Love this so much. I spent several days in Copenhagen over the summer and was awed by the transit, bike lanes, pedestrian facilities, and public spaces - and the way all those things supported each other. Felt true grief when I came back to my beloved city in the SE United States.... so I started taking transit to work every day. It’s im…
Love this so much. I spent several days in Copenhagen over the summer and was awed by the transit, bike lanes, pedestrian facilities, and public spaces - and the way all those things supported each other. Felt true grief when I came back to my beloved city in the SE United States.... so I started taking transit to work every day. It’s imperfect, and some days I wish I could re-plan my city to avoid sprawl and highway supremacy. But as someone who works in the multi-modal transportation industry, I am SO excited about the energy and money coming to support safer and more accessible transportation that isn’t car-dependent. Taking transit and reading on the train and people-watching makes me feel like a whole person. I’m pushing for bike lanes on the street in front of my house so kids can get to school safely and neighborhood residents can get to community spaces in town. Transportation is the backbone of so much 💛
I can here to say this! I was in Copenhagen too and a young man told me one of the most interesting things about the city was how they use public space. Then I could not stop noticing it. There were so many parks, open city spaces with seating, and swimming platforms along the canal. But I'm from Texas and a lot of what makes this possible in Denmark is not true here - nice weather, grass you can sit on without being eating alive by bugs, etc. The other thing, though, is that people there has time to use this space. It didn't seem like they were planning a week in advance to meet up; they and their friends had time and space in their lives for that, and I think that is related to so much more than public space - work culture, societal support for parents in the form of childcare and a community where children can move about without their parent's constant supervision. Just a million small ways in which life is "easier" because the physical and social environments are more human.
I've never been to Copenhagen, but I visited some places around Western Europe over the summer and was in awe at the public transport, how walkable everywhere was, seeing way less cars, a lot more biking, and all the green spaces. I'm back in the US now and it influenced my decision to move to Chicago next and ditch my car. My car is a 🍋 and I already live in the Midwest so wanted to stay in the general area. I think the steps you're taking where you're at are great 💫
Love this so much. I spent several days in Copenhagen over the summer and was awed by the transit, bike lanes, pedestrian facilities, and public spaces - and the way all those things supported each other. Felt true grief when I came back to my beloved city in the SE United States.... so I started taking transit to work every day. It’s imperfect, and some days I wish I could re-plan my city to avoid sprawl and highway supremacy. But as someone who works in the multi-modal transportation industry, I am SO excited about the energy and money coming to support safer and more accessible transportation that isn’t car-dependent. Taking transit and reading on the train and people-watching makes me feel like a whole person. I’m pushing for bike lanes on the street in front of my house so kids can get to school safely and neighborhood residents can get to community spaces in town. Transportation is the backbone of so much 💛
I can here to say this! I was in Copenhagen too and a young man told me one of the most interesting things about the city was how they use public space. Then I could not stop noticing it. There were so many parks, open city spaces with seating, and swimming platforms along the canal. But I'm from Texas and a lot of what makes this possible in Denmark is not true here - nice weather, grass you can sit on without being eating alive by bugs, etc. The other thing, though, is that people there has time to use this space. It didn't seem like they were planning a week in advance to meet up; they and their friends had time and space in their lives for that, and I think that is related to so much more than public space - work culture, societal support for parents in the form of childcare and a community where children can move about without their parent's constant supervision. Just a million small ways in which life is "easier" because the physical and social environments are more human.
I've never been to Copenhagen, but I visited some places around Western Europe over the summer and was in awe at the public transport, how walkable everywhere was, seeing way less cars, a lot more biking, and all the green spaces. I'm back in the US now and it influenced my decision to move to Chicago next and ditch my car. My car is a 🍋 and I already live in the Midwest so wanted to stay in the general area. I think the steps you're taking where you're at are great 💫