Although I haven’t spent too much time in Copenhagen so that I know it very well, four days were enough for me to create an impression about the creative potential of the city.
Thus, I can now say that Copenhagen is one of the most creative cities in Europe, much more creative than the cities in the German space I would say. Why?
As I walked through the inner city, I recognized all the characteristics that Richard Florida was talking about when describing a creative city. That is:
- It has a good transportation system which promotes the use of ecological transportation means (bicycles and Christiania bicycles).
- It is open to gay and lesbian communities.
- It allows everyone to behave naturally and to show off their personalities.
- It offers enough leisure and entertainment activities catered to all tastes: opera, theaters, but also lots of coffee shops, bars, clubs.
Besides this, you can see singers and artists performing on the streets.
Micro-urban events are part of Copenhagen daily landscape. In the picture below you can see a Lego event, where the inhabitants had the opportunity to show their creativity using Lego stones (no direct advertising was attached to this event).
- Different parts of the town cater different social classes and ages – there are areas, which are more family friendly (quiet and close to the beach); other areas (next to the S-train south west line) which offer modern housing conditions at an affordable price; and student areas or for others with a similar budget.
However, there are also some negative things that I noticed in Copenhagen, like:
- Youngsters (teenagers) and people in their 20-ies – use to excessively drink during the weekend and then stroll through the city at night. For the ones like me not used to this landscape, it was a bit shocking, to say at least.
- Christiania Quarter – is a city within a city located in Christianhavn Quarter. At the first sight it looks like a ghetto. The inhabitants of this community are people who refuse to integrate in the Danish community. This small quarter benefits of tax exemption, but no real business is run there. The community members have their own workshops, art shops, or whatever they have thought of doing to sustain themselves. While a few years ago, this place was not visited by external people, the police interviewned and now this part of the town can be crossed, at least during the day.
All in all, Copenhagen left me with the desire to return to this place some other time and enjoy more of what it has to offer. It is a very alive city so to say and this can energize its inhabitants.
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