By Anna Skovby Hansen

April 23, 2025

Show Me Your Balcony, and I’ll Tell You Who You Are: Balconies offer a front-row view of urban life. Everyone wants a balcony, but once we have one, we don’t actually use it all that much.

If you’ve been to one of the larger Danish cities recently, you may have noticed balconies adorning both old and new neighborhoods. Balconies have become a standard feature in new developments, but over the past many years, they’ve also been popping up on the façades of older buildings. They’ve become a visible part of our shared urban space – for better or worse. On a walk down the street, you’ll see everything from soccer flags fluttering in the wind and colorful umbrellas to oversized grills, folding chairs, green plants, and herbs in balcony boxes – all of it becoming part of the city experience.

But what is it about balconies that captivates us? Are they simply private little bubbles – an extension of our homes into the public sphere – or do they contribute something meaningful to community and city life?

The Favorite Accessory of Apartment Living

We meet 29-year-old designer Josefine Pommer in her Nørrebro apartment in Copenhagen. With a welcoming gesture, she opens her arms and says, »It’s right in here,« nodding toward the open balcony doors at the far end of her living room. The sun floods the wooden floor, casting striped shadows. We step onto the balcony on the first floor, where it feels like sitting in the front row of a theater. The city is the stage, unfolding just meters below.

Foto: Tomasz Zielonka – Unsplash​

»That café just opened,« Josefine notes, discreetly pointing to the opposite corner. »There are always so many people when the weather’s nice. It makes me feel a bit exposed – like I’m on display. So I don’t use the balcony as much as I’d like to.«

According to Rasmus Plougmann, CEO of ALTAN.DK, the company has built around 1,000 balconies annually in recent years – primarily in Copenhagen, but also in other major cities in Denmark. Approximately one-third face the street, while two-thirds face the courtyard. After a period of reduced activity due to inflation and rising interest rates, ALTAN.DK is now experiencing renewed interest in new balcony projects.

»We’re seeing a clear uptick in the number of projects. We have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t dream of having a balcony,« says Rasmus Plougmann.

The Balcony as Décor

Josefine isn’t alone. A study from Aalborg University, The Social Life of Balconies, shows that most balconies stand empty the majority of the time. Anthropologist Marie Stender, one of the researchers, explains:

»The data shows that people don’t spend much time on their balconies – but that doesn’t mean balconies aren’t meaningful. People use them in other ways – letting in light and fresh air, or stepping out to take a phone call.«

A View of Everyday Life – and a Few Extra Square Feet

Josefine has just prepped her balcony for spring. She brushes away a withered lavender plant and points to the ivy beginning to sprout on the railing.

»I’m trying to create a little oasis – and a bit of privacy. The greenery helps make it feel more secluded,« she says.

We sit facing each other – she on a dark green bench, I on a folding chair – as the morning sun pierces our eyes. It looks like a scene from a home design magazine. But research tells a different story: According to The Social Life of Balconies, only 2.25 percent of the time is spent relaxing on balconies. They sit unused 81 percent of the time, even during summer evenings with good weather.

Photo: Unsplash

A Symbol More Than a Living Space

The city hums around us. A scooter buzzes by, pedestrians stroll below, birds chirp, and coffee cups clink at the corner café.

»I think a lot about how the balcony looks from the street,” Josefine says. “It has to feel cozy for me – but also look nice for passersby.«

For her, the balcony is both a personal refuge and a very public space. A place where she watches – and is watched.

Dividing Lines: Us vs. Them

Could balconies isolate residents from one another, drawing them away from shared courtyards and public spaces? Not necessarily, says Marie Stender.

»Our research doesn’t show that balconies harm communal life. Rather, they reflect pressure on urban outdoor spaces. When the weather’s good, city dwellers use everything – courtyards, parks, gardens – and the life of the street climbs the façade via balconies. They offer quick access to fresh air.«

However, there are signs of social division. In some shared courtyards, families with young kids use the garden while others remain on balconies.

»It creates a kind of neighborly split – parents vs. non-parents,« says Stender.

Josefine also notes the lack of privacy: »Neighbors are close, and they can hear your conversations. But I just think – if they want to listen, they’re welcome. That’s part of living in close quarters.«

Private Life in Public Space: »I Feel Like I’m in a Control Tower«

Marie Stender points out that the balcony’s placement – between public and private – makes it a fascinating liminal space.

Josefine feels that tension too. »I feel like part of the street – but also like someone watching from above, like I’m in a control tower. It’s my private space, but it’s not private at all.«

Stender notes this is a common realization. »People are surprised by how close their neighbors actually are. You only notice after you get a balcony – suddenly you’re hit with water from above, or catch a whiff of cigarette smoke. You’re confronted with each other in ways stairwells don’t allow.«

Photo: Therese Moulton Skaarup – Unsplash​

The Balcony as a Space for Dreaming

From her many interviews with balcony owners, Stender concludes that balconies aren’t just practical retreats – they’re symbolic spaces.

»Balconies are dream spaces. We associate them with peace, coffee in the sun, reading. But in reality, they often serve as smoking areas, laundry zones – or remain completely empty. The weather isn’t always good, and people aren’t always home.«

It’s similar to the conversation kitchen – where we imagine sharing wine and stories over simmering pots, but more often just eat takeout. Or the backyard outdoor kitchen bought for summer parties that ends up holding flowerpots and cobwebs. The balcony is a stage for the life we want to live – but in practice, it’s used for laundry, smoke breaks, or a quick weather check.

Photo: Kajetan Powolny – Unsplash​

Nice-to-Have, Not Need-to-Have

On the outskirts of Frederiksberg, 27-year-old Ida Gaardsted Thiele lives in an apartment overlooking Lindevangsparken in Copenhagen. She works in retail and calls her balcony a »nice-to-have.«

»If everything else about the apartment was perfect, I could live without it. But it’s definitely a luxury I enjoy,« she says.

In summer, she sleeps with the door open, letting in birdsong and voices from the park. »It feels like I’m half-outside, even while sitting on the couch.«

Even those without balconies know the feeling – cracking a window and letting the sounds of life drift in. »A balcony makes that feeling physical,« says Marie Stender.

Vertical Architecture

Despite sometimes feeling like little private islands, balconies can enrich urban life.

Josefine appreciates the interplay between private and public. »I like seeing people use their balconies. Facades feel closed off if you can’t see the life inside. But of course, on narrow streets, it might not make sense.«

Ida also enjoys gazing at balconies, imagining life behind the doors. »They don’t bother me. I like them.«

Stender believes it’s time we treat balconies as more than perks for residents – but as intentional elements of urban design. »Balconies can be communal vertical spaces – green, social, and sustainable. Not just boxes on facades, but active parts of the city.«

A balcony is not just extra square footage – it’s a reflection of how we live, dream, and engage with our cities.