On October 10-11, 50 students from Roskilde University and Technische Hochschule Lübeck will visit Nakskov. Here, they will explore the concept of “viable cities” with a focus on urban planning. The project is supported by the EU’s Interreg program, which aims to promote integration and cooperation across the Danish-German border.
The future of urban development
The experiences the students gain through interviews and fieldwork in Nakskov will be used as a basis for future development projects in both Denmark and Germany.
Scientific assistant Astrid Laura Dam from Roskilde University, who is helping plan the field trip, explains:
– It is important for future urban planners to understand cities from the citizens’ perspective. Urban development is ultimately about creating good living conditions for people, and the collaboration between Denmark and Germany plays a crucial role in ensuring that together we can create cities that are both viable and future-proof, she says.
The region needs to come together
In the Belt project, the universities are collaborating to map out development and planning initiatives in the emerging Fehmarn Belt region and highlight the region’s potential for growth. But integration must come from the bottom up if a region is to truly form.
– A region doesn’t just appear out of thin air. In Denmark, we often understand regions as administrative units; for example, Region Zealand. The Fehmarn Belt region is more of a thought experiment. It can only succeed if actors on both sides of the Belt see the connections between them. Femern Belt Development, the municipalities, and Region Zealand are already doing enormous work to bring this vision of a cross-border Fehmarn Belt region to life – and we want to contribute to this through the Belt project, says Astrid Laura Dam.
Fehmarn Belt as a catalyst for regional development
The Belt Initiative runs until 2026 and encompasses several similar projects involving cities on both sides of the Fehmarn Belt. These projects emphasize the deep integration already taking place in the region, where both cultural and professional exchanges are creating a stronger foundation for the forthcoming economic and social interplay between Denmark and Germany.
