Hvidovre Suburb Gets First Major Rezoning in 10 Years

Hvidovre, the modest commuter belt wedged between the Avedøre Holme industrial zone and the green fringe of Kongshaven, has for years been the suburb Copenhagen commuters drove past without a second glance. That is about to change.

The municipality this week published a draft local plan for a 38-hectare swath of land between Hvidovrevej and the Køge Bay motorway, effectively unlocking the area for a mix of apartment blocks, townhouses and a new tram stop. The plan, which goes to public consultation on 1 August, marks the first significant rezoning in the district since the 2016 development around Frihedens Butikstorv.

What the plan proposes

The zone in question currently holds a scattering of 1970s light-industrial buildings, a now-closed bowling alley on Gammel Køge Landevej and a large municipal parking lot used primarily by commuters parking and riding the 30-minute S-train into central Copenhagen. Under the draft plan, developers would be allowed to build up to six storeys along the main corridor, stepping down to three storeys closer to the existing single-family homes near Strandmarksvej.

BaneDarmark, the state rail agency, has already committed to a feasibility study for a new light-rail stop at the corner of Hvidovrevej and Gammel Køge Landevej, a tram 42 project that would put the area within 15 minutes of Valby station. The study is due by December 2026.

The local business association, Hvidovre Erhvervsforening, has been pushing for the change since 2022, arguing that the suburb has been haemorrhaging young families to Vallensbæk and Brøndbyvester precisely because of a lack of modern housing stock. The association counts 140 local businesses among its members.

The numbers behind the shift

The price data tells the story. According to figures from Boligsidens markedsindeks, the average square-metre price for a flat in Hvidovre in June 2024 was 27,400 kroner. That is 38 percent below the Copenhagen municipality average of 44,200 kroner and substantially cheaper than neighbouring Valby, where the same metric sits at 36,100 kroner.

But the gap is narrowing. Over the past 12 months, Hvidovre saw a 7.2 percent price increase, the fastest among all suburbs within the Ring 4 boundary. Estate agents at home.dk report bidding wars on the limited stock of pre-1960 villas under 5 million kroner, with three of the six sold on Strandmarksvej in June fetching above the asking price.

The rezoning is not without friction. A residents' group, Hvidovre Fremtid, has collected 1,200 signatures opposing the six-storey blocks, citing shadow concerns and pressure on the already overcrowded S-train parking. The group staged a protest outside the town hall on Tuesday.

Local developer Nrep, which already owns a 4-hectare parcel within the rezoning zone, declined to comment on specific plans but confirmed in a statement that it is “evaluating the draft plan with interest.”

What happens next matters beyond this one suburb. Copenhagen’s metropolitan growth strategy, the Fingerplan 2025, specifically identifies Hvidovre as a “secondary centre” that could absorb some of the 100,000 new residents forecast for the greater region by 2040. If the rezoning passes, it will be the first test of whether the municipal government can deliver density without the community backlash that stalled plans in Vanløse earlier this year.

For buyers and investors, the window is narrowing. The draft plan is open for public comments until 15 October 2026. Final approval by the municipal council is expected no earlier than March 2027. Once the zoning changes officially take effect, property prices in the corridor are likely to price out the very first-time buyers the plan is meant to attract.