The battle for Amager Fælled

Photo: Thomas Høyrup Christensen

Urban development has always been hotly debated. However, the debate has become even more intense over the past few years. Lynetteholm and the development on Amager Fælled have faced massive civil protest.

The protests against the development of Amager Fælled have been historic, as the protesters have been able to mobilize so much resistance that the project first had to find a new location and has since then been almost abandoned. The protests were among the first to be fueled via social media, and much of the debate has continued here ever since – not just about Amager Fælled but also about a number of urban development projects across Denmark.

The grassroots organization Foreningen Amager Fælleds Venner has filed a lawsuit against the Danish Environment and Food Board of Appeal and the Planning Appeals Board as the organization believes that the authorities were in the wrong to approve the building plans for the area. According to Foreningen Amager Fælleds Venner, the decision was in contravention of local development plans and regulations about environmental impact assessments.

In December 2022, Copenhagen City Court decided that all construction on Amager Fælled must cease until the legal proceedings are resolved. The case is a matter of principle as it centers on requirements for the accuracy and scope of politically approved environmental impact assessment reports.

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