Copenhagen
Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the 15th century and has since developed into the most important trade, institutional and cultural centre of Denmark. Today, Copenhagen has an international workforce, a large number of international visitors all year round and is home to numerous national and international companies.
Copenhagen experienced serious financial problems in the 1980s and recovered only by selling off parts of the municipality’s land and social housing properties to private investors. These actions along with rising property and land prices have been the cause of problems for the city’s administration ever since. Their challenge is about making such an expensive city a place where everyone has the opportunity to settle.
Today the living standard in Copenhagen is high. The city has twice been ranked the “Most Liveable City” by Monocle Magazine. Green areas, good public transportation and urban planning favouring pedestrian and cycling environments are among the reasons why Copenhagen is a convenient and pleasant city to live in.
Social segregation is one of the biggest challenges Copenhagen faces. As it is one of the most expensive cities to live in, low-income households must seek the most affordable parts of the city. Affluent households are concentrated in central parts of the city or in family-size apartments along the former industrial harbour. Ethnic minorities constitute approximately 20% of the population in Copenhagen and is over-represented in deprived areas.
Bispebjerg has been a part of Copenhagen for about 100 years. Today, the area is in the early stages of urban transformation, as former industrial buildings and business grounds are converted into residential housing, green areas and new service businesses. The area is dominated by small apartments with 45% of apartments being less than 60 m2. It is relatively cheap to reside in Bispebjerg. Therefore the area is popular with low-income households and students. About 35% of the housing stock in Bispebjerg is social housing. The physical quality of housing units is relatively high, but several of the housing estates are socioeconomically deprived.
Large parts of the population are unemployed and undereducated compared to the rest of Copenhagen. The population of Bispebjerg is socially and ethnically diverse, in that about 30% of the citizens are immigrants or their descendants. The ethnic minorities of Bispebjerg are concentrated in social housing and face the same social challenges as the Danish majority, along with additional difficulties such as language barriers and discrimination. The City of Copenhagen has categorized approximately half of Bispebjerg as a deprived urban area. Three specific neighbourhoods are on the list of deprived neighbourhoods published by The Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Affairs.
District Images
Key Statistics
| COPENHAGEN | Denmark | Copenhagen | Bispebjerg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area (km2) | 43 094 | 88.25 | 6.83 |
| Total population [i] | 5 602 628 | 559 440 | 51 488 |
| Average household income [iii] | €5 840 | €5 565 | €4 626 |
| Unemployment [iv] | 4.8% | 5.5% | 7% |
| Receiving state benefits [v] | 28% | 22% | 26% |
| Owner-occupied housing [vi] | 54% | 19% | 10% |
| Average house/apartment m2 price[vii] | €1486/2583 | €3300/3468 | €3173/2603 |
| Highest level of education completed [ii] | Denmark | Copenhagen | Bispebjerg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary education; lower secondary education | 33.5% | 28% | 34% |
| Middle vocational education; high school | 40.5% | 35% | 37% |
| Higher vocational education; tertiary education | 26% | 37% | 29% |
| Largest ethnic groups [viii] | Denmark | Copenhagen | Bispebjerg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danish | 89% | 77.3% | 69.4% |
| Turkish | 1% | 1.4% | – |
| Polish | 0.6% | 0.9% | – |
| German | 0.6% | 0.8% | – |
| Iraqi | 0.5% | 1.2% | – |
| Lebanese | 0.4% | 0.8% | – |
| Other western (incl.EU-27) | 2.7% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Other non-western | 5.1% | 11.2% | 23.5% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Age Groups (ix)
Copenhagen 0-19
Copenhagen 50-69
Copenhagen 20-29
Copenhagen 70+
Copenhagen 30-49
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NOTES
[i] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2013. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 1. kvartal 2013.
[ii] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2011. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 2011
[iii] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2010. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 2010
[iv] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2011. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 2011.
[v] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2007. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 2007
[vi] Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2013. Denmark: Danmarks statistik 2013
[vii] Denmark, Copenhagen and Bispebjerg: Danmarks statistik 3. kvartal 2013
[viii] Denmark and Copenhagen: Danmarks statistik 4. kvartal 2013. Bispebjerg: Københavns Kommunes statistikbank 2013
[ix] Copenhagen
Copenhagen Reports
Urban Policies on Diversity
Critical analysis of existing urban policy programmes and discourses in the case study area. Includes overview of political systems and governance structures, key shifts in national discourses, and approaches to policy over migration, citizenship, and diversity.
Governance Arrangements and Initiatives
Analysis of local governance arrangements and initiatives in the case study area that target social cohesion, social mobility and economic performance.
Fieldwork Inhabitants
Analysis of how urban diversity and policies and arrangements affect different population groups living in cities in terms of social cohesion and social mobility.
Copenhagen News
Rikke with the Local Council of Bispebjerg
Copenhagen
Diversity and Deprivation
DIVERCITIES in Boligen
