Peter Rahbæk Juel is making Odense a city of opportunities

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Odense is Denmark’s third-largest city and the main city of the island of Funen. Since 2017, Peter Rahbæk Juel has been serving as the mayor of Odense Municipality. He was born in Skjern (West Jutland) in October 1977. In 1996, he relocated to Odense to study at the University of Southern Denmark. He has a major in history and a minor in social studies. The topics of housing, sustainability, climate action, and health are particularly close to mayor of Odense Peter Rahbæk Juel.

“Odense must be a city that is safe to grow up and grow old in. A city that takes care of those who need help. And that provides space for those who want to contribute to the city’s development. Odense must be a green city that lives up to its climate responsibility. And it must be a safe city where everyone can move freely. Odense must be a city of opportunities,” Peter Rahbæk Juel told the Danish broadcaster DR.

According to the mayor of Odense, this city was one of the hardest ones hit by the financial crisis. A number of prestigious Odense companies had to close and a huge number of jobs were lost, which Peter Rahbæk Juel said was a ‘’wake-up call.’’

‘’We’ve created a new robotic adventure, we’ve invested in urban development throughout the city, we’ve strengthened our welfare and we’ve created a whole lot of private jobs. So many, in fact, that we now have the lowest unemployment rate since 2009 and the lowest unemployment rate among the four largest cities in Denmark. That means growth and jobs, so we have more tax revenue for better welfare,’’ Juel stated on social media in November 2021.

Mayor of Odense also finds that taking care of the most vulnerable citizens is a constant and important focus for his city. Numerous initiatives he supports best portray this. Following the Russian aggression, millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee their country. Odense immediately became one of the most welcoming cities where numerous Ukrainian refugees have now found home. Recently, an association of Ukrainians living in Odense has also been formed. (photo credit: Peter Rahbæk Juel official Facebook)