Cities for People

Cities shape everyday life more than we often realize.

Copenhagen is internationally known as a livable city. Its harbor baths have become gathering places for thousands of people who swim in the middle of the city. Its bike lanes make it possible to move through daily life quickly and healthily. Its parks, squares, and public spaces create places where people can meet across age groups and backgrounds.

But the work of designing cities for people is not happening only in Copenhagen. Around the world, cities are experimenting with greener streets, car-free areas, and new forms of public life, all in an effort to create healthier, more walkable, and more human-centered cities shaped by urban health.

The city as opportunity – and challenge

We are drawn to the city, and we are challenged by it. The city offers community, opportunity, and energy – but also stress, loneliness, and insecurity.

Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and according to the UN, nearly 70 percent will do so by 2050. At the same time, the WHO points to mental ill health and loneliness as global health challenges.

The city has become the setting for modern life, which makes it crucial to human well-being, health, and the future we share. But how do urban spaces actually affect us? How do they shape our movement, our relationships, and our sense of belonging?

What You’ll Experience

In the exhibition, you can feel – in your own body – when a place feels safe or unsafe. You’ll discover how the same public space can feel very different depending on age, gender, and life situation.

You are invited to explore how we can create cities with room for both community and freedom, energy and calm – cities that support urban health and include everyone, even those who today feel excluded.

You can also share your own ideas about the kind of public space that brings you the greatest joy.