The problems with Copenhagen

 I feel like people on this trip are comparing Malmo to Copenhagen, which is fine to some degree, but we also need to compare everywhere we go during our time in Europe to the US. The purpose of this trip is to see what we can take back home and implement, but it seems as though people are being supercritical and acting as if the ability to do this needs to be all-or-nothing. Do I think Malmo has as good of a bike infrastructure as Copenhagen? Definitely not. But are there aspects of Malmo that I enjoy and want to bring back to the US? Absolutely. 

When comparing Malmo and Copenhagen, there are things I disliked and liked about both. I thought it was interesting that the planners and professionals we met and toured with in Copenhagen answered questions as if there was no lack of accessibility for pedestrians and people with disabilities. When asking questions related to how people in wheelchairs get around, I was met with confusing answers and a lack of knowledge about the subject. 

I also initially liked the three-tied paths for different modes of transport, but I think it actually prevented bikes from entering areas they needed to. This hierarchy system also put pedestrians on the top, but in reality, the sidewalk was often thin and blacked by bicycles, or lacked a comfortable and appealing aspect. 

While walking around Copenhagen, I along with several people in our group tripped over cobblestones. Most of the sidewalks look like the image above, with narrow, flat pavers separating the cobblestones. In many instances, areas where pedestrians dominated only had uneven cobblestones throughout the area. I believe those areas were intended to prevent cyclists from entering and biking through quickly since it makes for a bumpy ride, but it seems to just make the experience worse for everyone. Cyclists would bump around, pedestrians had an uncomfortable time walking and often tripped or rolled ankles, and the area was simply not accessible for people in wheel cars or with crutches or anything like that. Strollers also seemed to have trouble in some areas, which is surprising considering how much Copenhagen seems like a city built for kids. 

An example of a place meant for pedestrians that is somewhat inconvenient for mode. 

I thought the infrastructure for pedestrians was very interesting. It seemed like in a lot of instances the infrastructure for pedestrians was an afterthought. There were several huge intersections around the hostel we stayed at that had islands for pedestrians because they were unable to cross the street all the way during one light. The infrastructure in this instance should be changed into a longer timed light or thinner streets. 

I really enjoyed biking in Copenhagen and I will admit the bike infrastructure was phenomenal, but I think the best way to plan a city is to plan it for everyone, and I did strongly feel as though Copenhagen lacked good pedestrian infrastructure due to its focus on biking.