Tingbjerg Experiment

Can a community be designed? Could social engineering be the way to revitalise a troubled neighbourhood? For years, the Copenhagen estate of Tingbjerg was publicly classified as a ‘ghetto’ – a place marked by violence, exclusion and social divisions. For thousands of people, particularly those of non-European heritage, however, Tingbjerg remained, above all, a home.

However, there are plans to transform this housing estate on the outskirts of the Danish capital. The plan involves introducing private housing developments amongst the existing council terraced houses designed by Steen Eiler Rasmussen. And with it – a social group new to the area: young, well-educated white middle-class families who can buy new homes at an extremely attractive price. Although this sounds like a textbook recipe for gentrification, the initiators of the project have ensured that the process has a human face. Property buyers undertake not only to live in their homes for at least four years, but also to participate in neighbourhood life and support its development.

Louise Detlefsen observes the ups and downs of this experimental project. In her film, she gives a voice to both new and long-standing residents of Tingbjerg. With humour and empathy, she examines the good intentions and attempts at neighbourly integration, but also the mutual mistrust and tensions arising from class differences and top-down integration.

‘Tingbjerg: The Copenhagen Experiment’ is a portrait of a neighbourhood in the midst of transformation, but also an insightful look at contemporary housing policy. The film does not pass simple judgements, and its multi-voiced narrative may evoke ambivalent feelings and prompt viewers to re-examine even their most firmly held views. It shows that the vision of a community can both unite and divide. It also asks whether a neighbourhood can be created on demand, or whether it emerges gradually – from everyday encounters, negotiations, conflicts and time spent together.

We are organising this event in collaboration with the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning..