Urban Greenspaces

Open-space is any open space of land that is undeveloped. Often times, open-space includes greenspace.  Greenspace is land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. Parks, gardens, and cemeteries are considered greenspace. Greenspaces are often found in bustling cities and urban environments. Because these environments are often full of pesticide run off, poor environmental impacts, and destruction of habitat, greenspaces are and were used to enhance the environmental quality, escape the urban city, and connect to nature. Copenhagen has many examples of greenspace created in the 19th century that are still kept up and well visited today. In 1869 Copenhagen’s fortification ring was decommissioned and it’s grounds were relinquished to the city. A significant part of the City was then reserved for parks.

Ørstedsparken:
Ørstedsparken looks much like it did in the late 1800’s from the old forts. The park retains the section of the moat, and bastions from the old forts that that give the park historical meaning. This park is focused around an elongated lake which runs along the length of the park. People use this park to escape the noisy, chaotic city life and come to relax, run, walk, or be at one with nature. Although the park is in the middle of the city, it is very closed off with the tall trees making it very quiet and peaceful. 

Ørstedsparken

Botanisk Have:

The botanical gardens in Copenhagen were founded in 1600, they were moved twice to where they sit now. They were used to house exotic plants and for research. The gardens today are part of the National History Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen science program uses theses botanical gardens today to study and research the plants, and medicine. Today people come to the botanical gardens to relax, look and think about the beauty of the wild plants. The glasshouses can be used no matter the weather, and is a nice retreat for people to go and look at the plants that come from all over the world and are housed in Denmark. The botanic garden displays Denmark’s largest collection of living plants and houses the only gene bank for wild species. 

Botanisk Have

Rosenborg Castle Gardens or The King’s Garden:

The King’s Garden is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen. In 1606, King Christian IV established this Renaissance style, pleasure garden for the royal household. The garden is now located outside of the present day Rosenborg Castle. The garden had statues, a pavilion, a fountain, and many other features. It also contained an array of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Years later, the garden was redesigned showing a maze, it had many paths leading to the center. Rosenborg Castle was no longer used by the royal family and was open for the public where the head gardener turned it into a Baroque style garden like it is now. Many people come to the gardens to relax and enjoy the beauty and nature, see the beautiful trees, plants, and flowers, or take a walk or run through it as it is in the center of Copenhagen. 

Rosenborg Castle Garden

Urban greenspaces are becoming more and more popular as people are looking at having “green” environments and “going green”. I love the idea of having every city have more greenspaces, like Copenhagen. Having these natural environments interwoven in the cities is great for the city and the people as they get out more and enjoy nature. A couple sources below that I visited are interested in creating more of these urban greenspaces and making cities “greener”.

Sources:

Urban Greenspaces Walking Tour packet from classhttp://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/openspace.html

http://www.urbangreenspaces.org

Photos: 

http://media.avisen.dk/GetImage.ashx?imageid=719477&sizeid=4http://www.denstoredanske.dk/@api/deki/files/3189/=21221880.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/180/432477571_b78212f4cd_b.jpg