Urban Greenspaces

The rise of urban greenspaces in Europe, was the result of the development of major cities during the industrial revolution. This period of time was marked by large scale urbanization and industrialization in major cities. Living conditions in these cities were often unhealthy due to the mass amounts of pollution that was produced by factories and the burning fuels. It was at this point in time, that a handful of philanthropists started to realize the need for clean and livable spaces within these cities. A movement known as the Urban Parks Movement began, with the goal of improving the quality of life for those that lived in industrialized cities. By constructing urban greenspaces with the money provided by the philanthropists, their goal would be achieved. Not long after, the first urban greenspace was constructed in England, in 1840.

In modern day Europe, public greenspaces are commonly found throughout cities, and serve a variety of functions in the day to day lives of people. Some of these functions include aspects such as, providing social spaces for people to interact, promoting physical activity and healthy behavior, providing a place for people to escape the demands of the city, and also helping to combat pollution and carbon emissions. Many urban public parks in today's world, facilitate healthy behavior  with a variety of amenities such as jogging paths for people to exercise, as well as playgrounds and sport fields for children to play on. By promoting a healthy lifestyle, cities can help improve the overall health of its population, providing serene and stress stress free environments for everybody.

Copenhagen is a city that prides itself on being one of the greenest cities in the world. With numerous parks and urban greenspaces across the city, there are a variety of possibilities for its inhabitants. From using these serene and peaceful spaces as social settings or places for physical activity, to utilizing them for educational purposes, the people of Copenhagen are nothing short of options and possibilities.

Striving to be the first carbon neutral city in the world by 2025, Copenhagen has made ambitious moves in implementing urban greenspace and sustainable practices into all aspects of city life.