In Copenhagen, we accidentally stumbled across a street
design that we have never seen before in California. The street locates on Sønder
Boulevard in Vesterbro, which is in between Halmtorvet and Enghavevej Station
near the bike rental station that we all went to as a class. What caught our
eyes first was the basketball court sitting in the green strip located in the
middle of the boulevard. We immediately realized that the green space in front of
us was an active urban outdoor strip park that was designed to accommodate for
sports and recreation uses. We decided to sit on the benches near the
basketball court to take notes and observe the activities going around us.
There was a family of five sitting at the benches and tables next us having a
picnic under the tree while a game of basketball provided visual entertainment.
There were also people buying food and drinks from coffee shops and taking them
to eat in the garden spaces. After walking across the strip park, we came to
the conclusion that Sønder Boulevard is the street that contained all the
ingredients for a complete street plus more.
A complete street has
pedestrian infrastructures, bicycle accommodations, traffic calming measures
and mass transit accommodations; all of these features were included on Sønder
Boulevard.
This section shows
the Boulevard and how it is considered a complete street. The pedestrian lane
is wide and the strip park is pedestrian only zone. There were also speed bumps
at intervals of the car lane.
The strip park
attracts people of all ages because of the way the strip park is designed.
There is a basketball court, soccer field, children’s playground, walks, small
gardens and seating areas.
An ocean themed
playground.
Open park space, a peaceful environment for all to
enjoy.
Seating area under
the tree provide shade for a family picnic.
Girls preparing to
sunbath in the open garden space.
Young teenage boys enjoying a friendly game of
basketball.
The pedestrian
crossings act as a speed bump for cars.
The Sønder
strip park allows community members to actively enjoy green space in an urban
environment right in middle of an otherwise traffic dominated street. The
incorporation of the strip park allows the boulevard to be more walkable,
bikable and enjoyable. Not only does it have all the qualities that make it a
complete street, the strip park adds active entertainment, visual aesthetic
qualities and provides opportunities for people of the community to interact
with one another.
By: Nikita Choi & Ying Ying Zhong
