Gro Nørrebro

The design is a proposal for Nordic Built Cities Challenge – Cloudburst and Culture. The project integrates climate adaptation into a renewal of Hans Tavsens Park and Korsgade in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. It is a part of implementation of the cloudburst strategy in Copenhagen.

Gro Nørrebro aims at developing rainproof public spaces with involvement of local inhabitants and school. It is the blue green cloudburst infrastructure that tie together different places along the way from the park to the lake, Peblinge Sø. New pavements and promenades make this connection safer in use for children and pedestrians.

Three main areas – the park, school area and the Korsgade are part of a solid water management system that will ensure protection from flooding in the future and add quality to public space at the same time.

Hans Tavsens park is designed to collect everyday rainwater in a central pond with a fountain, store it in water tanks and later use it for watering the plants. During extreme cloudburst the park will accommodate water run-off from a larger neighbourhood. Basins of sports and play area together with depressions of the green area will delay rainwater sequentially. In the peak moment it can accommodate 18.000 m3 of water within the park boundaries.

In school area local roof run-off water will be cleaned and collected in water tanks, then later used in water play features for children. The journey of rainwater will be visible, making it a part of a learning process.

Korsgade begins with a church square on a hilltop from which a stream of water is running down, permanently pumped up from the lake. It meanders through the squares on its way down to the lake. On a rainy day the same channels lead the local roof run-off water downhill. During severe rain the road functions as a cloudburst street, bringing the water down to the lake, Peblinge Sø, where it splashes out in a spectacular geyser.