Gadehavegaard, Høje-Taastrup, Denmark

Source: Desire site experience and future plans, AAU, page 20-

Gadehavegaard, located in Høje-Taastrup, about 20 kilometres from Copenhagen, is a large social housing neighbourhood with 986 apartments from the 1970s. It will undergo a significant transformation aimed at promoting social inclusion, biodiversity, and circularity.

The area, managed by the housing administration company Domea and the housing association DFB, is set to be redeveloped by 2030. This redevelopment will include the demolition and renovation of social housing, the construction of new housing for the elderly and private owners, and the establishment of institutions such as a campus area and a neighbourhood centre. 

The redevelopment aims to integrate Gadehavegaard more closely with its surroundings, creating a 30,000 square metre park by removing large car parks and a four-lane road. 

Within Desire, the site representatives decided to focus on the principles circularity and biodiversity. They felt these principles were essential to highlight at this stage of their transformation and to engage their stakeholders effectively. Whilst mainly concentrating on circularity and biodiversity, they hoped the other principles would also naturally follow in their planned process.

The social housing area Taastrupgaard, 20 km from the centre of Copenhagen, will be transformed in the coming years. As a part of that, a parking lot will be changed to a green urban space for the citizens. The Desire partner the building administration Domea.dk has invited two 8th grade classes to give ideas for the urban space. The Filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.

The redevelopment process has involved various participatory activities, particularly focused on engaging young people. For instance, theme weeks were organised for pupils of a school located in the neighbourhood. During these weeks, students were introduced to concepts of urban design, and the principles of circularity and biodiversity. 

They were encouraged to envision and design their ideas for the future park area. Working in groups, they used methods like idea development, photography, drawing, and model building to articulate and create prototypes of their visions of the park. 

These visions were showcased in a design exhibition, which allowed the mayor, parents, representatives from the housing organisation, and the municipality, to see and provide feedback on the students' ideas, fostering a community dialogue about the neighbourhood’s future. 

Additionally, students developed a manifesto and seven principles to guide the park's development, inspired by their research and interviews with local citizens. 

Stories

Theme weeks in Gadehavegaard: Young people are the key to successful development of the neighbourhood: Educational programmes at local schools will help to see new potentials for the area's future development through the eyes of young people. At the same time, the process will provide young people with new skills and knowledge in biodiversity, circularity and inclusion/participation. Desire partner, the housing administration company Domea.dk and the housing association DFB are excited and hope to maintain contact with the young people. Click on the link to read the story

GXN: Design is not about hocus pocus: Through two Desire theme weeks, pupils at Gadehavegaard have been introduced to how to translate ideas and wishes into concrete design proposals. The experimental process has provided knowledge in both directions and now the experience will be translated into principles that others can use when they want to involve users in design processes. Click on the link to read the story

App helps collect soft data in the city: What do citizens think about an urban area? And what is important to them when transforming part of it into a green, attractive urban space? In the Desire project, we are experimenting with an app as a tool for collecting and listening to citizens' opinions - and thereby involving them in the green transition. We visited the social housing area Gadehavegaard to see, how two school classes used the app. Click on the link to read the story

The engagement with young people during the theme weeks highlighted the importance of involving future generations in the design and planning of their local environment. 

The students felt listened to and valued, contributing ideas that ranged from peaceful greenhouses to vibrant playgrounds and community spaces. 

The project demonstrated that when given the opportunity, young people can offer innovative solutions that resonate with the community's needs. 

The feedback from the resident board members, who found the children’s proposals both exciting and practical, reinforced the potential for such participatory processes to yield valuable insights. Continuous reflections focused on how to maintain strong relationships with local actors, keep a focus on biodiversity and circularity, and ensure stakeholder empowerment.

Materials and helpful links

Several innovative tools and methodologies were employed to facilitate this inclusive planning process. 

A ‘Think it, Sketch it, Show it’ toolkit allowed children to transform their visions into tangible urban designs. After that, the design studio GXN (part of the Desire consortium) developed digital models, which brought the children’s ideas to life in a virtual environment. 

In addition, Our Walk App was used to collect 'soft data' in the city, gathering nuanced insights from residents about their experiences and needs. Furthermore, a tender program was developed based on the students’ manifesto, the New European Bauhaus values (sustainability, inclusion, aesthetics), and the principles of biodiversity and circularity. 

Gadehavegaard has also developed a tender weel that incorporates principles of biodiversity, circularity, and inclusion, along with contributions from local youth.

• Co-creation Workshops, tool
• The Tender Wheel, tool
• Our Walk App, tool
• Think it, Sketch it, Show it’, tool
• Transformation theme: Embrace and enable inclusion
• Transformation theme: Raise and sustain ambitions

Territorial transformation plan

The territorial transformation plan for Gadehavegaard builds on the successful integration of perspectives from both the local community, including local youth, and external architects. This has led to three main outcomes: an ambition to ensure inclusive quality assurance in the tender process, a plan for the transformation of roads and parking lots into a green area that is connected with the public housing area of Gadehavegaard, and the development of a new method for using biodiversity as a key element in engaging the local community.

The results show that the public housing of Gadehavegaard, with its administrator Domea.dk at the forefront, can, through the achievements made in connection with the Desire project, serve as a showcase for a new way of thinking about tender processes, the concrete establishment of green spaces, and the use of biodiversity as a method for broad engagement.

A brief outline of the three achievements:

• New approach to the tender process - By involving users and architects at an early stage, the process ensures inclusive quality assurance. Architects contribute by sketching out ideas, enhancing user understanding and highlighting the area’s aesthetic qualities. This approach helps communicate the project's goals and the area's stories. Taking this approach to the next level will include letting architects ensure the quality of the written tender material by illustrating and spatially testing the program requirements.

• Transformation plan for the green area in Gadehavegaard - The aim is to make the future park more inclusive and accessible, promoting interaction on an equal footing, regardless of people’s background, and fostering democratic participation.

• Biodiversity as a key to engagement - working with biodiversity in transformation activities in relation to the park in Gadehavegaard has proved to be a strong denominator for engaging the community. The experiences have potential to be extended to other transformation projects nationwide to strengthen local involvement.

Long term vision:

The long-term vision concerns building a sustainable and inclusive community where both people and biodiversity can thrive. The focus is on fostering a respectful and harmonious relationship between residents and the green spaces, which requires continuous effort and dedication from local representatives. Future projects will ensure that residents' contributions and ideas play an essential role in shaping the neighbourhood’s transformation.

The overarching goal is to create a diverse urban space where a wide range of needs can be addressed, and hopefully strengthens the community in the long term. A significant part of this ambition is to support a wider range of residents, empowering them to actively participate in the transformation and development of Gadehavegård. New public spaces and engagement processes are expected to foster stronger relationships and a sense of community. The involvement of young people in the Desire project of Gadehavegaard, has set precedent for the future projects in the area.