Better Biking

The summer solace is no big deal back in the United States, but here, it sparked one of the largest public celebrations I have seen to date. There were bonfires being set all over the city and revelers filled the streets. It was like the entire city was having a giant party that puts the fourth of July to shame. I went to the Reffen area with a group of fellow students to take part in the celebrations and it was fantastic. The Reffen street market where everything was taking place was constructed from repurposed shipping containers which gave the whole thing a steam-punk sort of vibe. There were a dozen or so food vendors, one of which provided me with absolutely the best ravioli I have ever had, and another with the strongest sangria to touch my lips.  The whole event was a perfect example of how a city can create a space for people that is really visually appealing and attractive, without spending a huge amount of money to construct a whole new structure. I find it also interesti...

 To recap the last several days I have three main takeaways from Copenhagen: One, everyone is beautiful. I have not seen a single person who could not be a model as their fallback career if something went arigh for them. Two, biking is king but you have to know what you're doing or a (beautiful) local will yell at you. Three, it does not matter where you are going, what street you go down, anywhere you pass through will feel safe and be absolutely stunning. I will continue to rant about the perfection of this place in a future post (or two), but for this one I want to talk specifically about the playground touring activity that we did yesterday (6/23). Copenhagen is all about freedom of movement for both adults and kids.The bike is the most useful tool to promote this idea as it is extremely versatile and easy to use and in Copenhagen biking is usually the fastest mode of transportation for getting anywhere in the city. So because it is so easy and safe to move in the city here, ki...

 Less than 24 hours into my stay in Denmark and I already feel that my life has been changed forever. I came into this trip expecting beautiful bikeways and idyllic scenery, but my first day yesterday definitely blew my expectations out of the water. When I finally touched town after 12 hours of travel (8 of which I spent next to a small and vomiting child) the first thing I noticed out the window was the bike lane. In America you are lucky if you can figure out and coordinate getting to and from the airport quickly and easily via public transportation, but at the Copenhagen airport there were at least five (well marked) modes of transit to and from baggage claim-- train, metro, bus, bike, and rideshare. The bike lane was pristine, protected, and heavily used. I quickly observed that all bikeways in the city are this way.  Our first assignment upon receiving our bikes at the hostel was to go out into the city and follow around a cyclist, observing the way they navigate. It was...

 It is about 24 hours before I am set to board my flight to Copenhagen and I couldn't be more excited! If I am being honest the whole thing doesn't even feel real yet. Biking has always been one of the main ways that I transport myself from place to place, and with this class I hope to gain a better understanding of what is possible to achieve with biking in cities closer to home.  American cities have a lot of things going for them, but the biggest drawback in our urban culture is that cities have been built around cars. In most American cities, if you don't have access to a car (or some other motorized vehicle) it can be extremely difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous to get where you want to go. If you've ever tried walking or biking on a busy street you know what I'm talking about. Its just very uncomfortable to be a pedestrian or cyclist in a place that was not built for you. With this trip to Denmark and the Netherlands, I am excited to see just how it feel...