Today’s big topic: Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor: »I truly believe it will lead to a better, greener city«
If it were up to Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor, Sisse Marie Welling (SF), there would be fewer traffic jams in the city.
What’s happening?
Copenhagen’s lord mayor, Sisse Marie Welling, says the city is gridlocked—especially at rush hour—and commuters waste too much time in traffic.
She argues that too many cars mean more congestion, noise and polluted air, and wants a shift toward cycling and public transport. Her call comes after a new DTU and Sund & Bælt report concluding that road pricing is an effective way to cut congestion in major Danish cities.
She wants any revenue returned to the region and invested in public transport, bike lanes and park-and-ride facilities. DTU’s Ninette Pilegaard says tested models suggest traffic could drop 12–22% in big cities and 7–11% in suburbs, with the biggest effects where fees are highest.
Why it matters!
Congestion in Copenhagen and its suburbs wastes time and makes commutes unpredictable. It slows buses and deliveries, hurting productivity and daily services.
Traffic also drives air pollution and noise, with clear health costs. Cutting congestion is key to mobility, climate goals and quality of life.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– »There are probably a few areas where I’ll need to cut back a bit«
In its dream life series, Politiken’s iByen crunches the numbers on what young people’s ideal future in Copenhagen would actually cost. For 28-year-old Pouline, the calculation totals about 65,000 kroner a month, a figure she says has put things into perspective. The estimate is based on current prices and should be read as a rough guide rather than an exact figure. Read the full article here.
– Royal Unibrew stock suffers its steepest fall ever
Ritzau reports that Royal Unibrew shares fell sharply on Tuesday, cutting the brewer’s market value by about 24.8%, after Carlsberg announced it will take over production and distribution of PepsiCo soft drinks across the Nordics and Baltics from 2029, ending Royal Unibrew’s current PepsiCo deal (about 13% of revenue) at the end of 2028. Royal Unibrew expects transition costs of around DKK 300 million but says the change will free up capacity and allow it to push its own brands and seek new partnerships.
Talk of town: Teen killer avoids preventive detention as high court upholds 12-year term
Denmark’s Western High Court on Tuesday delivered its verdict in the appeal of the then 17-year-old who raped and killed a 13-year-old girl in Hjallerup.
Denmark’s Western High Court has upheld a 12-year prison sentence for a now 20-year-old man convicted of raping and killing a 13-year-old girl.
The crime happened in Hjallerup on March 11, 2024, after the girl met him shortly after breaking up with him. He admitted to the killing, so the appeal was only about whether the punishment should be tougher.
Prosecutors asked for preventive detention (an open-ended sentence) because experts said he posed a significant risk of future violence. The defense argued that a fixed sentence was more appropriate because he was 17 at the time and had no prior convictions.
The judges split evenly, and under the rules that meant the lighter option applied, so the 12-year term stands, prompting strong reactions in court.
Read the full article here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.