World Capital of Architecture 2023 – 2026

Bike tours on UN sustainability goals

The UNESCO World Capital of Architecture-title is an acknowledgement, that Copenhagen IS among the world-leading cities when it comes to building design, sustainable and democratic urbanism, carbon-neutral energy, climate-adaptive planning – and quality of life!

We are offering tours under this theme.

If you have a more specific request, we’ll happily put together a special programme on a custom tour.

Copenhagen is world-leading in terms of human-centred architecture and urban planning, and a perfect case study for the realisation of the 17 UN goals in concrete projects.

Sustainability is a complex endeavour and calls for a holistic approach. This resonates perfectly with beCopenhagen’s general perspective – putting our built environment into the context of everyday life.

Join one or both of these tours and the discussion about the implementation of UN goals ‘the Copenhagen way’. We’ll be cycling through streets and urban spaces of great diversity, showcasing the many aspects and variants of sustainable thinking.

Twin tours

Each of the UN Sustainability goals tours can be booked as stand-alone half-day experiences in each their own right but can also be paired into a full-day in-depth excursion with a break for lunch. 

Tour I is Southbound, and tour II is Northbound, together covering a major part of the newest development areas in Copenhagen.

More information and online booking are underway. Please contact us at info@becopenhagen.dk if you need more details and a quote. 

Cities as sustainable laboratories

Cities all over the world play a very important role in the global green transition because more and more people are living in cities. As such, cities are crucial laboratories for problem-solving.

Urban public spaces are important in terms of architectural solutions because it seems to be an area where a lot of conflicts and solutions come together, such as climate adaptation, gentrification, and different user groups. The generosity and multifunctionality of public spaces is a subject that is very much addressed in the city development of Copenhagen, and something you will experience first-hand on this tour.

World Capital of Architecture 2023

In the past three decades of urban development in Copenhagen, the city has transformed from a post-industrial city in decay to a city that holds the title of World Capital of Architecture 2023.

When urban designers and architects look towards Copenhagen, it is because the city has succeeded in creating urban design and architectural solutions that have a true ambition of being life-improving for the city as a whole.

“Phenomenal experience – probably my favorite in CPH / of all time! We got a high level of insight from the supremely clever and knowledgeable Alice and loved the tour. Highly recommend over a walking tour. “

Yvonne, Paris, France

Who is this tour aimed for?

This tour is aimed at both visitors with a general interest in architecture and the UN sustainability goals as well as professionals within the building industries.

We take pride in addressing a broad variety of visitors in a straightforward language without pretentious archi-lingo. At the same time, we are not holding back on professional discussions and knowledge exchanges.

We also never shy away from taking a personal and sometimes critical standpoint by addressing and discussing also the mistakes and unintended consequences.

Small group size

We treasure the personal connection and the opportunity to exchange views and experiences along the way. Our maximum group size is 12.

It’s not a fitness session, but all participants should be fairly experienced on a bike and fairly comfortable in traffic. The pace is comfortable and we make plenty of stops.

The tour is suitable from 12 years up, the route mainly follows bike routes and avoids heavy car traffic.

For someone new on a bike or uncomfortable on the bike lanes, we’re happy to offer a custom tour at a slower pace, choosing quieter routes. Please let us know at info@becopenhagen.dk.

Your guides on the tour are:

Alice Lempel Søndergaard

Alice has worked in various positions in urban planning and strategy and is commenting on and reviewing new architecture.

She has a degree in philosophy and modern culture and she has a profound interest in how our built environment and city planning are influencing everyday life in the city.

Asser Munch

Asser is an architect by trade who turned to the dark side by taking a degree and now working as a construction engineer.

As an architect, he taught at the Aarhus School of Architecture and worked on various smaller building projects.

As an engineer, his line of work is structural engineering and he has a special affinity for timber structures.

You can read more on his blog: copenhagenarchitecture.dk.

Occasionally, on busy days, we make use of freelance architect guides, who are also professionals from the building and planning industry.

Bikes and equipment

On this tour, we use our Danish Winther high-quality bikes, a classy, traditional biking experience. We have different sizes, and the seats are adjustable.

Optional helmets are included as well as a bottle of tap water that we bring on the tour.

Before and after

Please meet us 15 minutes prior to the tour to get you equipped and ready, so we can start on time. In consideration of other tour guests, we cannot wait for latecomers.

We start and finish the tour at the beCopenhagen basecamp, Fortunstræde 1, 1065 Copenhagen.

How to find us.

You can store your luggage here during the tour, and after returning you can rest with a cold soft drink. Feel free to use our WiFi and charge your phone/device.

You can find additional and practical information on our FAQ page.