Mimerspark: A Former DSB Area Goes Green

The community park in Nørrebro stretches along the tracks between Nørrebro Station and Bispebjerg Station.

A community park has emerged in outer Nørrebro. Along the tracks between Nørrebro Station and Bispebjerg Station lies the former DSB area, which, as the name suggests, was previously used by the state railways. In 2008, the City of Copenhagen purchased the area and initiated a lengthy process that has now led to the creation of the brand new Mimerspark.

The Mimersgade District

The project on the DSB area has emerged as a result of the area redevelopment in the Mimersgade District, a densely populated neighborhood in Nørrebro with 16,000 residents, half of whom are under 30 years old. The redevelopment of the area has implemented no less than 120 different projects between 2004 and 2009 in collaboration with residents, associations, and businesses, who continue to drive the projects forward and anchor them in the neighborhood today.

Partnership Project

Due to the dense urbanization, outdoor spaces have been a particular focus of the area redevelopment in the Mimersgade District. The City of Copenhagen and Realdania have concurrently collaborated on three specific projects under the name ‘Partnership Project’, with outdoor spaces as a focus. The first two projects are Nørrebrohallen, transformed into a sports and cultural center, and Superkilen, which with its three colors – red, black, and green – connects Nørrebrogade and Tagensvej with an experience and activity strip. Mimersparken is the third project.

Activity Test Zone

As an introduction to the work on the new park, the municipality decided to spend three years from 2008 to 2010 on a handful of local urban experiments. Therefore, they referred to the upcoming park as an activity test zone. Ideas and visions were tested and experimented with as temporary activities. The experiments aimed to demonstrate which types of activities that could take place in the future park and to create a sense of ownership for the new park among the neighborhood’s residents. Therefore, a follow-up group was also established to ensure that the results were incorporated into the final plan.

Multipurpose Park

The specific design is by architect Paul Børling, Thing Brandt Landskab, and Peter Holst Arkitektur og Landskab. Mimersparken’s overall design consists of a soft, forest-like edge towards the train tracks and an urban edge, where street basketball courts and ping pong tables form the transition from the park to Mjølnerparken.

At each end, there are different sports facilities. At one end, there is a soccer field on artificial turf, which can be used by both associations and individuals, and at the opposite end, there is a multi-sport court for activities such as hockey or basketball. These two activities are supplemented with a small parkour facility, barbecue areas for the food enthusiasts, playgrounds for the little ones, and an orchard for citizens in need of a respite in the middle of the city. The park is divided into zones, offering a wide range of activities in the hope of becoming a park for all generations in Copenhagen.

Near Mimerspark

In the same area, there are several offerings for the neighborhood’s many children and young people. In the intersection between Lygten and Frederikssundvej lies Kampsportens Hus, a lantern in a tangle of everyday life, inviting visitors in for various Asian martial arts. A little further north lies Sjakket, a former factory building that today serves as a sanctuary for young citizens.