Priorparken Transformation - A blue-green oriented neighborhood, integrating infrastructure in sustainable development
The aim of the project is to shift the main focus back to people and nature that will bring back the blue-green to re-qualify the sub-urban living standards. The main question of the project is: “ How blue-green infrastructure become the guidelines to transform the old industrial areas into sustainable neighborhoods and upgrade the sub-urban living quality in modern context?”
Background
Copenhagen, like other big cities in the world is growing in size and population. In 2010, the plan for the new light railway was approved by the State, the Capital region and 10 municipalities. The plan also brings opportunities to transform old industrial sites along the light railway into new urban quarters, accomodating future population of Copenhagen. Currently, all the brownfields are located outside of the motoring 3. These areas has an identity of a “sub-urban” area. In this, car has become the king and most of the neighborhoods are constructed based on the logics of car connection. As the result, the ring 3 urban corridor is facing many challenges of noise, air pollution and unattractive urban spaces. Especially, it is loosing the connection with nature that is supposed to be the major quality of living in a sub-urban. Thus, the aim of the project is to shift the main focus back to people and nature that will bring back the blue-green to re-qualify the sub-urban living standard. The main question of the project is: “ How blue-green infrastructure become the guidelines to transform the old industrial areas into sustainable neighborhoods and upgrade the sub-urban living quality in modern context?”
The site
The chosen site is Priorparken - a 65ha industrial area locating in Brondby Municipality. Due to the construction of the new light railway and new S-train station, the site is expected to be transformed into a new vibrant urban neighborhood. Even though the site has big issues of noise and flooding due to locating next to the motoring 3 and lower in topography, Priorparken has a beautiful location that is adjacent to Vestvolden - a heritage blue-green structure, and an existing green network on the west part.
Concept
By letting nature guide the way, a new system of blue-green infrastructures is constructed based on the existing conditions, that protects the site from flooding and noise issues, but also functions as guidelines to construct new urban quarters.
Priorparken's structures
The project contains four main parts: the blue-green establishment, the active urban blue-green spaces, the urban streetscapes and blue-green oriented neighborhoods. Each part represents different strategies, concepts, ideas about how to transform an industrial site by working with existing conditions, especially the blue-green structure to form Priorparken’s own identity but also to link with surrounding urban context. Diversity, self-sustainability and connectivity are the main keys regarding how nature can bring back the quality of living in a sub-urban area and Priorparken as a case.
Different from living in the city or extreme remote area, the living quality in a sub-urban area such as Priorparken is a combination between different layers of life, landscapes, natural habitats
Through the window, people can see the humans cultures and activities in both private and public domains integrating with landscape, human settlements and nature background creating a specific identity that you cannot obtain in other places.
Blue-green cultures before blue-green urbanism
Due to Priorparken is an old industrial area, where it has its own contexts, history and location in among existing residential neighborhoods. It is important to think about how Priorparken can transformed in the future? And how to build it over time that to bring back the blue-green cultures to people and residents before developing the whole site.
