Urban Agency: Bringing public life to the waterfront
In Copenhagen, Kalvebod Waves has transformed a neglected stretch of the city’s harbour into a vibrant public waterfront. Developed by Urban Agency, the project reconnects people with the water through recreation, movement, and social interaction. By transforming underused infrastructure into an active public destination, Kalvebod Waves demonstrates how design can improve quality of life and strengthen the relationship between citizens and the city.
From neglected harbour area to active public waterfront
Across the world, former industrial waterfronts are being reimagined as places for people. Kalvebod Waves shows how strategic design can transform overlooked urban infrastructure into a vibrant public asset that supports recreation, wellbeing, and social life.
Located along Copenhagen’s inner harbour, the site had long been characterised by inactive areas and limited public use despite its central location. Urban Agency recognised the opportunity to reconnect the city with the water and created a new destination that would support public life throughout the day and across the seasons.
Developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Copenhagen, the project extends public space onto the harbour through a series of floating piers, bridges, and activity areas. The design creates opportunities for a wide range of experiences - from relaxing and walking along the waterfront to kayaking, boating, and water-based recreation. By offering diverse activities within a compact footprint, the project attracts residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
A key innovation was the project's human-centred approach. Through studies of movement patterns, sun exposure, and everyday behaviour, Urban Agency identified how the waterfront could better support public life and social interaction. The result is a flexible and welcoming urban landscape that has become one of Copenhagen’s most popular harbour destinations.
Kalvebod Waves demonstrates how cities can reclaim former industrial waterfronts for public benefit, creating accessible and attractive spaces that strengthen community, encourage active lifestyles, and improve urban quality of life.
Great public spaces invite people to stay, participate, and make the city their own.
About the Company
Urban Agency is a Copenhagen-based architecture and urban design practice dedicated to creating healthier, more liveable, and resilient cities. Working across scales from strategic planning to public space and infrastructure design, the studio combines research-led design and collaboration to strengthen the relationship between people, nature, and urban life. Their work demonstrates how design can create lasting social value while reducing, environmental pressure and supporting economic resilience.