Last semester, I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since I’ve gotten back to campus, I’ve gotten a little down about not being abroad anymore, so I thought I’d start a blog segment that focuses on different sustainable European cities. For my first post, I want to focus on the city I called home for four months, Copenhagen.
Acclaimed as one of the greenest cities in Europe, Copenhagen has created a eco-friendly and bike filled city. Fun fact, there are more bikes in Copenhagen than inhabitants! While I was in Copenhagen, not only did you have to check twice for cars when crossing the road, but you had to be weary of the hundreds of Danes riding in the customized bike lanes. Danish urban planner Jan Gehl is famous for teaching other cities to “copenhagenize” or create a bike culture. There is also an iconic bike bridge, called the Cykelslangen or the Bike Snake that connects Vesterbro to Island Brygge.
But biking is not the only phenomenally sustainable element of Copenhagen, they are also famous for their eco-conscious approach to food. For example, according to Visit Copenhagen, “75% of the food consumption in the City of Copenhagen’s public institutions is organic.” Not only are you eating delicious food, you are eating environmentally conscious food. That was definitely the excuse I used to pick up an extra wienerbrød, a pastry filled with cinnamon, butter, and iced sugar, after class.
While living in Copenhagen, I always felt like I was living in a city that actually cared about its’ residents. Because of the emphasis on organic food or the breathtaking natural scenery, it was easy to be transported from a busy urban area to a serene lake in under a five-minute walk. Naturally, my walks by the lakes were often accompanied by a great cup of coffee and a sweet pastry.
Written by Emma Briggs, Class of 2018
Image Source wikimedia.org