The Suburb of the Future
What if, instead of demolishing, we built upon what already exists?
Is Denmark all about village ponds and ducklings? Or do we need new narratives? These opening lines begin the film where Danish rapper USSEL examines the Denmark we encounter most often: Swathes of single-family homes and gray industrial areas. Take this tour through the Danish landscape of endless highways, mass-produced buildings, and empty industrial buildings and discover how these places can be transformed into new vibrant cities.
The future scenario is created by architects Olmo Ahlmann and Stine Christiansen of Os Arkitekter.
About the Architects’ Future Scenario
What will happen if we own less and share more? If we build upon existing structures and let nature replace asphalt? If the single-family house becomes a home for many different family forms? And if we transform industrial areas into mixed-use neighborhoods where people can live, work, cultivate, and create in close connection with nature?
In Os Arkitekter’s film, the rigid boundaries of industrial zones and suburban housing areas are breaking down. New homes are built in, on, and onto existing structures, and where roads once dominated, shared green spaces now thrive. In this future, we are connected in new ways, and alternative living arrangements reshape the monotony of suburban landscapes. This is the story of cities rediscovering themselves—vibrant, harmonious, and with space for the good life.
Os Arkitekter
Os Arkitekter was founded by architects Stine Christiansen and Olmo Ahlmann. Os Arkitekter sees architecture and landscape as intrinsically linked. In their projects, they work across different scales, taking a holistic approach to city, building, and landscape. Read more about Os Arkitekter here.
Explore the three other architecture firms’ visions for the future: How will we live in 2050?
About the National Architecture Policy
With their future scenarios, the four architecture firms have provided inspiration to The Expert Group for National Architecture Policy. The expert group was set up to develop a white paper with recommendations for a new national architecture policy. The wording matters when formulating Denmark’s new national architecture policy. The architecture policy sets the direction for the built environment across Denmark. Drawing on the national architecture policy, the government and municipalities can create actual legislation that, for example, may dictate façade design, set CO2 emission limits for construction, or determine whether it should remain acceptable to build 200-square-meter single-family homes. The policy can thus have a huge and direct impact on the way we all live.
Helle Søholt, CEO of Gehl Architects and spokesperson for the expert group, says:
“The four future scenarios are an important inspiration for our work in the expert group. They challenge us to radically rethink our urban environments and show how the architecture of the future can be a catalyst for sustainable change. This rethinking will be an important part of how we devise our recommendations for the new national architecture policy. We hope the films can contribute to an open, active, and inclusive dialog about the recommendations in municipalities across Denmark. “
Read more about the about the national architecture policy here.
About the Expert Group for National Architecture Policy
The Expert Group for National Architecture Policy was appointed by the Minister for Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt to draw up a number of recommendations for what a new national architecture policy should contain. The expert group consists of leading experts in Denmark within architecture and urban planning, including Pil Høyer Thielst, partner at Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects; Lene Dammand Lund, rector at the Royal Danish Academy; and Lars Autrup, CEO of the Danish Association of Architects.
Find out more at the Danish Ministry of Culture’s website.