We call on the City of Copenhagen to reject the proposed local plan for Marmormolen Øst and Langelinie Nord in its current form.
This petition was started by residents in and around Nordhavn, together with other citizens who want to preserve Copenhagen's harbour and the character of Langelinie.
The proposal allows three highrises on the pier heads at the entrance to Copenhagen's harbour:
- 120 metres on Langeliniespidsen
- 96 metres on Marmormolen
- a further tower at 65 metres
- approx. 62,500 m² of new construction in total
The Round Tower is 35 metres.
Why you should consider objecting
- Not a single alternative has been assessed. Environmental assessment law requires that reasonable alternatives be considered. The council has compared different versions of the same highrise concept, but has not put forward a solution without towers. There is nothing to compare the proposal against.
- The height may not be necessary at all. A building is only that tall because so much has to be squeezed into it. At the public meeting in August we were told that affordable housing cannot sit in the same building as owner-occupied flats, and therefore needs a building of its own. That pushes everything else upward and ends in a single 120 metre tower. We do not believe that rule exists. Since 2020 the delegated developer model has made it possible to combine affordable and owner-occupied housing in the same building. If that is correct, the homes can be distributed differently across the site and the tower does not need to be 120 metres.
- The council is not a neutral party. By & Havn, in which the City of Copenhagen holds an ownership interest, owns 8.5 % of Harbour P/S, the developer consortium that asked the council for this new plan. We have asked the council to publish an assessment of its own impartiality in the matter.
- The skyline is assessed piece by piece. Marmormolen, Langelinie, Sundmolen, Nordø, Sandkaj, Århusgadekvarteret, Lynetteholm. Each plan is assessed on its own. No one has shown what Copenhagen's combined skyline looks like once everything planned is built. We are asking for a full skyline analysis with realistic visualisations from public vantage points on land and on the water, not only the developer's own presentation renderings.
- Large impact on the surrounding area. Nordhavn and other surrounding areas will be impacted with large shadows spanning the autumn, spring and winter months, immense construction noise for the next 4 years and impact from wind tunnels forming as a result of the structures, to name a few areas.
Langelinie is not a building site It is a historic promenade, a place people go on a Sunday, and the first thing visitors see when they sail into Copenhagen. It is one of the few places in the city that is open to everyone. Build it out, and the chance of a connected, publicly accessible recreational harbour area is gone for good.
We are not against development on the harbour. Housing, workplaces, parks and public space can be created on Marmormolen and Langelinie. But that does not require the city's tallest markers to stand exactly where the city meets the water.
The best locations in a city should not automatically go to whatever development produces the largest private financial gain. Some places are so valuable to everyone that their greatest value lies in not being built on.
Sign if you believe the towers should be removed from the proposal, and that the City of Copenhagen should present a solution that respects the place. By signing this form you consent to us submitting your provided information as part of the høringssvar as a supporter of the following høringsvar (Please make sure you list your full name and don't hide it when submitting): Høringssvar_vedrørende_forslag_til_Lokalplan_Marmormolen_Øst_og_Langelinie_Nord_med_kommuneplantillæg.pdf
IMPORTANT: your signature is not a consultation response and the next action below is critical!
The council is only obliged to respond to formal consultation responses. Go to https://blivhoert.kk.dk/hearing/290, and write your objection in your own words. It does not need to be long. The deadline is 21 September.
It does not end there. Once finally adopted, a local plan can be appealed to Planklagenævnet on legal questions, including whether the environmental assessment was adequate. What gets submitted now is what any such case rests on.
