City and Planning Committee discusses principles on Wednesday that cut Marienlyst to approx. 137 hectares

On Wednesday 28 October 2026, the City and Planning Committee will consider a principles decision for the further planning of Marienlyst in Tilst. The alderman (rådmand) for Technical and Environmental Affairs recommends that six overarching principles be approved, so the framework area is reduced, roughly one quarter of the land is reallocated to six other housing areas, and work on the dispositions plan and municipal plan addendum can begin.

What it means for you

If the principles are approved, Marienlyst will become a smaller and more open district than the previous plan envisaged, with a focus on family-friendly homes and shared facilities grouped in the north-eastern part. Traffic, public transport service, and the exact housing and resident numbers will be fixed only in the later dispositions plan. Public involvement will take place in the subsequent planning processes.

Background

On 14 May 2025, the City Council chose not to adopt the proposal for Municipal Plan Addendum no. 159 and wanted a new framework with less urban development. When the Municipal Plan 2025 was finally adopted on 17 December 2025, the city council (byråd) endorsed a committee (udvalg) statement on a new approach, including reallocating one quarter of Marienlyst’s municipal plan framework to six housing areas.

The recommendation of 7 August 2026 from Technical and Environmental Affairs, from alderman Nicolaj Bang, follows up on that. The six principles cover upgrading Tilst with family-friendly homes, reducing and reallocating areas, an open district with a maximum overall building coverage of 30 per cent for the area as a whole, combined space for shared facilities, a coherent road structure based on Marienlystvej without through traffic, and efficient public transport service. The ambition of 25 per cent social housing is maintained if an independent school district is established for Marienlyst.

On 15 September 2026, the Municipal Executive recommended that the city council endorse the recommendation. Socialdemokratiet, Socialistisk Folkeparti, Liberal Alliance, Enhedslisten de Rød-Grønne and Danmarksdemokraterne entered reservations. On 23 September 2026, the City Council referred the case to the City and Planning Committee.

Figures and facts

• The previous proposal for Municipal Plan Addendum no. 159 covered approx. 184 ha, up to 738,000 m² floor area, and an expectation of approx. 12,000–14,000 residents (Appendix — Note MTM 01.10.2026).
• The current principles decision reduces the framework area to approx. 136.9 ha and sets a maximum overall building coverage of 30 per cent (Appendix — Note MTM 01.10.2026).
• Roughly ¼ of Marienlyst’s area is proposed reallocated to six other housing areas (Appendix — Recommendation).
• The ambition of 25% social housing is maintained if an independent school district is established for Marienlyst (Appendix — Recommendation).
• According to the recommendation, the principles decision in itself does not entail construction costs or new operational commitments (Appendix — Recommendation).
• There was no public consultation or early citizen involvement before the recommendation (Appendix — Recommendation).

Who said what

In the city council debate on 23 September 2026, Kristian Sommer (S) stressed that urban planning decisions have consequences that extend far beyond an electoral term. Liv Gro Jensen (SF) maintained that SF has opposed the Marienlyst project from the start, among other reasons because the area is poorly connected to high-quality public transport.

Gert Bjerregaard (V) pointed out that the city council set a new course in December 2025, and that Venstre led the way in stopping the previous plan. Isabella Heilmann (EL) said that problems with the traffic structure are not solved, and that the principles are not based on analyses of the overall traffic problems or the increase in traffic that will arise without a new road link.

Metin Lindved Aydin (RV) and Louise Svenstrup (LA) viewed positively that progress is being made on development in Tilst. Jakob Søgaard Clausen (DD) aligned himself with concerns and criticism from several spokespersons.

What happens next

The City and Planning Committee will consider the recommendation on Wednesday 28 October 2026. If the overarching principles are approved, a dispositions plan will be prepared in the form of a municipal plan addendum and an overall municipal plan addendum for reallocating housing land. The exact number of homes and residents and the concrete traffic impacts will be fixed only in the dispositions plan. Follow-up will come when the city council later considers the municipal plan addenda.

Sources

• Agenda — Principles decision for Marienlyst
• Appendix — Recommendation
• Appendix — Note MTM 01.10.2026
• Aarhus Municipality meeting documents — meeting
• Aarhus Kommune

Other appendices

• Appendix — City council debate 23.09.2026
• Appendix — Note MTM 23.09.2026 (added 23.09.2026)