Atlas of the Copenhagens

Atlas of the Copenhagens explores the urban territories of Copenhagen, often identified in city-ranking indices as the world’s most sustainable and livable city. Such claims position Copenhagen as an opportune site to engage in a wider debate on contemporary urban ideals, prompting questions such as: What is sustainability or livability? On whose terms are these concepts defined? What agendas are included or excluded?
The increasing authority attributed to city-ranking metrics prompts a second line of inquiry. How are the territorial and conceptual limits of a city drawn to define it as an object of measurement? What is Copenhagen as a territory in this case – the urban core, the municipality, the urbanized area, the regional urban system, or…? And how does this impact our understanding of something as complex and manifold as a city?

With over 400 maps, information graphics, and illustrations, this book offers a visually seductive, yet informative and comprehensive, understanding of the city of Copenhagen. Additional essays support the reader’s open-ended reflection on themes of sustainability or livability across a range of conceptual and territorial Copenhagens.