Sydhavn

Southwest of Vesterbro railroad tracks and industrial land occupy large areas of land creating barriers to movement. Two large parks occupy a significant portion of what is left. In the spaces between these elements the neighborhood of Sydhavn ("South Harbor") is located.

Sydhavn is a working-class neighborhood, composed exclusively of large blocks of flats constructed in the early 20th century. These brick buildings are 5 and 6 stories high and present continuous, unadorned facades to the street. Landscaped areas are spread throughout the neighborhood in open areas between buildings and the street and in building courtyards, some of which are open on one side. These courtyards are large open spaces purposely designed to be amenities for residents, and have never had any backbuildings or economic uses. The scale of this neighborhood is noticeably different from Vesterbro, with wider streets, more open areas, and entire block-faces occupied by a single building.

Sydhavn developed adjacent to industrial land along the city’s central harbor and railroad network. That area was the city’s industrial heart until the 1960’s and 70’s and areas like Sydhavn housed its labor force. Today the former-industrial brown-field sites near Sydhavn are being developed with corporate offices and high-end apartments. Meanwhile, Vesterbro to the north-east has become increasingly gentrified and unaffordable, putting the residents of Sydhavn in an uncomfortable situation. They want investment in their neighborhood and apartments, but fear losing the affordable rents they still enjoy.

Neighborhoods like Sydhavn appeared throughout Copenhagen starting in the 1910’s. At that time the government began to be more actively involved in the housing sector, updating regulations and making financing more readily available, and increasingly becoming involved in the planning of large-scale projects. Prominent architects became involved in the movement away from the flashy facades and rustic interiors of the late 19th century towards the priority of amenities for residents and efficiency of construction. These changes influenced development patterns of the way the outer sections of the brokvarter neighborhoods as well as the next ring of perimeter neighborhoods such as Nordvest, Vanløse, Valby, and this study area from 1920-1940. Buildings of this type are described as Welfare Era Blocks of Flats in the typology section of this report.

Sydhavn has a gross neighborhood density of about 178 DU per hectare (72 DU per acre).