Gellerupparken

Facts

Denmark's largest ghetto

By Jakob Ingemann Parby, Cand.mag. i historie og etnologi fra Københavns Universitet, 2004. (6 stories)

Gellerupparken is Denmark's largest social housing estate. It was designed by Knud Blach Petersen, and the blocks of flats are four and eight storeys high. They were built from concrete in the period 1968-72. There are around 6,000 residents in 1,776 flats, of one to five rooms. Gellerupparken is known for its high percentage of residents of non-Danish ethnic origin. In 1993, 68 per cent of the residents were not of Danish origin. By 2003, this had increased to 84 per cent. In the past there was a lot of crime on the estate, but today the crime rate is at the same level as in other Aarhus neighbourhoods.

Partly a public place

Selected entry

Getaway from the ghetto

Story written by Jakob Ingemann Parby

Time / Periode 1968 1972

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The Gellerupparken housing estate is perhaps Denmark's most famous ghetto. But there are many projects to counter the negative sides to the neighbourhood. One, Unge 4 Unge", unites 40-50 volunteers aged 15-24 in initiatives for better integration with the rest of Aarhus, and local crime prevention. Unge 4 Unge organises trips to other parts of Aarhus to show young people from Gellerup what the city has to offer. The project is entitled "Ud af Gellerup" which refers to getting out of the ghetto – for the day or forever. Unge 4 Unge has an arrangement with the local bus company for community patrols on selected bus routes. It also runs weekly football practice for Gellerup youths, and organises outings, such as a trip around the South Funen archipelago on the schooner "Fylla". "