1st Impressions

    I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from Copenhagen. Obviously, great bike infrastructure, which it has, but something that really surprised me was how urban it is. There are lots of cars, lots of bikes, lots of people, and lots of fantastic infrastructure. As much as I don’t like most big cities, I definitely can see the appeal of this one. The architecture is truly amazing and so unique, they do such a good job of maximizing their space in all the right ways, with everybody in mind. 

Today we got the chance to visit Norhavn, a harbor area that has been redeveloped with apartments, restaurants, and public spaces. I was especially impressed by the areas created for children. On the roof of a parking garage were a large, red play structure made for kids with small, inground trampolines, and rope tower, many swings, bars to hang, and several other well-thought-out additions. 

Above mentioned red playground for kids (and adults).

Courtyard playground within an apartment complex.

The architecture of the area was also very inspiring. There were a few large buildings that were made out of old silos, which now contain office spaces. New apartments are being built on a man-made island, where water is being let in from the sea to surround the area, using space that was not utilized previously.

Part of the man-made island, where dirt is being reused to create the area, and
water is being let in from the sea.

Two office buildings made from old silos. 

A parking garage within Nordhavn has lights above that indicate whether a
parking space is open, full, or handicapped accessible. 

The water areas are really amazing. There are platforms to jump off into the inlet, with roped-off areas for lap swimming and recreational swim, as well as a separate area for children and a sauna. Today, with the weather so nice, so many people were using this public swimming space. The use of green space in the area is obvious. There are so many green roofs, plants hanging off of a majority of balconies, and heavily used and thought-out parks, fields, and gardens throughout the entire city. 

One of many swimming areas, heavily used by the public. 

One of the more unique areas of bike parking, but bike parking is everywhere regardless of style. 

 I chose to participate in an optional biker ride to the Louisiana Art Museum 25 miles from where we are staying. I am in awe of the fact that we were able to ride that far through different areas; through the city, into smaller towns, along the sea, and through more forested areas, along and protected/safe bike lane the entire time. This particular event has been the highlight of my trip so far, as someone who hopes to bring bike infrastructure to more rural areas to make them more accessible. 

    Biking here is so wonderful. I have become so used to always having a safe place to bike with trustworthy drivers, pedestrians, and traffic signals. I never thought I could be so comfortable biking through such a large, heavily trafficked area, but the infrastructure in Copenhagen makes it easy. I am very excited to continue learning and biking here and to see what influence my experience can have on Oregon’s transportation and infrastructure.

Sea view from the ride to the Louisiana Museum. 

Another view on the rural ride.

During my first few days here I have really loved seeing the infrastructure built for children and the infrastructure built to travel in more spread out, rural areas. These are two topics I hope to continue learning about and finding aspects to bring back to the United States.