Smart City

Livability and technology collide in the Danish capital – but is that such a coincidence? Copenhagen is never far from the top of worldwide livability rankings, which list the most convenient and enjoyable world cities in which to dwell. But the Danish capital’s unwavering status as an efficient, friendly metropolis has less to do with candles and canals and more to do with good old-fashioned planning. And that is certainly old-fashioned planning. In the early 17th century, King Christian IV of Denmark decided that the burgeoning city should be extended to the south-east with a major new development, Christianshavn – now the thriving waterside district just a bridge away from the city centre.