Agro Food Park, Denmark

On the outskirts of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, Agro Food Park connects the urban to the agricultural bringing together agricultural organisations for collaboration and networking. Making up Agro Food Park are over 80 agricultural or food production companies and, as it stands, over 1200 employees. The park accommodates large, established companies as well as small businesses and start ups. The research undertaken at the Agro Food Park explores anything industry-related and includes expertise in flavour and bacteria.

The existing site of the Agro Food Park has plans for expansion (source: William McDonough & Partners 2022)

The site of the research facility is expanding still, and over the next 30 years they are planning to build a further 1 million square meters in order to accommodate hundreds more companies and organisations. The expansion is intending to create a city like site, with a local tram line to connect the park to the city centre of Aarhus, central lawns for leisure and meeting points, and they want to densify the existing  buildings in order to aid in collaboration opportunities. They also hope the citizens of Aarhus will become involved with the park and it’s future. Once the tram is built the park will be less than 15 minutes ride by tram, and this proximity and accessibility to a world leading development hub hopes to invite participation and integration with the city and it’s residents. This expansion project is being led by William McDonough & Partners who believes in closed loop systems such as reusing the residents waste as fertiliser for crops. The site will also expand as a productive landscape, growing produce and housing livestock.

The Agro Food Park will operate on an entirely circular system (source: William McDonough & Partners 2022)

The ultimate aim of the park is to export their research and allow innovative urban farming techniques to globalise. We can look at this model when designing CPUL’s in urban areas as the design intentions ultimately result in a symbiosis between urban and agricultural landscape.

The Agro food park will be a site for recreational activities for locals as well as food production and research (source: William McDonough & Partners 2022)

For further information see the project’s own website.

For information on William McDonough & Partners’ vision for the park see here.

Image: Aerial of entire site with envisioned expansion by William McDonough & Partners (source: William McDonough & Partners 2022)

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