Farewell...

 Hi All, 

This is the last post! This has been one of the most insane, challenging, exciting, and inspiring months of my life. I truly think this trip has changed the course of my future career and would wholeheartedly recommend this opportunity to any student remotely interested in active transportation, designing for the good life, or city planning. At the moment, I’m feeling all sorts of bittersweet. I miss my people so much but it’s so sad to say goodbye to all my new friends. 

Last night, I presented to the cohort on what infrastructure has made biking so easy and comfortable in these two countries. I’ve been really excited by how much designers focus on user experience here. It was so fantastic to learn about, every single project starts with how will we make this experience better for people. While that seems so obvious, that’s not always how we approach projects in the states. 

First and foremost though, it’s so important to prioritize densifying our cities. This ensures that there are enough people to support a higher business density. I’ve loved how small the shops are here, providing so many more options on the street. Mixed-use zoning is also imperative to creating livable and accessible cities. 

I’ve been so impressed with the modality filters that redirect cars onto larger streets and make it annoying for them to drive through neighborhoods. This ensures that quieter streets are safe and comfortable for people to bike on. The goal is to make biking super easy and quick. By forcing cars to go around, it makes biking the fastest way to get through a city.  

Traffic calming also helps to encourage cars to go to the main car roads. These can be chicanes out of parking spaces, bike parking, garden boxes or seating. Another way designers approach traffic calming is by making roads feel smaller through eyesight tricks, such as by having the outer area of the road made of a different material. The goal is to convey to drivers the danger of driving too fast in an area. 

As cars take up less space on the road as users switch to other modes, cities can start reclaiming space from them. We’ve seen absolutely adorable playgrounds and cafes and picnic areas, all in space that used to be dedicated to cars. 

Denmark had so many cycle tracks on larger streets. Wherever you go in Denmark, you can trust that the street will have infrastructure to support you feeling comfortable on the road. This is one of the most adaptable pieces of infrastructure to the context of the States. There are also tons of curb cuts to help you get on the cycle tracks from any side street. 

These countries prioritize making cycling stable and reliable. They are usable throughout all days of the year, all times of day. Part of this is ensuring proper lighting. The network is only as good as the weakest link, so they work to make the network as stable and consistent as possible. 

This really has been such an amazing experience. I want to go into bicycle planning. I can’t believe how impactful this month has been. I so appreciate everyone who has followed along my journey here with me. I can’t wait to see what comes next. 

Signing off, till next time. 

Claressa