DHI shares Future Neighborhood to the Sea in New York City

The workshop presented and discussed some of the Danish experiences within coastal and waterfront developments, comprising urban and suburban civic waterfronts, exposed beaches and protected natural areas – natural types also representative for NYC. DHI presentations included Working with Nature, exemplified by Amager Beach Park, the Danish West Coast and the Copenhagen City climate plan. These examples demonstrated how understanding the dynamics of natural processes, combined with landscape architecture and spatial planning, can add value to coastal environments. 

Photo by Niels Utoft Andersen

The proximity to the sea has always been a reality with dual consequences for Denmark.  On one hand, it provides natural landscape, recreation and possibilities for development and trade. Yet, on the other hand, it poses a risk for exposure to the mighty forces of nature. Denmark is a coastal country, with a planning tradition for waterfront and coastal development, where focus is on preservation of natural values and civic access, using coastal protection as an active planning element. Waterfront planning working along with nature requires a rich understanding of the dynamics of the sea and coast, interactions with structures and significance of water quality. DHI, experts in water environments, have developed its leadership in this area through a culture rooted in such understanding.