We Join Forces for the Green Future Project

Within the scope of the “Joining Forces for a Green Future Project”, which we carried out within the scope of the Town Twinning-II Grant Scheme between Turkey and the EU, a study visit was made to Copenhagen, Denmark together with our project partners, Lithuania Taurage Municipality and Croatia Karlovac Municipality. We visited Copenhagen with a team of 9 people in order to see the good practices of the city of Copenhagen in terms of combating climate change and environmental studies, green transformation, sustainable transportation, smart environmental systems and lighting etc., to share good practices and learn from each other. We would like to state that we made all our trips within the city by public transportation and on foot. Our first impression is that the city is a very bicycle friendly city. With public transportation cards, you can use metro, bus, sea bus and train unlimitedly for certain periods of time. Sustainable transportation system works well. It is a clean, green, spacious, socially vibrant city with its canals.

During our visit, we first visited the “Danish Energy Agency”, which is affiliated to the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy in Copenhagen with our partners, and we were informed about the energy diversity in Denmark, energy efficiency, the important steps they have taken for energy independence, which has been on the agenda again in recent years with the energy crisis that started in the 70s and the war with Russia and Ukraine, renewable energy sources and district heating and cooling systems. It was mentioned that district heating is one of Denmark's energy efficiency plans and that 66 percent of almost all densely populated areas in Denmark are heated with this system, most of which is produced from renewable sources such as solar and wind, some of which is produced with heat from waste incineration plants. Denmark meets the vast majority of its energy from wind energy. So much so that there are a lot of offshore offshore Res Plants on the sea, they consume domestically and sell the surplus to foreign countries. They mentioned that heating and cooling costs are very cheap in domestic consumption. This has been a good result of energy independence, producing energy themselves, economic empowerment and benefit to citizens. The Danish Energy Agency and the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources have been cooperating in the field of energy for 6 years on strategic sectoral cooperation between the Danish Energy Agency and the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Turkish authorities have been working with good experiences and energy modeling in Denmark.

In this context, it was also stated that cooperation will continue in the coming period for pre-feasibility studies for district heating and cooling systems, mapping of heat demand using geographic information systems, preparation of technical guidelines for local governments and modeling of the electricity sector.

Subsequent visits included on-site field visits to areas where water management and rainwater storage areas were created within the scope of adaptation to climate change. Since the ground structure of Copenhagen is clay and surrounded by canals, when it rains, the ground does not shrink and can be flooded. Therefore, they designed green areas where they will store rainwater as part of climate adaptation against excessive rainfall. Climate change leads to more frequent and heavy rainfall, flood risks and extreme temperatures in cities. This square project is designed to cope with these negative impacts. We have had site visits to St. Kjeld's Neighbourhood, Tåsinge Plads, Skt. ANNAE Square Project, and Skt. ANNAE Square. These projects are an important example of how cities can adapt to climate change and become more resilient. With such projects, cities like Copenhagen aim for a sustainable future by taking measures against the climate crisis with nature-based solutions. It has been a productive and inspiring field visit for us. In these field visits we went on foot, the floor heights and facades of the buildings, the materials used are compatible, there are a lot of electric car charging stations with bicycle parking spaces in front of the buildings, there are no street lighting poles in this part of the city we visited, instead there are hanging lighting from above, waste bins on the street everyone took their waste to the waste collection center in their neighborhood, the trees were surrounded by a large circular grid to receive water, and there were zippered green tree watering bags around the trees. These watering bags are a system that saves time, labor and water and allows the trees to use water efficiently for a long time. In many parks and roadside refuges, we saw that they have developed a climate-friendly, nature-based solution that protects biodiversity, consisting of meadows and natural flowers from natural vegetation.

On August 28, 2024, Copenhagen Solutions Lab, a development unit of the Technical and Environmental Administration of the Municipality of Copenhagen, was visited. Copenhagen Solutions Lab is an innovation center established by the Municipality of Copenhagen to advance the understanding of sustainability and smart city planning in the city. The lab works as a platform to develop and test solutions to make Copenhagen a greener, more livable and more sustainable city. Many projects and strategies that contribute to Copenhagen's goal of becoming the world's first carbon-neutral capital by 2025 are developed within this lab. In the presentations made by the architectural department, the main approaches that emphasize sustainability and urban planning were mentioned as follows: They plan and measure everything data-driven.

Another area we visited was State of Green, a platform that promotes Denmark's work on sustainability, renewable energy and climate solutions and supports international collaborations. Emphasizing Denmark's leadership in the green economy and environmentally friendly technologies, this initiative provides important information, especially on Copenhagen's sustainable urbanism approach. In the presentation made to us, a presentation was made on Copenhagen's green transformation, from the history of State of Green, Copenhagen's carbon neutrality goals, sustainable urbanization and transportation, smart cities, renewable energy sources. As a result, State of Green promotes Copenhagen's pioneering role in sustainability around the world, allowing other cities to learn from these strategies. Copenhagen's steps to combat climate change and achieve a sustainable future are inspiring many cities around the world.

Afterwards we visited Opera Parc, a café in the middle of the park that houses the Váksthuset and a tropical greenhouse that leads to an underground parking lot. The building also features a green roof that gives more space to plants and species. Designed with climate resilience and biodiversity in mind, the park is designed to treat rainwater as a special resource, diverting water from roofs and sidewalks into retention beds. Excess water is used for irrigation.

At the end of the day we visited a waste collection center called Sydhavn Genbrugscenter. It is much more than just a recycling station. Here, even more of the city's resources are recycled and reused.Approximately 40 types of waste are brought here, ranging from furniture, wooden doors and windows, kitchen utensils, trinkets, books, etc. Some of it is recycled, some of it is recycled, some of it is recycled in upcycling workshops, and there are workshops open to the public, where information about recycling and upcycling is given and workshops are held. Everyone can leave their waste here and get all kinds of waste

materials that will be useful to them free of charge.Every house in Copenhagen has 6-7 different waste bins and they sort everything and bring it to the waste collection centers.There are big penalties for those who throw waste in the garbage.It is possible to find everything from clothes, furniture, kitchen utensils, bathroom materials, decoration, books, etc. here and get everything for free.

In Denmark, punishments work, people obey the rules. From kindergarten onwards, children are taught to obey the rules and are told that this is a human duty and the other person is expected to obey these rules.

On August 29, 2024, we visited DOLL Livin Lab. DOLL Living Lab is a platform for testing Europe's leading smart city solutions, located in Albertslund, outside Copenhagen. Initially established to test energy efficient lighting systems, DOLL has evolved into a large testing ground for smart city technologies. These technologies include smart traffic systems, communication with the Internet of Things (IoT), environmental monitoring and autonomous vehicles.As a result, the DOLL Living Lab is a hub for smart city technologies and sustainable urban development, inspiring both Copenhagen and cities around the world.We would like to thank the entire team for providing us with information both through presentations and a field visit to the test site.

Our next visit was CopenHill (Amager Bakke). CopenHill is an innovative waste-to-energy power plant and urban recreation area in Copenhagen, Denmark. This unique structure is an important project that combines environmental sustainability with urban living and is one of the first of its kind in the world.CopenHill is actually a waste incineration plant. It produces electricity and heat by burning around 440,000 tons of waste each year. The plant is an important part of Copenhagen's goal to become a carbon neutral city by 2025. In the process of converting waste into energy, modern filtration systems are used to minimize harmful emissions, so much so that there are residential areas nearby. The roof of the power plant is also designed as a green area. This roof is covered with plants and trees, providing both aesthetic and environmental benefits. The green roof plays an important role in stormwater management and supporting biodiversity.The roof of the power plant is accessed by an elevator from the inside, and the elevator is glass and transparent, so there is an opportunity to see inside the plant on the way up. In addition to its environmental benefits, such as energy generation and waste management, CopenHill also contributes to social sustainability. Its location near the center of the city allows the local community to use it as a recreational and sports area.One of the most interesting features of CopenHill is the artificial ski slope and walkways built on the roof. Throughout the year, Copenhageners can play sports on the ski slope, stroll along the hiking trails, or climb to the top of the building to take in the views of the city. From the top of the building you can also see the Copenhagen Treatment plant, offshore and onshore Res power plants, as well as stunning views of the city. CopenHill is one of Copenhagen's most remarkable aesthetic and environmental projects in line with Copenhagen's sustainability goals and inspires similar projects around the world.

Our next visit was to Nordhavn Neighborhood, a 5-minute city concept that exemplifies the sustainable city model. The 5-minute city concept is an innovative approach to urbanism that is being implemented in the Nordhavn area. It is designed to promote sustainable urban living and aims to create a living space where everything is within five minutes. Nordhavn, formerly an industrial port, has undergone a radical redevelopment into a mixed-use urban district by adopting the 5 Minute City concept. This urban strategy aims to promote a sustainable and people-centered environment, providing residents with easy access to daily necessities within a 5-minute walk or bike ride, or a 5-minute walk to a Metro station that connects public transportation to desired amenities.

In conclusion, Nordhavn's 5-minute city concept is a model that aims to solve the problems faced by modern cities such as traffic, pollution and energy efficiency. This approach to urbanism stands out as an innovative strategy to reduce negative impacts on the environment while making people's daily lives easier. With its modern architecture, green certified buildings with rooftop gardens, bicycle and pedestrian friendly roads and areas, wooden recreation areas in harmony with nature, recreational and beach areas, we had a productive tour of an extremely charming neighborhood.In this neighborhood, Konditaget Lüders is an innovative building complex located in the Nordhavn district of Copenhagen, designed as both a parking lot and a social activity area. The building is a multifunctional space that reflects modern urbanism and features a public sports and entertainment platform on its 24-meter-high roof. This area is an attraction for local residents and visitors, offering both entertainment and sports opportunities.

On 30.08.2024, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Copenhagen was visited and information about our project was given, information about Turkey-Denmark relations, Turkey and Denmark sister cities was received.

With this Study Visit, information was received about climate change and environment-based studies, good practices were seen on site and inspired by field visits, as well as the opportunity to introduce our project, our municipality and our country. We had the chance to transfer the knowledge and experience we gained from here to our municipality within the framework of the rules and laws of our own country and put them into practice.