Just look at the pictures! The group of young architects and town planners who were to design a development plan for Greater Copenhagen had discovered that the contour of the plan rather exactly matched the shape of a hand.
At a time when many big cities in Europe grew aimlessly in all directions, eating into the surrounding environment, the Danish town planners conceived their brilliant idea: Copenhagen was to grow outwards in five fingers towards the surrounding towns. In return, there was to be no urban development in the green areas between the fingers.
Nature at the front door
The Finger Plan was also an answer to the accelerating car traffic in the years following World War II. That is why the skeleton in the fingers were commuter train lines ending in Koege Bugt, Taastrup, Ballerup, Farum and Holte.
The wedges in between the fingers were to be green areas so that the populations of the new suburbs would have the shortest possible distance to open landscape. The green areas would not be built on, but would remain fields, woods and recreational areas. The palm of the hand - the old part of Copenhagen - was still to be developed as the natural centre of the city.
Growing web
Ever since, this simple plan has been the governing ideal for the development of Copenhagen. And in contrast to many other grandiose town plans, the Finger Plan has actually been implemented. Even though some of the fingers are webbed, and some of them have nearly grown together!
Many people believe that it is thanks to the Finger Plan that Copenhagen has avoided some of the traffic congestion that is known from other big cities. And then it is the only piece of Danish town planning that is widely known outside the country.
Jeppe Villadsen is a freelance journalist and editor of the magazine KBH.
The Finger Plan
Drawing from the Danish Cityplanlab