Norwegian Constitution Day

/

Today was a Norwegian flag day - Constitution Day - and Norwegians in Copenhagen gathered to march to the church of King Haarkon … the Norwegian church just outside the city defences around Christianshavn.

It was a good excuse to take photographs but not obviously much to do with either Copenhagen or with design … but then of course Denmark and Norway are what, in England, would probably be called first cousins once removed - and like all cousins they fight and argue but fiercely defend each other if anyone from outside the family dares to say exactly the same things - and what are national costumes if not very very carefully thought-through design where colours and styles can be different but those variations have to be agreed by everyone or it is just clothing … it is design used for bonding and branding - in the sense of being able to identify others in the same group - and being proud of that bond.

One Norwegian bar in Copenhagen has announced the launch of a new cocktail to mark the day called Bersærker for “praising our viking roots with loads of snaps” which is a slightly different form of bonding.

a recent window display at Illums Bolighus

/

 

I guess that only in Copenhagen would a high end furniture store come up with a window display that put a cargo bike - be it a high-tech cargo bike - with plates of marshmallows and champagne glasses. 

Not following fashion fashion … is this sort of flesh colour what everyone should be buying this Spring? Even for a bike?

 

an extended bus designed for an extended route

/

A new design of bus has been introduced on one of the most heavily used bus routes in the city that runs across Copenhagen from Husum Torv to Sundbyvester.

The new 5C is five metres longer than the old 5A buses they replace but they hold far more passengers - in fact 65 more so up to 147 people - and there are more doors with five entry / exit points along the length of the bus and these can be opened by passengers - with large push buttons on the doors - rather than just being controlled by the driver - so more like the system passengers are familiar with on suburban trains.   

There will be significant environmental gains as the buses are CO2 neutral - fuelled by Biogas, they will emit 72% less NOx and 33% fewer particles and there is also a reduction in noise when compared with the old buses.

Statistics for this route are astounding - there are 20 million journeys a year - and, with the new larger buses and new stretches of dedicated bus lane to relieve some congestion on the route, the passenger numbers are predicted to increase by around 5% to an average of 2,200 people an hour. To put that into context Copenhagen airport had just under 29 million passengers last year.

This is an important example of co-ordinated planning as the buses have been funded by the municipalities of Herlev, Copenhagen and Tårnby and upgrading the route has included those new dedicated bus lanes - to reduce delays - and work on new bus stops with wind breaks and more digital traffic information. 

 

more information on the web sites for movia and State of Green