Significant improvement in quality of life
The Holmbladsgade project is part of a Danish program called Kvaterløft (urban regeneration), which calls for a strong commitment from local residents in the development of their districts. Holmbladsgade was once among Copenhagen's more disadvantaged areas. Most of the buildings were built as apartments for laborers at the beginning of the 20th century and were in desperate need of modernization in the middle of the nineties. Thanks to a combined approach from state, city, private investors and residents, quality of life for the people here has greatly improved. Today, residents benefit from new urban focal points for culture, society, youth and sport. Social problems that had previously been prevalent were successfully solved or significantly alleviated.
Exemplary resident participation
The residents of Holmbladsgade were involved in all of the planning processes for Kvaterløft and could actively influence how their district should be changed. In a recent survey, over 80 percent of people living in Holmbladsgade said that they were familiar with the regeneration project in their district. The survey also showed that over 10 percent were actively involved in the process. "The participation of local residents is unique and shows that a committed citizenry is not an obstacle to urban development", says Klaus Töpfer. On the contrary: participation from residents ensures acceptance and the sustainability of urban development projects. Newly-created public spaces, the culture centre, the sports centre and the maritime youth centre now form new centers of activity that are visited by hundreds of people every day.
