Trends in the diversity of wood-based public amenities

Abstract

Research in various fields emphasises the benefits of nature and its positive impact on people’s mental and spiritual health, and increasingly mentions its regenerative properties, helping people to regain strength and peace. Over time, especially after the COVID 19 pandemic, people have learned to appreciate the value of nature and are willing to take the opportunity to go to nature. This makes it all the more important to create opportunities to enjoy nature in the urban environment by creating quality outdoor spaces, which also means using nature-friendly materials in landscaping. Scandinavian cities have long been known as places that integrate wood into the built environment in a variety of ways, aiming to use these natural materials as much and as diversely as possible. This is evident in contemporary buildings and outdoor design, such as in the Danish capital Copenhagen. The aim of this paper is to analyse the contemporary trends and diversity in the use of wood in the design of public outdoor spaces, and to contribute to the promotion of sustainable practices in the urban environment, using the city of Copenhagen as an example.