Situation
Copenhagen is increasingly using its streets and public spaces for events that create cultural experiences, community and urban life for both residents and visitors. At the same time, events can affect everyday life locally, where traffic, noise and litter in particular can cause frustration, especially in the central districts and among residents who depend on cars. Wonderful Copenhagen therefore needed an updated, evidence-based foundation for understanding how residents overall view Copenhagen as an event city, and how and why attitudes vary across age and place of residence.
Complication
The central challenge was to get beyond the general debate about events and instead measure how residents’ support and opposition relate to specific event types and to specific nuisances and benefits in public space. This required both a representative overview of the population’s attitudes and an event-proximate insight into what is actually experienced as unifying and value-creating, and what is experienced as burdensome. In addition, it was important to shed light on what forms of information and involvement residents are asking for when events affect their local area.
Recommendation
The study points to an increased need to strengthen communication and expectation management with residents, and to take a more joined-up approach across events in the affected districts in order to reduce nuisances. On that basis, Epinion recommends a strengthened effort in three areas. First, earlier and more targeted resident information via direct channels such as, for example, e-Boks and SMS, as well as a clearer overview of traffic management and concrete alternatives during events. Second, more integrated coordination and planning across events, so that the burden is better distributed over time and place, and so that nuisances in particularly affected districts are reduced. Third, a higher standard of clean-up and waste management, particularly around music and cultural events, as well as the use of behavioural design to strengthen participants’ responsibility and consideration in public space.
