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Vorby

Explore the city of the future

Welcome to Vorby. As a new resident of Vorby, we want to make sure you feel like you belong no matter how long you stay.

We want you to connect with the neighborhood, the local area, and the common bond. We encourage you to contribute to our community by sharing exactly what you feel for.

To help you settle in, we have compiled a comprehensive collection of resources that would have been of great use to us if we were coming to Vorby for the first time. This includes a map highlighting key historic sites, community centers, amenities, and cultural offerings. We have also made suggestions for experiences that might be a good starting point for you.

The internationally known restaurant is worth a visit – not only for its acclaimed cuisine but also for the innovative seafood and agriculture run from the farm.

On this page, you can:

Discover the seven principles of Vorby

Watch locals share their stories about learning, contribution, and free time

Take an interactive tour through Vorby and experience a day in our community

The foundation of Vorby

Vorby builds on seven core principles that characterize what we stand for. Read about them below

Relationships and caring

Well-being is a shared responsibility, not just the responsibility of the individual.

In Vorby, we believe that well-being is not the sole responsibility of the individual but is a shared responsibility that we all share. Our core principles guide our approach to well-being, care, and relationships and underscore our commitment to act when we see signs of dissatisfaction.

Relationship skills are essential to ensuring that all children and young people have positive and healthy relationships with others. Ultimately, this makes them feel safe and enhances their well-being.

We have moved away from a narrow focus on learning, testing, and grades and instead emphasize the broader goal of promoting well-being and caring. This includes building strong relationship skills crucial for children’s personal and social development.

In Vorby, we welcome many communities, both the natural environment and the digital universe. We value physical absence but recognize that technology expands opportunities to participate in other communities beyond physical boundaries. At the same time, we experience more tranquility and immersion, which the digital universe supports. Fundamental to our way of life is having more time for our relationships and experiencing less time pressure, acceleration, and stress.

Nature on purpose

The will of nature

All life has a place, a purpose, and therefore a responsibility to ensure our well-being and contribute to maintaining balance. In Vorby, it’s not just about nature surviving – it’s about thriving.

Nature has evolved from being a function automatically subordinate to man and culture to having its own free will and value. Man no longer has primacy and should not cultivate nature or subject it to human will. This means that nature, animals, and humans are equal. Humans are perceived as part of a natural ecosystem that must adapt to survive as a species. All life has a place, a purpose, and thus a responsibility to ensure our well-being and maintain balance.

Well-being is intertwined, and we are all interdependent.

The open family

The family can be more than a closed unit bound solely by biological ties and ideas of twosomeness.

Being a family today is much more flexible, adaptable, and collective. Tasks and duties associated with family life can now be shared with others in the community: Our ‘we’ has expanded.

We are all connected. We can all be something to each other. This means we can use our lived experiences for each other and no longer rely solely on paid work. Instead, we can draw from the richness of lived experiences, such as the joy of birth, the strength of resistance, the pain of parting, or grief, and make you a resource that others can bring into play. Whether it’s an aunt, uncle, friend, neighbor, or even someone we meet at the bank, we can choose our own family. They are a precious resource with whom you can exchange experiences.

In practice, we have become much more trusting and fallible.

We are no longer just one entity connected to another entity (one-to-one). Today we are united in many more ways (many to many), which allows us to work and live differently.

We encounter communities in multigenerational homes and communal kitchens, and today’s family is a living testimony that accompanies us in different stages of life.

Community and democracy

Together, we create a democracy and a community where everyone’s resources come into play.

The focus is no longer on growth and profit but on cultivating a sustainable and meaningful democracy. While there may be different resource streams, the central goal is to promote community well-being by reducing inequalities. Basic needs such as shelter, food, and social communities are guaranteed rights for all. Each individual contributes what they can and takes what they need, working to their strengths and abilities. There is a fundamental trust that everyone has the potential to make a meaningful contribution.

As a result, there is more room for mutual and constructive dialog than divisive debate. Power structures have shifted in favor of younger generations and marginalized communities, giving them a greater voice and influence in shaping our democracy.

The sharp distinction between normalcy and deviance has dissolved, and our concept of normalcy has expanded. Instead, our society and community are based on flexibility.

Education throughout life

School and education have opened up, and we now participate in various learning communities. We can learn in a wide range of places beyond the confines of the traditional classroom.

A significant part of teaching occurs outside the school, primarily through concrete projects and hands-on community engagement. Free time and leisure are crucial parts of the learning experience.

The education system has moved away from a one-size-fits-all model that gave equal education access but required everyone to follow the same pace and path. Instead, we encounter a more flexible educational model focusing on individual learning paths. It’s no longer linear, and students can study at their own pace, take breaks or intensify their studies. Dropping out is no longer an option, as taking a winding path is accepted and encouraged. There is more room for reflection and less pressure to rush the process.

Our education system is designed to help students develop their skills rather than reach a predetermined goal. It’s the process and experience of learning that holds the actual value. Most importantly, we all practice and become capable of asking new questions and applying what we learn.

Flexibility and expanding what is considered normal create opportunities for us to thrive in diverse learning communities. The goal is not for everyone to finish at the same time but for everyone to have access to education and equal opportunities. This promotes better well-being for us all.

A different kind of work

Our work life is organized around the natural cycles of life

Society is structured around life cycles. Instead of a linear progression where everyone has to give more and more until their energy runs out, society is organized so that you can go up or down and take many different life paths.

If you need a job and help to find your way, the system will help you. However, the system has moved away from fixing a perceived problem and treating symptoms but instead creates the right conditions for people to find their way. Each individual can determine their path to a new job. This creates motivation and greater job satisfaction, and we can always rely on mutual trust, guidance, and advice from various professionals.

In the new employment system, you don’t have to know what you want from day one or think abstractly about your career. Instead, the system helps people gain concrete experience. There’s plenty of room to experiment, make mistakes, and try things out in different contexts.

Prevention and treatment

The emphasis in society is on creating structures that promote well-being rather than treating distress.

This means focusing economic resources on preventive measures, ensuring well-being, fostering strong communities, and reducing inequality rather than providing symptomatic treatments.

As a result, far fewer specialized professionals such as psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, and social workers spend all their time assessing, documenting, diagnosing, and treating mental distress than in the past. Everyone is responsible for ensuring everyone’s needs are met and that everyone is doing well in the community. The focus is on creating supportive environments where daily life happens on the ground. Preventive work has been collectively recognized and systematized.

Meet the locals

Meet Vinter, Marna, and Akeleje, and get their stories from Vorby

Vinter

We’re headed to Hviskemosen to meet Vinter, one of Vorby’s learning facilitators, who gives us unique insights into how we facilitate learning in Vorby.

Akeleje

We’re visiting Akeleje, who is preparing for the autumn equinox celebrations. She shares her thoughts on the role of cycles and how we contribute to the community in Vorby. 

Marna

We’re heading off to Algegården to talk to Marna about how she balances work, learning, and free time in her everyday life.

Artifacts from Vorby

Get inspired by three tangible objects and learn more about their purpose in Vorby

Kalivib

Trust and security are essential components of daily life in Vorby, as they form the basis for healthy relationships. This is where the ‘Kalivib’ device comes in – it records and raises awareness of the mutual trust in a particular community or space. The device records our heartbeats and emits a vibrational rhythm that reflects the level of trust we have for each other in that space. In Vorby, Kalivib has become an integral part of our daily lives in our learning and work spaces as it helps communities become aware of trust levels.

Comfort zone barometer

In Vorby, our community values and celebrates diversity and recognizes the unique qualities that each individual brings in. We use the Comfort Zone Barometer tool to help us navigate our comfort zones while learning or collaborating. This tool visualizes where each of us stands concerning our comfort zone and helps us identify areas where we need help or support. It also encourages us to step outside our comfort zone and take on new challenges. By bringing awareness to each other, we increase our empathy, ultimately making the Barometer a valuable tool for building a stronger and more supportive community.

Seeds from Harmooni

In Vorby, it is important to ensure coherence and smooth transitions between all stages of life. With Harmooni, you can create a seed mix that symbolizes the areas where you want to focus your energy in the coming time. The seed blend is linked to a common ritual many use during transitions or changes in their lives and daily routines. This creates coherence in a close connection with nature and the people around you. In this way, Harmooni helps to make a natural transition from what was to what is to come.

Are you ready to explore Vorby on your own?

Embark on a journey through the interactive story “A Day in Vorby” and experience what it feels like to be in the city.

Click here to experience a day in Vorby.

Before you leave and return to the present, take a moment to reflect: What do you want to take with you into your daily life and work in the present?

Download the full Vorby publication and map here

Download and read the full Vorby publication below. If you are curious about what Vorby has to offer, you can also take a look at the map .

Kimmie Tentschert

Senior Creative & Project Manager

Mail kit@ddc.dk
Phone +45 2728 2419
Social LinkedIn

Do you want to know more about Vorby?

We developed the scenarios in a series of workshops hosted by DDC in the summer of 2022. It was a co-creative process with many stakeholders from the Danish child and youth sector:

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker, Akademiet for Social Innovation, Alternativets unge, Arbejdernes Landsbank, Askov Efterskole, Autisme Ungdom, Avilius, Baunehøj Efterskole, Bedre Psykiatri, Gentofte, Bikubenfonden, Bk Skjold, Børn og Unges Trivsel, Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet, Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet, Børns Vilkår, Center for Digital Pædagogik, Center for Klinisk Forskning og Forebyggelse, CompanYoung, Cool Kids Café, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen Dome – Videnscenter for Socialøkonomi, Danmarks Idrætsforbund, Danmarks Medie- og Journalisthøjskole, Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd, Danske Studerendes Fællesråd, Dating & Diagnoser, DBU, De Anbragtes Vilkår, De danske skoleelever, Dekonstruer, Den grønne ungdomsbevægelse , Dokk1, Emento, Fonden Novavi, Forbrugerrådet Tænk, Foreningen MED/iDialog, Forretningsudvalget Københavns Professonshøjskole, Frederikssund Gymnasium, 1.g., Frontløbernetværk, Gejst, Go Zebra, Healper, Helsingung, Henning Larsen, Herning HF & VUC, Holmstrupgård, Human Practice Foundation, KBH+ AskovFonden, KFUM.spejdere, KL, Københavns åbne Gymnasium, Københavns Professonshøjskoles Forretningsudvalg, Køge Kommune, Konfront ApS, Kooperativet Flexwerker, KUI, Odsherred Kommune, Liberal Alliances Ungdom, Meleret melanin, Mindcloud, MinoUng, Museum Nordsjælland, Odsherred Kommune, Ørestad Gymnasium, Pædagogisk Praksis, Pause Zone, PPR Holbæk, Radikale Ungdom, Rapoltics, Red Barnet, Region Hovedstaden, Center for Regional Udvikling, Region Hovedstadens Psykiatri, Psykiatrisk Center Nordsjælland, Region Syd, Region Syddanmark, Reinkarneret, Rockwool Fonden Interventionsenhed, Rød Grøn Ungdom, Roskilde Kommune, SAGA / Socialspace, SFU, Socialstyrelsen, Socialt Udviklingscenter SUS, Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet, Sundhedsstyrelsen, Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner, Syddansk Erhvervsskole, Trivselsfabrikken, Turning Tables Danmark, uKirke, Ungdomsbureauet, Ungdomsøen, Ungdommens Røde Kors, Venstres Ungdom, Vidensråd for Forebyggelse etc.

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