen.
The make up of residents in the area is characterised by
the fact that there are more children and young people, and
fewer elderly people above the age of 65 than is the average
for Copenhagen as a whole. The residents in the urban regeneration
area have a level of education that is below the average for
the municipality. In the urban regeneration area, 41% have
the lower secondary schools diploma as their highest completed
education, whereas the average for Copenhagen is 36% (1996).
The number of people who receive benefits along with those
who are out of work, is higher in the urban regeneration area
than in the municipality of Copenhagen as a whole.
Problems and resources
The housing stock in the area is generally run-down and there
is therefore a great need for the renovation and improvement
of dwellings. The housing stock is notable for its many small
flats, many of which are occupied by students and single people.
As a consequence, the area is marked by frequently changing
residents, since many choose to leave the area once they have
completed their studies or decide to start a family.
A large number of private cars and lorries dominate the roads
on Amager. This also applies to the urban regeneration area,
where heavy through-traffic is a burden. An obvious characteristic
of the urban regeneration area, is its lack of "elbow
room" and good outdoor options, such as open spaces,
squares and public playgrounds. On the other hand, the area
has easy access to recreational areas such as Kløvermarken
("The Clover Field") and Amager Strand ("Amager
Beach"), where lots of the areas’ activities take
place. There is also a lack of stamping grounds in the area,
but with the opening of "Kvarterhuset" ("The
Community Centre") in Jemtelandsgade in December 1998,
this need has partly been met.
Today, the Kvarterhus functions as a pivotal point for many
activities in the area. It is here that the community’s
social life is played out. These stamping grounds and drop-in
centres are essential when one wishes to strengthen the social
networks in the local area. Many people in the Holmbladsgade-area,
for one reason or another, need to be integrated into the
local community. Many refugees, immigrants, lonely people
and people outside the labour market live in the area. There
are only few arrangements of genuine local nature in the area.
The local athletic life is also marked by a shortage of facilities.
On the other hand, the Holmbladsgade-area offers considerable
resources, among other things in the shape of a diverse economic
life, the potential of unused open spaces and active residents
- which expresses itself in the form of an extensive association
life in the area.
Further resources, which the area possesses, are the primary
and lower secondary schools for 7- to 16-year-olds, the day-care
centres, Kofoeds Skole, and various active institutions, that
succeed in making their mark on the area.
