VMSD - April 2017 - 9

THE

GOODS
edited by Jennifer Acevedo

TWO-MINUTE TOUR:

A LIA KSE I KR UHL EN I A, SHU TTE RS TOC K

Copenhagen, Denmark
The Numbers
According to the United Nations' 2016
"World Happiness Report," which ranks
156 countries according to their happiness
levels, Denmark comes in at number one.
The Scandinavian country's capital city
of Copenhagen boasts an equally cheery
disposition - it regularly pops up on various "happiest city in the world" lists - and is
Denmark's most populated city with more
than 1.2 million inhabitants. The official
currency is the Danish krone, and despite
persisting myths of socialism, Denmark has
a free market economy. As of 2014, the average family income after taxes in Copenhagen was $49,824 (converted to U.S. dollars),
according to a "Labour, income and wealth"
report released by Statistics Denmark.
The Pulse
This cultural and economic hub, with its
rich design and architectural heritage, dates
back to the 10th Century. Historic sites
abound, including the more than 100-yearold Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the
grand Rosenborg Castle and the 17th Cen-

tury Rundetaarn (or "round castle") tower
and observatory. Cyclists and pedestrians
take priority here: Copenhagen offers miles
of dedicated bike lanes - including the suspended, two-lane Cykelslangen bicycle skyway above the harbor that opened in 2014
- while those on foot can stroll the car-free
Strøget shopping area, where a mix of retailers, including H&M, Zara, Prada and Louis
Vuitton, have outposts.
The Hotspots
Former industrial areas such as Kødbyen
(Copenhagen's meatpacking district) hum
with new bars, restaurants and galleries.
While Papirøen, which translates to Paper
Island (deemed as such for its buildings
that served as paper storage for the Danish
Press Procurement Association), is now
home to the city's massive street food hall
filled with international eats as well as the
Copenhagen Contemporary, an exhibition
space for installation art, which will run
through December 2017. Delphine Piault,
creative director at Copenhagen-based
multidisciplinary agency Pio Studio, notes

the Nørrebro district is transitioning into
a trendy locale with art galleries, vintage
shops and eateries, as well as the short but
sweet Jægersborggade street, flush with
organic ice cream, handmade caramel, local
chocolate shops and micro-roastery The
Coffee Collective, which Piault credits as the
best coffee place in town.
Obstacles/Opportunities
"The biggest challenge for Copenhagen is
to create enough apartments for people living and coming to the city, as there is a lack
of [housing]," Piault says. Transportation
issues from the influx of people, she notes,
are being addressed via a metro expansion
that will add more than nine miles of railway and 17 additional stations beneath its
downtown by July 2019. -Lauren Mang

Editors' note: In March retailers and designers traveled to Copenhagen during the
fifth installment of euro a go go, a postEuroShop road trip that included stops at
the city's top cultural and retail spots, networking events and informative talks, to be
recapped in VMSD's May issue.

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