When kids learn to play while riding a bike, it becomes part of your body.  Even though the traffic garden is designed like a city, it’s not necessarily about teaching rules.  Once they know how to ride and are comfortable on a bike, the parents are responsible for teaching the rules. The Danish Cyclist Federation developed several games for kids to play on a bike.  The most important thing is exposing kids to bike culture early and making it fun.

The playgrounds

In the 1970s-1980s, Denmark realized that families were leaving the city and made a conscious effort to improve spaces for families.  This included investing in improving inner courtyards, investing in kindergartens, and creating playgrounds.  One unique thing about Copenhagen is the prevalence of staffed playgrounds.

Overall, their playgrounds are less focused on risk and more on teaching the kids about various subjects like construction, farming, or traffic… and about building structures that help them be independent and test their limits. This goes in line with the Scandinavian approach to schooling which focuses on teaching small children to be humans and interact with others through play-based learning and doesn’t start teaching reading & math until age 7.

This level of play extends around the city in small and random places – there are tiny play structures all over and trampolines right next to the harbor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The parks

There are many great parks all around the city.  From the flowery manicured Kings Garden to the lush, lake centered Orstedsparken to Superkilen and Norrebroparken, there is lots of variation. There seems to be something for everyone (who likes being outside!) and a focus on creating parks that reflect what people in the neighborhood want. We learned more about the unique design of Superkilen on our Copenhagenize Tour – the park was designed to reflect the multicultural neighborhood from the three major colors (red, green, and black) representing Palestine to the different playground equipment reflecting different countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult playgrounds

Thanks to humid, warm temperatures, we’ve fully embraced dock and harbor bath culture.  European parks are well-known for being full of people hanging out on blankets.  Parks and swimming areas can create “third-spaces” for people outside of their homes and work.  Even better – these spaces are free and open the public. The engagement with the water in Copenhagen is so amazing.  There are lots of official harbor baths, some with intricate diving structures or built in swimming lanes.  There are also just low-cost wooden stepped docks where you can grab some snacks and drinks and hang out with your friends.  The water is clean because the city moved the industry from the center of the city and made the “largest swimming pool” in the center of the city.  As Andreas mentioned, local destinations are the key to transformation of Copenhagen – also a climate strategy because it reduces the number and volume of people driving out of town to the beach.   It’s about biking to and from work, but also other places people want to go and be.   In both considering families and recreation, Copenhagen acknowledges that people are leaving the city and makes changes to make cities nicer.  I always daydream about Springfield or Eugene having more formal swimming areas along the Willamette, or ice cream or coffee stands near the river.