Why are cities central to Europe’s future right now?
Cities are central because economic pressure, climate risks and social challenges increasingly converge there. The conversation highlighted that cities are where much economic value is created, where talent and innovation concentrate, and where the green transition will ultimately succeed or fail. At the same time, cities connect wider regions, including rural areas and industrial ecosystems, and therefore play a decisive role in Europe’s resilience and prosperity.
What is “The Copenhagen Way”?
“The Copenhagen Way” is an operating model for urban transformation rather than a fixed blueprint. The initiative documents Copenhagen’s transformation from a city in decline in the early 1990s to one of the world’s most liveable and competitive urban economies today. Its central point is that transformation did not come from single flagship projects alone, but from long-term planning, governance and collaboration across sectors.
Why is Copenhagen described as a proof of concept?
Copenhagen is described as a proof of concept because the project uses the city to show what long-term urban transformation can achieve. The point is not that other cities should copy Copenhagen directly, but that they can learn from the principles behind the development. These include a long-term vision, institutional innovation and collaboration between public and private actors.
How does livability create economic value?
The conversation framed livability as more than a soft factor. In “The Copenhagen Way”, livability is connected to competitiveness, talent attraction, productivity and long-term growth. The project therefore links urban quality of life with tangible economic outcomes and presents cities as critical infrastructure for Europe’s future, not as a cost factor.
What needs to change to make urban development investable?
The discussion pointed to the need for business cases that connect financial returns with social and environmental value. Climate adaptation and urban development must become investable if cities are to scale solutions that strengthen resilience and competitiveness. The input also raises the question of why private capital remains hesitant at scale, even when cities present attractive investment opportunities.
Why does cross-city collaboration matter?
Cities cannot act in isolation if Europe wants to scale urban transformation. The conversation referred to cross-city collaboration and corridors, including the Hamburg-Copenhagen-Oslo-Stockholm axis. The strategic idea is to connect cities across borders so that solutions, investment and collaboration can move faster and reach greater scale.
What does this mean for German-Danish cooperation?
The discussion places German-Danish cooperation in a broader European context, where cities and regions need to collaborate across borders. The Hamburg-Copenhagen-Oslo-Stockholm axis was mentioned as one example of how urban networks can connect economies, knowledge environments and transformation agendas. The conversation also raised the question of where the biggest untapped opportunities between Germany and Denmark lie.
What are the main takeaways from the conversation?
The conversation identified three main takeaways: cities stand at the centre of Europe’s future, “The Copenhagen Way” is an operating model rather than a blueprint, and the next step is scaling through collaboration across cities and borders. The session also linked urban transformation to wider themes of innovation, leadership and sustainable growth.
Background on the conversation and The Copenhagen Way
On 28 April, Signe Kongebro, Global Director for Future Cities at Rambøll, joined Andreas Wenzel for “A Coffee with.” The conversation focused on “The Copenhagen Way”, a joint initiative by Rambøll, Urban Partners and BLOXHUB, developed with a broad network of Danish and European stakeholders. The project documents Copenhagen’s transformation from a city in decline in the early 1990s to one of the world’s most liveable and competitive urban economies today and highlights how long-term vision, institutional innovation and cross-sector collaboration can strengthen resilience and competitiveness in a European context.