Page 58 - Best of 2016 English

with residential and o ce buildings. e quarter’s landmark, the “Turning Torso”, can be seen from afar. e award-winning tower from the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava spirals 190 meters up into the air. e view from the expansive green waterside promenade in Västra Hamnen is to the strait, and the line of the Copenhagen coast is vis- ible on the horizon. A little more walking takes us to Malmö’s “Copacabana”, the Ribersborgstranden - a coastline with a wooden seawater bathhouse built in 1867.
e economic contrasts between Copenhagen and Malmö are fading. e cities are merging to form a single economic region, and many joint projects bundle their powers. e combination of the harbors of Copenhagen and Malmö into “Copenhagen Malmö Port” is one example. e people are also coming together in everyday life, which is advantageous for both. A train carries
people from Malmö to Copenhagen’s airport in just 22 minutes, which means a time to gate that
is shorter than the train ride to Malmö Airport. A er the decline of the shipyards, Malmö reported the highest unemployment rate in Sweden in 1995. Today, many young people from Malmö who have just completed their education nd their rst job in Copenhagen’s service industry and retail trade. Other statistics illustrate the change in the region: In 2007, housing prices in Copenhagen were almost 60% higher than in Malmö, but the prices had almost equalized by the end of 2012. Since then, more people are again moving from the southern Swedish Schonen area to the Danish is- land Seeland, although real estate prices are rising again now, especially in Copenhagen. Perhaps this is the secret of success for the two cities: combin- ing the right amount of di erence with a sensible level of cooperation.
In downtown Malmö, strollers ask, “Where are all the cars?” Malmö is View of the Copenhagen Malmö Port: Sailboats, cruise ships and container known as the cyclist-friendliest city in Sweden shipment all close together
The Ribersborg seawater bathhouse has separate areas for men and women. This allows the guests to enjoy the sauna without clothes and to swim naked
58 SCANDINAVIA
Photo: Gunnar Garms Photo: Perry Nordeng
Photo: Gunnar Garms