“To give back to the city” or “To give back to nature”

“To give back to the city” is an expression I often hear among professionals working in the built environment, especially when yet another office building, workplace, or housing project appears on the Copenhagen skyline.

But is this expression actually a kind of cover-up? A way to soothe our guilt as we continue extracting nature’s resources to produce sheet piles, rebars, columns, bricks, steel, glass, aluminium, and everything else that makes up the built environment?

We need to give back to nature

The common understanding of “to give back to the city” — and my own understanding as well — is that a building “gives back” by offering something to local residents or the public: access to a ground-floor café, a shop, a landscaped area, or simply a place to sit and relax. Some buildings add recreational opportunities, viewpoints, or aesthetic qualities that enhance the urban realm and allow us to enjoy the surrounding architecture and landscape.

I fully support adding value to commercial buildings with prime locations in the city—so that these buildings give something back to not only the people working there.
But when do we start giving back to nature? Because giving back implies that something was taken — and what we take is nature’s resources.

This building gives back — but it also stands on piles of concrete

Recently, I toured the beautiful Spidsen building in Nordhavn with a group of planners from Beemok Capital in Houston and from Third Nature. The group was mainly interested in urban waterfront planning and resilience efforts. Yet there I was again, describing Spidsen by saying, “Here we give back to the city,” referring to its public urban spaces and beautiful waterfront design.

And yes — it would have been unfortunate if Spidsen had ended up as privatised land with no public access or no opportunity to experience its calm winter garden or the gentle plateaus with great views.
But I can’t help wondering: When will I be able to use the phrase “to give back to nature” on my architecture tours? Even Nordhavn, despite its many celebrated green initiatives, still lacks green spaces and is fundamentally built on vast amounts of concrete.

So what is the hierarchy here?

“To give back to nature is to give back to the citizens — which is to truly give back to the city.”?
I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.
But one thing is clear: if we claim to “give back,” we must acknowledge that we have taken something. And we need to start giving back to nature.

“To give back to the city” should mean contributing more than we take.

Who is this article for?
I would say: sustainability delegations, green professionals, “one womans’s trash is another womans’s treasure” enthusiasts, sanitation professionals, the renovation industry, DIY enthusiasts, upcycling experts, social entrepreneurs, and the “I never throw anything away.” kind of people

Sorting your waste, ‘repair cafés,’ and upcycling in Copenhagen are becoming increasingly important aspects of how people strive to live a conscious life with good recycling habits. Recycling stations in Copenhagen are evolving into cultural houses, entrepreneurial spaces, educational facilities, and meeting places for Copenhageners. And how do they achieve this?

Take, for example, Sydhavn Genbrugscenter, located in an area still unfamiliar to many sustainability delegations and tourists—the district of the upcoming Stejlepladsen neighborhood.

Making Sydhavn Genbrugscenter a focal point in this new neighborhood, built around old warehouses still smelling of Arla milk and fish, is both impressive and meaningful.
Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group in 2019, this recycling center functions as an educational, entrepreneurial, and cultural space—and yes, you can also drop off your waste.

When you visit, you quickly notice that the employees take great pride in working at Sydhavn Genbrugscenter. They assist with sorting your waste and share the stories of the place—ALL the stories—from crafting sculptures in recycled materials for school kids, to the operations of the ‘waste mafia’ in the neighborhood, and how Copenhagen theatres can transform their approach to building stage scenery and props in a circular way—centered around this specific recycling center and other large ones in Copenhagen. Sydhavn Genbrugscenter is a must-visit if I’ve caught your attention.

Sculptural Waste - Nordhavn - Nærgenbrugsstation
At the local recycling center in Nordhavn, located in Lüders Parking House, sorting your waste becomes intuitive through transparent pillars filled with small pieces of textile, thousands of can lids, beer bottle caps, and metal screws, creating small pieces of art. The recycling center, with its round shape, is a sculpture in itself, designed by one of Copenhagen’s recycling experts, the Lendager Group.

I particularly like the free ‘library’ featuring pictures of how Nordhavn used to look in its more maritime industrial days. The library is impressively large and also contains many books in foreign languages if you're interested.

Having employees who work there daily, performing maintenance, keeping the place tidy, and acting as kind of community managers, social workers, and cultural project managers works very well. It makes visiting a pleasant and secure experience. On one occasion, I was there with my daughter, and the employee that day playfully blew bubbles at her and gave her a set so she could continue blowing them herself.

Waste as Destination Development - Copenhill
Waste and skiing have also been combined in Copenhagen for some years now, with Amager Ressourcecenter building an incineration plant topped with a skiing slope and hiking routes, allowing Copenhageners to ski in their own capital. Combining waste incineration with a recreational purpose is, of course, destination development and experience architecture at its best—and a really great idea—making it worth a visit.

But aren’t these Copenhagen recycling stations smelly, a little sticky, and unattractive? Smelly? Yes, a bit, but just hold your breath a few times while walking up Copenhill, and you won’t notice much! And... they are actually quite beautiful in form and color.

Would you like to take your delegation or colleagues on a “Recycling-Center-Hop-Tour” around Copenhagen with me? Then don’t WASTE your time—just reach out!