Trees from M5 to get a new life elsewhere
Copenhagen will get a new M5 metro line in 2036, which will connect the city and the Metro network even better across the capital. However, before the Metro can be put into operation, the areas around the six new stations must be excavated. During this process, some trees will need to be removed, and the City of Copenhagen, Metroselskabet and Miljøpunkt Nørrebro are now working to ensure that as many trees as possible can be reused. The trees will therefore continue to create green oases for Copenhageners—just in other places in the city. When M5 opens, new trees will also be planted where the old ones stood.
I want a Copenhagen with much more greenery in its streets and many more trees. That is why I am very pleased that Metroselskabet has taken the initiative to reuse as many trees as possible instead of cutting them down during the construction of the new M5 Metro
Facts: About M5
M5 is a new standalone metro line that will connect existing neighbourhoods, new urban development areas and the overall Metro network more closely. M5 is a central part of Copenhagen’s development. It will both improve public transport to existing urban areas and support the new city districts that are emerging.
The first stage will open in 2036, with six new stations between Copenhagen Central Station and Prags Boulevard Øst.
The trees will be relocated from these station areas:
- Copenhagen Central Station
- v/ Bryggebroen
- DR Byen
- v/ Amagerbrogade S
- Lergravsparken
- v/ Prags Boulevard Øst
Stage 2 will open in 2045, with a further three stations:
- v/ Refshaleøen
- v/ Lynetteholm S
- v/ Lynetteholm N
Ambitions for reuse
Metroselskabet is pleased that the City of Copenhagen supports the idea, which is a natural extension of the company’s focus on biodiversity and the circular economy. This focus has, among other things, meant that the planning of M5 has sought to minimise the number of affected trees and preserve one particularly iconic tree.
"We must make use of the opportunities we have to reuse materials and create green spaces. At the same time, we have an ambition to reuse and recycle materials when building the Metro, and we are therefore pleased to be able to use the trees elsewhere,” says Hanne Tærsbøl Schmidt, Director at Metroselskabet.
Trees are being mapped and assessed
Metroselskabet is currently mapping exactly how many trees can be relocated and what is required to replant them elsewhere. The company is drawing on previous experience from the construction of M3 and has once again entered into a collaboration with Miljøpunkt Nørrebro, which will be responsible for the agreement with the tree-relocation company and the recipients of the trees. The two parties have also begun close collaboration with the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, which will help assess the trees.
Once the mapping has been completed and agreements have been reached, the relocation itself can begin. Trees can only be moved outside their growing season—that is, between October and March—and it is expected that the first trees will be moved as early as the coming winter, when the construction act for M5 is expected to be adopted.