Water City Design - Copenhagen and Vancouver

In 2008 I took a wonderful trip to Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Malmo, Sweden. Although the occasion involved invitations to speak on Vancouver's waterfront achievements and challenges, it was really an opportunity for me to learn from these dynamic cities, and see the best and worst of European waterfront design and master-planning. 

1 minute read

January 9, 2009, 2:20 PM PST

By Brent Toderian


In 2008 I took a wonderful trip to Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Malmo, Sweden. Although the occasion involved invitations to speak on Vancouver's waterfront achievements and challenges, it was really an opportunity for me to learn from these dynamic cities, and see the best and worst of European waterfront design and master-planning. 

This was my second trip to Copenhagen in recent years, through an evolving peer-to-peer relationship with that city. It was at the invitation of the Danish Architectural Centre (DAC), an exceptional organization without (unfortunately) parallel in North America. Through their exceptional "Copenhagen X" series, they are exploring the future of the city in a way that provokes, educates and engages - for professionals and citizens alike. 

Readers will have to be patient for me to find time to write out all the observations and learnings I had while walking and biking the Copenhagen waterfront - I think I might have to break it up into several posts - but in the meantime, here's a link I just received to a web interview they did with me the day after my public presentation, with some casual observations (and casual dress!) on the Copenhagen waterfront.

 


Brent Toderian

Brent is President of TODERIAN UrbanWORKS in Vancouver, Canada, and has over 24 years experience in advanced and innovative urbanism, city-planning and urban design. He advises cities & innovative developments all over the world, from Ottawa to Oslo, from Sydney to Medellin, from Auckland to Helsinki.

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