Leeds School of Arts

Landscape Architecture: Copenhagen Field Trip

Third year BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture & Design students spent an inspiring week in Copenhagen and Malmo visiting the wealth of green infrastructure and public spaces.

Copenhagen waterfront with large buildings in background

Third year BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture & Design students spent an inspiring week in Copenhagen visiting the wealth of green infrastructure and public spaces. We were introduced to everyday urban life on a trip where we joined the 62% of Danish citizens who commute to work, school or university by bicycle. We cycled a 13km combined walking, running and cycling route encircling Copenhagen’s inner harbour exploring new dockland developments. We then joined the Landscape Architecture Department at Copenhagen University, where students participated in a design workshop developing design proposals for new recreational and community use around the Copenhagen cricket club in order to create a new community hub for social housing around the grounds. The Landscape department also organised a talk and visit looking at therapy gardens for mental health and well-being and a visit to the local social flower garden at the local Bispedjei Hospital. In the final part of the trip students visited Malmo, Sweden to see the residential developments on the Western Harbour.

Line of students on bicycles with a hill in the background

Student Quotes

‘Extremely interesting to see landscape architecture put as the primary focus for urban design, the sheer quantity and quality landscapes in Copenhagen. The imapcts and benefits of so many positive landscapes was really evident throughout the city with an obviously better quality of life as a result. ‘

‘Very much enjoyed the cycling and seeing the city harbour area. Malomo was super and very interesting to see surface urban drainage (SUDS) being implemented. Enjoyed the design day was excellent, the clients were very welcoming. Really enjoyed the lecture and finding out about Phd work process.’

‘I loved the trip to Copenhagen, the new development on the waterfront was fantastic in their sustainability and livability. Being able to cycle through the city is great fun even in the autumn cold. I really appreciated visiting the local landscape department and working on a quick design project with Danish students. ‘

‘This trip was wonderful! Perhaps the most academically valuable trip I have ever been on. The opportunity to have a design charette for a real project alongside Danish Landscape architecture students was very rewarding, thank you! ‘

‘It was very inspiring to see a city so dedicated to sustainable transport. The quality of life made me realise how behind the UK is. Visited some great landscapes and loved Malmo, Sweden too.’

‘It was very interesting to see another countries approach to urban space development. A lot of the places we visited were incredibly inspiring and they will definitely influence how I approach designing in future modules. Working with Copenhagen students was also really enjoyable, listening to how they tackle projects and finding out aobut what they are taught in their studies was very helpful.’

‘It was  very good to visit a new place and see different approaches to landscape design. Working with Richard from the university of Copenhagen  was good and the workshop engaging.’ Lewis.

‘Copenhagen trip was very inspiring. The city is well developed in terms of Landscape architecture. It gave me a lot of positive energy to come back and start our next design module with new ideas.’

Trudi Entwistle

Senior Lecturer / Leeds School Of Arts

Trudi is a senior lecturer in Landscape Architecture. Currently she teaches mainly on the undergraduate programme, and is Level 4 coordinator. Her particular teaching interests lie in the exploration of place through art and spatial design, and the crossing of boundaries within landscape architecture through interdisciplinary teaching.

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