By Constance Waerseggers and Victor Dyreborg
In Copenhagen’s southern district of Sydhavn, rapid urban development is quietly transforming the landscape. Towering new buildings now overshadow Fiskerihavnen, an old fishing harbour that has long been a haven for locals, artists, and fishermen. Once a peaceful enclave, this tight-knit community is now on the front lines of a growing conflict between progress and preservation.
Even in one of the world’s happiest and safest cities, some residents are struggling with the realities of gentrification. Copenhagen, often celebrated for its social welfare system and thoughtfully designed infrastructure, is not immune to the pressures of urban growth, leaving communities like Fiskerihavnen vulnerable to displacement.
As high-rise developments creep closer, many fear that the harbour’s unique character and cultural significance will be lost forever. This is an increasingly familiar story for cities around the world. As they grow and evolve, old communities face inevitable changes, making inhabitants struggle to preserve local identity – making this relevant beyond Denmark’s borders.
Niels Ladegaard, a resident of Fiskerihavnen, is one of many locals worried about the future.
“We’re sad that the culture will be lost,” he says, pointing to the rapid changes around the harbour. “To us, it seems that the municipality does not care.”
Niels believes that a more open dialogue with city officials could help bridge the gap between developers and residents. Like many in gentrifying neighbourhoods across the globe, he hopes for a compromise that would allow development without erasing the community’s rich history.
Niels Ladegaard stands by a small kiosk where locals often gather. Behind him, new concrete buildings fill the horizon. Image by Constance Waerseggers
According to locals, By & Havn, a state and municipality-owned estate company that manages land by the water, is seen as a major player in the transformation of the area. Although By & Havn is not directly responsible for the removal of the protection from Stejlepladsen, many residents view the company as emblematic of the broader corporate forces reshaping their community.
By & Havn has denied any direct involvement in pressuring locals or influencing the specific real estate projects affecting Fiskerihavnen. Nevertheless, for many residents, By & Havn represents the larger trend of development that they believe is prioritising commercial interests over community preservation.
Two other residents, Flemming Vincent and Lu Vincent, have called the harbour home for decades. Flemming moved in 24 years ago, building an atelier where he and his wife Lu now work and live. But with property values soaring, their future in Fiskerihavnen is uncertain.
As they prepare for the possibility of leaving, their story echoes those of countless others forced to abandon long-held homes in the face of rising rents and commercial development.
But the story of Fiskerihavnen isn’t just about the people who live there. It’s also about the land itself. In 2019, the Danish government removed environmental protections from Stejlepladsen, a beloved green space adjacent to the harbour, to make way for further real estate development. What was once a natural refuge for locals, fauna and flora has since been transformed into a construction site, where heavy machinery now punctuates the landscape.
The decision to open Stejlepladsen for development sparked protests across Copenhagen, with locals and concerned citizens gathering signatures and launching legal challenges to preserve the area. Despite these efforts, construction continues.
Since 2019, architecture students from the Royal Danish Academy have been documenting the area around Fiskerihavnen, attempting to preserve the visual history of Stejlepladsen through their drawings. Photo shows them working on their drawings. Image by Constance Waerseggers
This conflict isn’t unique to Copenhagen. As global cities grow, long-standing and vulnerable communities are often pushed out, and spaces that once held deep cultural significance are repurposed in the name of progress.
Fiskerihavnen, like so many other neighbourhoods around the world, has become an example of this struggle. There are many forces at play: corporate interests, rising real estate prices, and city planners seeking to modernize in an attempt to meet housing demands, as well as locals resisting these changes.
As the skyline around Fiskerihavnen transforms and the fishing boats become fewer, the fight to preserve the harbour’s spirit is ongoing. While the future of the area remains uncertain, the story of Niels, Flemming, Lu, and their neighbours resonates far beyond Copenhagen.
This story is suitable for an online English-speaking magazine such as Vice, that reaches an international English-speaking audience with an interest for cosmopolitan lifestyle topics.