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| Unique design--a staircase inside of the Copenhagen Business School |
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| "Hyperdrive"--Dr. McCarthy riding with us on the Metro! The first car was designed so that passengers can look out the tunnel as they travel underground |
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| Sightseeing--Jamie and I on a Strogarde, a "walking street" |
Once we get back to the States, I would like to advise my family to move
with me to Copenhagen. Yes, my usual seven-hour commute from southern New
York to St. Lawrence would grow slightly longer, most likely involve winding
lines at customs, and possibly even a middle seat on the plane, but from what
I’ve learned about this country just in the past two days, Denmark becomes more
and more appealing. Today was a particularly busy one for the four of
us—from an invigorating classroom discussion on “Livability” (and what makes
Copenhagen an urban space “conducive to comfortable living”), to a walking tour
of the city (after which we all could attest to the saying, “when your feet
hurt, you know you’re in Europe”). On a sunny, sixteen-degree Celsius
afternoon, though, we were too immersed in hygge to mind…
The day began with a stimulating lecture by DIS professor Bianca
Hermansen, an urban planner (and in many ways, philosopher). She first
presented to us the conditions, or “Livability Rankings,” that Copenhagen
prides itself on: public transport, education, cultural outlets, low crime,
hours of sunshine, global flight connections, tolerance, and concern for environmental
issues. Bianca went on to explain cities in general as “human habitats”
that should address the broader question of our past semester: how, exactly,
can cities promote human flourishing? Ultimately, urban design (which we
have also discussed in class, regarding Alain De Botton’s The Architecture
of Happiness) has an impressive impact on the human psyche. Our
cities shape us, but more importantly, we shape our cities.
For example, Bianca (who was an extremely engaging and spunky speaker)
raised the issue of “jay-waking.” She called it a “natural human
behavior.” However, while it is dangerous and violates traffic laws,
Bianca does not blame pedestrians for this “crime,” but rather city
designers. She argued that jay-walking is “a symptom of poor urban
planning,” and it is her job as an urban planner to work with the people
of Copenhagen so the city meets their needs. Bianca and other designers are
constantly rearranging and trying to improve Copenhagen, in such a way that is
beautiful, sustainable, and simply “more livable,” to facilitate human
flourishing.
The walking tour (led by a former American DIS student, Samur, who now
lives in Denmark) illuminated today’s classroom experience. Although the
human population in Copenhagen is very homogenous, the landscape is visually
eclectic. Fifteenth century buildings stand across cobblestone streets
from sleek Danish architecture. Large open squares bustle with activity,
as vast, interactive forums for Danes, international tourists, tented produce
markets, cafes, bikers, performers, and many pigeons. There is an
interesting view from every angle to engage onlookers, for as Bianca and Samur
mentioned, the human mind needs to be stimulated every four seconds. That
being said, while there is a lot to see in Copenhagen, the cityscape is
on a human scale. Strict codes limit the heights of buildings, so that
structures do not overwhelm the presence of people. Beautifully weathered
church steeples are the tallest man-made objects to be seen.
By implementing this rule, Copenhagen essentially
preserves a little bit more of humanity than most sky-scraping American
cities. Like the welfare state, the city itself exists purely “for the
people.” It’s been such an adventure to experience a new cultural
mindset, and we look forward to bring this message of human flourishing back to
campus. Hooray for the week we have left!
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