User:Jake.peebles/sandbox2

Edits under Demographics section of Copenhagen:

New Section: "Christiania"

In the center of Denmark's capital, a distinct community of outsiders make a living being free-minded. It all started back in 1971 when a group of people squatted in an old military area in Copenhagen. Two years after settling the community was given the status of a free-town from the Social Democratic Government of Denmark. This essentially gave the people living here freedom from the law, in addition to the privilege of forming their own societal rules. They organized a democracy and became famously known for their activity in the cannabis trade. The creation of Christiania brought about the liberal renaissance and sent a wave of liberal thinking across the inner city.

After 45 years of controversial existence, this community still remains important to the city of Denmark. Part of this is because the area has become a popular tourist spot, and the other part is the influence the community has left on urban politics. The area tends to attract activists, artists, drug dealers and users, the mentally unstable, and many other groups that do not fit in with modern Copenhagen society. The Danish State came to the conclusion that the social burden of removing these people would be much larger than the burden of allowing them to stay. Today, low mean incomes and low employment levels have given Christiania the identity of a poor area. The average income is about 106,000 DDK, which is close to half of the average income in all of Copenhagen, and about 33% of the residents are not connected to the job market.

Walking through Christiania you will see architecture and art that reflects the type of people living here. In one area, an unusual 5 sided house floats above a water feature, and next to it is a bright red cottage covered in custom windows that are nothing alike. Another home is seen with a roof that juts out in all sorts of directions. The barracks of the old military base have been decorated with rainbow colors, glass, and beautiful gardens. Another home is described as a tool shed with "Peace" written boldly on the door. People in Christiania take pride in being able to make their own decisions and do their own thing. Young people, foreigners, minority groups, idealists, criminals, and social losers all see Christiania as a place where they can find themselves and live out their lives in a way that reflects their free spirits.

There are some people from Copenhagen that are against the rights of the near 1000 inhabitants of Christiania. They do not agree with the fact that they get to live cheaply with the help of special regulations. In addition, some Danes bring up the point that there is already a shortage of housing in the attractive inner city area. Drugs have always been a source of conflict between Christiania and the Danish State. The majority of the cannabis trade happened here, and the residents had the upper hand until a major police crackdown in 2004. Danish police and media described a variety of gang activity among the youth. 2011 marked an important accomplishment by both the Denmark Government and the community of Christiania. The two reached an agreement that guarantees the survival of the community, and in return Christiania lost much of its independence and self regulation.