ABSTRACT
This chapter examines current trends in urban public space design and social cohesion practices in Denmark. It departs from a hypothesis that a special kind of ‘model’ of public space has been developing since the turn of the century, building on ideals that can be related both to the universalist welfare state ideology and the idea of democratic urban public space. In Denmark the political ideology of the welfare state has established a long tradition of understanding social cohesion as dependent on social and economic equity. However, Denmark is witnessing an unprecedented rise of cultural diversity, challenging its established idea of social cohesion and raising important questions for urban design practice. Is public space an important tool for achieving social cohesion in this context? And does urban design have an important role to play? This chapter aims to answer these questions. To do so, it provides a framework through which to understand Danish public space design, which is then empirically, theoretically and historically elaborated through with five urban public spaces realised after 2000.
