Copenhagen is one of the world’s least pretensions, least capital. It’s among the easiest capital to explore, thanks to its manageble size and pedestrian – and bicycle -friendliness. Most of the Copenhagen ancient structures were lost to fires in the 18th century, but its historic center somehow was saved.

Today Copenhagen is intimate rather than monumental and what impresses more are the vernacular buildings that give the multiple quarters variety and distinction. The tiny student apartments have been combined into c0-ops, latterias and boutiques have supplanted the sex shops and street life is unmistakably boho-chic.

Denmark and Sweden decided to build the Oresund bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö. Before, Denmark had been in the corner of Europe, and Sweden was not physically connected at all. When the bridge made the connection between [mainland] Europe and Sweden in 2000,  made Ørestad, which is near to where the bridge meets the city, a very attractive place for development, whereas before, it was a nature preserve and an area for military exercises.

Copenhagen is a good living city, where you have easy access to work and can send your children to play in the garden. Not a lot of cities have that quality, and that’s why a lot of families want to live in Copenhagen.

A good city needs more than good architecture. It needs a policy for city life. So the new urban areas are being developed in dialogue with those who will use them, and people other than architects and planners. Almost every competition about Copenhagen now has a panel including anthropologists, sociologists, communication and cultural people—–that’s very typical.

Copenhagen, though it’s certainly cosmopolitan, has a villagelike quality. For sure the city is not a spot where you find the most interesting theater, compared [with] London. But if you’re an artist, maybe Berlin will be more fascinating place to experience. But I think the reason to go to Copenhagen, as I said before, is that it’s a good living city. Like Amsterdam, it’s very cozy and relaxed to be in. That’s one of our best quali-ties, and something London, Berlin, or Paris don’t have in the same way.