Territorial Review Copenhagen - Region Hovedstaden

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square is nearly void of green landscaping. In terms of temporary use, the
square has accommodated parades and football-watching for national
Danish teams. Few temporary exhibits, however, have used this space to
educate the public on environmental issues. Paris‘ use of temporary
landscaping may provide a useful model for Copenhagen. For one month in
2008, Paris‘ ―Jardin éphémère‖ or temporary garden comprised nearly 6 000
plants of 52 different species around a 330 m² pond directly in front of City
Hall. 45 This could especially be used to showcase the ecology of Denmark
during the COP15 Conference. In the future, urban landscaping could be
better integrated into such initiatives as the Copenhagen Urban Space Action
Plan (CUSAP).
Reducing energy consumption and waste
Improved energy conservation techniques would be useful to reduce
Copenhagen‘s ecological footprint. ―Smart meters‖ are being rolled out in
Denmark that would give customers the chance to monitor their energy
consumption in real time. These should be coupled with rates that vary by
season and time of the day, rewarding customers who shift energy use to
off-peak periods. Consumers might also be given greater choice in how their
energy is produced. For example, the Blue Sky program, a partnership
between the United States‘ state of Utah and its consumers, gives residents
an opportunity to help increase the demand for renewable energy by paying
for the incremental difference between power from market cost energy and
wind power and other renewable sources. Through this program, Utah
Power purchases 452 megawatts per month of renewable energy, which
offsets approximately 3 800 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year (Envision
Utah, 2006). Additional programs could be designed in Copenhagen where
energy conservation is integrated into urban design, infrastructure planning,
and urban regeneration/brownfields redevelopment. London is saving large
amounts of energy from construction by mandating that the development of
the Olympics site reuse many of the materials from the industrial zone.
Private developers have a key role to play in constructing more energyefficient
buildings. Already the City of Copenhagen through its
―Sustainability in Construction and Civil Works‖ guidebook, has given
developers suggestions for environmentally friendly building materials and
designs. This is complemented by the Building Labelling Scheme, which is
implemented by the Danish Energy Authority. During the design phase, the
ecological footprint of new real estate projects could be better minimised
through utilising software tools that suggest environmentally-friendly
design. For instance, the Danish Building Research Institute‘s software
tools, which integrate sustainable concepts into the design phases. BSim, for
example, allows developers to analyze the thermal indoor climate, daylight