OPINION: Building on Amager Common risks destroying Copenhagen's green image

Copenhagen is known internationally as a “green” city, and Copenhagen city council has been keen to promote the idea of biodiversity and sustainability in their public statements. But right now, Copenhagen is moving ahead with the destruction of a large area of Amager Fælled, or Amager Common, one of the largest areas of wild nature within any European city.

The proposed development, Fælledby, will be a city-within-a-city, containing two thousand apartments, a school, a hotel, and businesses. It is planned to be built on Lærkesletten, a part of Amager Fælled which contains natural habitats for a range of rare and protected animals.

It is projected that 7,000 people will make their way in and out of this development every day, putting increased stress on the rest of Amager Fælled, and making it increasingly difficult for animals to live in their habitats. The presence of the Fælled means that Copenhagen has a rare amount of nature and biodiversity so close to the city centre – it is truly what allows Copenhagen to exist as a “green city” in the first place.

One more bite of Amager Fælled 

To many local politicians and property developers, however, the Fælled is an opportunity for generating revenue, putting at risk the very possibility of Copenhagen as a “green” space. For the past 30 years, parts of the Fælled have already been absorbed into other developments, such as Ørestad North, the Danmarks Radio complex, and other areas. Many in Copenhagen now fear that the municipal government will continue with this process of developing patches of Amager Fælled until it no longer exists as a natural space.

The city’s argument is that it needs more money, and more places for people to live. We would argue that there are a number of other solutions to Copenhagen’s housing problems that can be explored, without destroying our precious local nature. Two thousand apartments with high rents are not going to solve Copenhagen’s housing crisis.

Back due to popular demonstrations 

The Friends of Amager Common (Amager Fælleds Venner) are a group of more than 20,000 residents who are fighting to keep Amager Fælled free from new developments, in order to keep the whole of Amager Fælled as a natural habitat for animals and a recreational area for local citizens.

They have so far had success in keeping Amager Fælled free from new builds since plans to build on Strandengen were scrapped in 2017, due to popular protests.

And they believe it can be done again, once and for all!  As Steffen Rasmussen, the spokesperson for Amager Fælleds Venner says: "Copenhagen city council has a great biodiversity plan. It would be even greater if politicians actually followed it."

A public demonstration on Sunday will start at 10am on the mountain at Amager Fælled, overlooking the building site.

Here the performance group Becoming Species will form a parade with animal masks and costumes imitating the threatened species of Amager Fælled. From the mountain they will sing and dance bringing the wilderness with them all the way to City Hall (Rådhuspladsen). You can also join the demo directly at Rådhuspladsen at 12 o’clock this Sunday.