Architecture policy in all municipalities

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With a new five-year national effort, the Association of Architects will help municipalities strengthen the development of our buildings, cities and landscapes. The goal is to get many more municipalities to develop local architecture policies that can support more sustainable urban development, well-being, community and the local, place-bound qualities. The philanthropic association Realdania and the Bevica Foundation support the effort.

Today, 40 municipalities have an architecture policy. But the potential is far greater. A local architecture policy makes it easier to protect the municipality's special sites and cultural heritage, create a well-functioning and attractive environment for citizens and businesses, and work strategically with planning across municipal goals — including the green transition.

The new effort aims precisely to strengthen the understanding of the broad societal importance of architecture and to give municipalities the tools to set the direction for physical development.

Help to get started

Specifically, the project will support municipalities in developing local architecture policies through knowledge and experience sharing as well as sparring through the Architectural Association's network and specialist consultants. Knowledge, cases and tools are gathered in a digital knowledge hub, which can be freely used by municipalities. The project also reaches municipalities, not least rural municipalities that need to work more strategically with physical development — and especially municipalities with few architectural expertise.

“We are seeing a growing interest in architectural policy around the country, but many municipalities find it difficult to get started — or lack the skills in the house. That is precisely why we are now reaching out more actively to those who are most in need. Including rural communities,” says Lars Autrup, Director of the Association of Architects.

Focus on the Good Framework for Everyday Life

Architecture is all the physical structures that frame our lives at home, at work and in our leisure time — and are therefore crucial for our health, quality of life and well-being — and on our shared climate footprint.

“Architecture shapes our everyday lives and our experience of places. It affects our relationships, senses and communities — and it has a profound impact on nature, climate and resource consumption. Architecture can be actively and strategically thought into local development and provide answers to both the larger tasks in society and to challenges with the quality of life in everyday life. We hope that even more municipalities will take advantage of the opportunity for help from the Association of Architects,” says Astrid Bruus Thomsen, programme manager at Realdania.

Interaction with national architecture policy

The initiative “Architecture policy in all the municipalities of the country” is directly related to the new National Architecture Policy and its eight dogmas, which call on municipalities to translate their national ambitions into concrete actions close to citizens' everyday lives.

The first dogma is about prioritizing universal design -- a value concept that recognizes that we are all equal -- regardless of ability to function -- and that we should all have equal opportunities for participation. It is also a key concept of the UN Convention on Disability, which Denmark ratified in 2009, and therefore an important strategic focus for the Bevica Foundation.

“Universal design is about something else and more than classic accessibility, which in Denmark is often perceived as wheelchair accessibility. With universal design, we lift our gaze and look at who we really are as human beings. It's not about 'those with disabilities' and 'us, without disabilities' — it's about all of us. This is a blind spot we need to push and challenge, and we can now do that with the national architecture policy in hand. We are looking forward to that,” says Marianne Kofoed, director of the Bevica Foundation.

About the project

The project “Arkitekturpolitik for all the municipalities in the country” is anchored by the Association of Architects and supported by Realdania and the Bevica Foundation. The new effort for the dissemination of municipal architecture policy must support municipalities in making qualitative, sustainable choices and getting the most value for money.

The action will run over five years and consist of, inter alia, the following:

Updated guides: “Municipal Architecture Policy — Why?” and “Municipal Architecture Policy — How?”
A digital knowledge hub with the latest cases, knowledge and tools
Outreach dialogue and sparring with municipalities
Network for architects and planners in municipalities
Development of a dialogue tool for cross-cutting cooperation

Municipalities wishing to hear more can contact the Association of Architects.

Hvad er en arkitekturpolitik?

En kommunal arkitekturpolitik kan tage mange former, men er grundlæggende et redskab, som sætter overordnet retning for en kommunes fysiske udvikling. Nogle udstikker overordnede ambitioner og principper for deres bygninger, byrum og landskaber. Andre er mere redskabsorienteret med guidelines og principper for fx bevaring af eksisterende bygninger, universelt design eller bynatur.

Fælles for dem er, at de understøtter kommunens ambitioner for det byggede miljø og kan danne grundlag for dialog og transparens om forventninger og krav – så både borgere og eksterne udviklere og rådgivere har et tydeligt billede af kommunens praksis og prioriteringer. Kommuner med en arkitekturpolitik I dag har 40 kommuner en arkitekturpolitik med en særlig koncentration i hovedstadsområdet og Østjylland, men også kommuner som Tønder, Herning og Holbæk, har en aktiv arkitekturpolitik.

Få et overblik på kortet her.

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