Hey friends!  

Something I have loved seeing here in Copenhagen is the beautiful parks and public spaces! From a botanical garden to crazy playgrounds to skate parks to even public docks, the Danish do an amazing job at sharing their space. They keep their space clean and are respectful to all others around them in these places. My friends and I have been having frequent picnics in these gorgeous green parks, which are incredibly well-maintained and extremely lively basically all the time! There seems to be a major skating culture here in Copenhagen and we have seen some large skateparks, which seem to cater to the older aged pre-teen and teenaged children in the city. They even have public docks and sitting areas by the harbor; When it is hot, it feels like the entire city flocks down to the water to swim!   

We also visited a staffed playground here in Copenhagen. Copenhagen has 27 staffed parks, where parents can feel safe about sending their children to play. Each park has its own focus on things like sustainability, art, history, and more. There is one park that has a petting zoo within the park! We met with Randa Ruben Jaber Sebelin, who showed us around a miniature mock street which is also a staffed playground for children to experiment with and learn how to bike on! The mini-Copenhagen city street had a typical bike lane, bike stop lights, ramps, bus lanes, crosswalks, parking spots, and more! They had mini push bikes for children to use and this entire space is public. This park was built in the 70s and has been helping Copenhagen’s children learn to bike since then!  

We were then sent on a quest to visit some parks and playgrounds on our own! Here are some I have encountered!  

Here are some other cool public spaces I have found and even used!  

We have much to learn about these green spaces and implementation of newer and more well-thought-out parks and public spaces, such as the ones I have seen here in Denmark so far. I think America could implement these types of parks that are larger, well-maintained, and overall, more pleasant places. I honestly did not see the value in the investment in public spaces until coming here and seeing what the Danish have done. I think in America we have a culture of privatization, and our own belongings and private space seems to be the goal. However, seeing these public spaces, I can see American cities and society seeing much more happiness, safety, and growth by implementing these public spaces for citizens to enjoy!  

Yours,

Macy