The number of neighbourhoods on the government’s annual parallel society list has once again dropped – from 20 to 17
December 1 traditionally signals the run-up to Christmas in Denmark with the beginning of the popular Christmas calendars for kids on TV.
But for the government, it’s the day when the annual parallel society list – formerly known as the stigmatising ‘Ghetto List’ – is presented to the public.
The list contains vulnerable neighbourhoods in which at least 50 percent of residents have non-western backgrounds and are either unemployed or have criminal records.
According to the list, published by the Housing Ministry, the number of vulnerable areas and parallel societies are once again both on the decline.
“As of 1 December 2022, there are 17 vulnerable housing areas compared to 20 in 2021,” the report found.
“The number of parallel societies is down to 10 from 12 last year. There are also fewer hardcore vulnerable areas [from 10 to 9], and therefore no new housing areas encompassed by development plan demands.”
READ ALSO: Forget parallel societies: Is the ghetto plan stuck in a parallel universe?
Ta-ta, Tingbjerg
The nine areas remaining on the hardcore list are:
Mjølnerparken, Copenhagen
Tåstrupgård, Høje-Taastrup
Vollsmose, Odense
Nørager/Søstjernevej, Sønderborg
Stengårdsvej, Esbjerg
Sundparken, Horsens
Skovvejen/Skovparken, Kolding
Bispehaven, Aarhus
Gellerupparken/Toveshøj, Aarhus
Tingbjerg/Utterslevhuse, an area that had been on the hardcore list every year bar one since 2010, is no longer on the list.
While Askerød (Greve) and Rønnebærparken/Æblehaven (Roskilde) are new to the vulnerable housing area list, Houlkærvænget (Viborg), Grønneparken (Holbæk), Stærevej, Tingbjerg and Aldersrogade (all Copenhagen) are off it.
“I’m a happy and proud mayor of Copenhagen today on behalf of residents, workers, housing organisations and politicians who have joined to take on a massive task in Tingbjerg and Aldersrogade, which are now off the vulnerable housing area list,” said Copenhagen mayor Sophie Hæstrup Andersen.
