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How can we make the most of the close proximity between the city and the countryside to create a sustainable residential area where different types of housing, diverse communities and the closeness of nature help to retain current residents and attract new ones? These were some of the central goals of the urban development project Naturbydelen in Ringkøbing (the Nature District in Ringkøbing), which Realdania By & Byg launched in 2011 in partnership with Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality. In 2024, the partnership decided to dissolve itself and the development of Naturbydelen will continue in the future under municipal auspices.
The main feature of Naturbydelen is that nature - as something very unusual - comes before the residences.
Before the construction of the first recidences began, the entire area was transformed into one large, recreational nature area with meadows, forests, lakes, berry gardens, orchards and path systems that connect the new district with the rest of Ringkøbing.
In order to increase the attraction value of the area, a number of attractions were also established, including a nature playground and a tow ferry.
As part of the natural development, streams and lakes have been created that can divert rainwater from the future buildings. Climate protection has thus been considered from the start.
The residential buildings are designed as close-to-low construction. All buildings are built in the middle of nature, without private gardens, but instead with nature as one large, common garden, which provides fertile ground for strong communities and an attractive life between the houses across generations. The construction of the first homes began in the spring of 2017 and today there are approximately 100 households in the form of owner-occupied homes and public rental housing. In addition, Realdania Byg & Byg itself has built the community of residence named Havtorn.
When Naturbydelen in Ringkøbing was launched in 2011, it was based on an expected net influx of approx. 40 households per year.
In 2024, the latest forecasts from Statistics Denmark and the research institute DREAM showed that there was only a need for approx. 10-12 new apartment buildings per year in the district. Therefore, the two owners of the development company behind Naturbydelen, Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality and Realdania By & Byg, assessed that it was too modest a number to maintain a corporate structure around the project.
It was therefore decided that Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality should take over the majority of the building plots that have been earmarked for housing development. The nature area and the name Naturbydelen remain.
In addition to Naturbydelen, Realdania By & Byg is engaged in urban development projects in Køge Kyst, Kanalbyen in Fredericia and Nærheden in Høje-Taastrup in partnership with the local municipal authorities in those areas.
Photo credit: Søren Palmelund
Central Jutland
2012-2024
Urban Development