This Popular European Capital Is Taking Walkable Cities To The Next Level

Europe is full of charming and cultured capital cities, from the Baroque buildings and lively squares of Warsaw — lovingly called "Paris of the East" — to the old fortress city of Belgrade, arguably the most underrated capital in Europe. Not only are many of these cities pretty to look at, but they're often a joy to walk around in. According to research by Compare the Market, Europe hosted nine of the top 10 most walkable cities in the world in 2024, with Munich coming in at number one.

At ninth on the list was Copenhagen. It might not be the balmiest of places, but Copenhagen is a revitalizing city. Its colorful, matchbox buildings and angular canals are the subjects of many a painting, and the vibe of the place is undeniably cool — in an understated, nothing-to-see-here-folks kind of way. Add to that the ubiquity of 37-hour work weeks, and it's little wonder Copenhagen has been called the world's happiest city. Areas like Vesterbro, Nyhavn, and the Meatpacking District are popular among travelers, but it's Nordhavn that's been grabbing headlines for taking the idea of a walkable city to the next level.

City planners and architects in Nordhavn started with the "15-minute city" concept — where everything a resident needs is within a 15-minute walk or bike ride — and cut it by a third. This makes Nordhavn the world's first five-minute city. It's as simple as it sounds: Schools, parks, recreation areas, cafes, restaurants, and a lovely waterfront are all within roughly five minutes of residents' homes. 

Nordhavn sits on an old industrial peninsula to the northeast of the city. Though only 15 minutes from Copenhagen's Central Station on the metro, the area was once a dockland (and former freeport), full of shipping containers, boat docks, cranes, and a pair of huge cement silos, which have since been renovated into chic office spaces with 360-degree views of the city. Capitalizing on Copenhagen's booming popularity, the transformation began in 2008, turning Nordhavn from an industrial suburb into a genuinely desirable city district that could offer homes and workplaces to more than 40,000 residents over the next 40 years.

The chief designers of Nordhavn, architectural firms Cobe and Sleth, put the needs of people rather than cars first. Four-hundred-meter circles were drawn around the metro station to show where amenities should be located to meet the five-minute criteria. Cars are not welcome in the district. Popular cafes serve fresh pastries, excellent coffee, and act as third places to facilitate social interaction. The area's apartments are sleek, and there are lots of boutique stores, multipurpose spaces, and bike shops alongside handsome little courtyards.

Nordhavn has been designed so well, even architects are swooning over it. Bjarke Ingels, a genuine titan of modern Danish architecture, recently unveiled his new headquarters at the edge of Nordhavn's Sundmolen Pier. The population of the district remains small — only around 6,000 people live here — but many locals have already built a robust sense of hometown pride. 

The 15-minute (or five-minute) city concept is an evolution of a century-old idea, but it was repopularized around a decade ago. The benefits (other than cutting back on wasted travel time) include lower carbon emissions, cleaner air, boosts to local businesses, social cohesion, and an overall improvement in public well-being and happiness. Examples of 15-minute cities can be found in the neighborhoods of Melbourne, Barcelona, Ottawa, Paris, and Shanghai. Tokyo may be the best example of all, a metropolis of microcommunities that serves as a case study for the 15-minute city done well.

Strangely, though, this seemingly people-first civic policy has attracted ire and suspicion from some quarters. Critics have lampooned it as being a form of totalitarian control, a Soviet-esque ideal, and an exercise in bureaucratic overreach. In the U.K., Oxford City Council found the phrase to have accrued such a "toxic and incendiary" connotation online that it cut it from a local city plan. Carlos Moreno, the modern progenitor of 15-minute cities, has even received abuse and death threats for championing the concept. 

It might seem like a series of storms in a teacup, but protests against 15-minute cities have gained traction in both the U.K. and Canada in recent years. Were naysayers placed on the streets of Nordhavn, though, where a sense of utter contentment pervades the air, you'd have to wonder if they'd remain so critical.