24.06.2025
Development plan for Odense Inner Harbor politically approved
We are very happy to share that Team SLA/Vandkunsten’s district development plan for Odense Inner Harbor – set to become Denmark’s lushest harbor – has been approved by the City of Odense.
With this transformation of Odense’s 185,000 m² industrial harbor, the area will become a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood in which industrial heritage and new architecture are closely connected by a network of lush urban spaces, waterfront promenades, and inviting places for socializing. From the outset, the ambition has been clear: to create ‘the greenest harbor in Denmark.’
The new district development plan builds on Team SLA/Vandkunsten’s winning competition proposal from 2023, Odense Harbor City, and will guide the area’s physical and strategic development in the years to come.
The project is developed with A. Enggaard and the City of Odense, with SLA responsible for the landscape planning and strategies for climate adaptation, public life, city nature, and biodiversity.
A connected and diverse network of public spaces
Our landscape plan for the new district is built around a clear hierarchy of public and semi-public spaces, defining how urban and landscape areas are accessed and connected. The plan alternates between dense, urban environments and open, natural settings, creating a varied sequence of spaces with distinct identities. This diversity supports a wide range of everyday uses and encourages social interaction, making room for both quiet contemplation and more active community life.
Nature quality as a signature
A core ambition of the district development plan is to make Odense Inner Harbor ‘the greenest harbor in Denmark’. To achieve this, city nature is integrated into every aspect of urban life: All homes are within 300 meters of a public park and shared outdoor areas offer immediate access to nature. Residents will experience trees and flowers from their windows, and natural elements will be present along every route through the neighborhood.
The biological quality of this city nature is ensured through a strategy focused on biodiversity and climate resilience. Biotopes will be designed to support local plant and animal life, while nearby forests — Åløkke and Næsbyhoved Skov — serve as ecological anchors, gradually spreading seeds and insects into the district.
Two key tools guide this development:
Biofactor, which measures the extent of green cover and its CO₂ absorption capacity, ensuring that the neighborhood maintains a high proportion of planted areas. And biodiversity monitoring, which tracks species richness as the basis for a varied and healthy ecosystem.
Together, these strategies create a strong foundation for a future-proof, social, and lush urban district where nature is not just a backdrop, but a defining feature.
Our great collaborators on this project are Tegnestuen Vandkunsten, EKJ Consulting Engineers, Linq Trafik, and BRIQ.
10.06.2025
SLA creates 104 new neighbourhood parks in Abu Dhabi
We are happy to share that we have completed one of the largest urban greening projects to date in the UAE: 104 new neighbourhood parks across Abu Dhabi, designed to improve health, biodiversity, and the everyday quality of life for all Abu Dhabi’s residents.
01.06.2025
SLA and GHD win major design project for Ookwemin Minising
We are incredibly excited to share that we – together with our partner GHD – have won the assignment as prime consultant for Ookwemin Minising: Toronto’s new 39.6-hectare island neighborhood planned for more than 15,000 residents!
23.05.2025
SLA exhibits New Nordic City Nature at Oslo National Museum
Today, the exhibition “New Nordic – Cuisine, Aesthetics and Place” opens at the National Museum in Oslo. SLA and Dyvik Kahlen have made a specially designed pavilion for the museum square – that takes visitors from the Michelin kitchen out into the urban realm. Its roof and landscape are planted with native, edible species from Oslo’s shores and forests, and offers a taste of New Nordic City Nature.