This week instead of having normal classes I had my entire schedule devoted to my core course, which is Urban Studies. This “core course week” is a special feature of DIS and has been my favorite week thus far! My class went to Hamburg from Monday to Wednesday and then we have been back in Copenhagen Thursday and Friday.
Christiania, Denmark (Freetown Christiania)
This week was full of new experiences with being cold. While I am a Minnesotan the cold of wandering each city for hours each day was an adjustment my ears and toes weren’t so prepared for!
The various “field trips” were filled with new insights into urban planning and the interlayers contained within it including; community, transportation, environment, and the desired outcome or purpose of each project.
Speicherstadt (warehouse district) in Hamburg
Besides just learning about the areas we were in, this week was also about getting to know my fellow classmates. This included bonding through the hot coffee runs (to warm up), the train ride discussions, and complaining about our butts hurting after (and before) our bike tours of each city.
During our bike tour in Hamburg
Random facts I learned this week:
-Crosswalk signals are EXTREMELY shorter in Hamburg
(in large groups, it may take 2-3 signals to get the whole crew across without being hit by any vehicles, no-one got hit so all clear)
-German Beer is better.
-The functionality of a city’s various spaces is dependent on what it’s urban planner’s focus is on [understanding the people, the users of each space]
The Snake (bike bridge) in Vesterbro, Denmark
-Bike lanes are absent in Hamburg
(this was interesting, and it had a strange affect on the feeling and function of the city as a whole)
-there are 3-D maps of the city of Hamburg everywhere!
(or everywhere we took tours!)
-My teacher, Silvia is just as photo obsessed as me!
this was half of my class and Silvia after our first bike tour in Hamburg!
Overall, I am so thankful for the crazy jam-packed schedule of this week and can’t wait to learn and explore even more!