Meg Grzybowski (she/her)

Malmö

July 6, Day 12

Station Triangeln - South Entrance

One of my favorite days was spent in Malmö, Sweden - Martin Nelson's tour of pedestrian infrastructure and opportunities for multi-modal commuting and Lars Ekman's discussion of how we can transform our traditional mindset around "accidents or crashes" into a new Vision Zero mentality - brought a new perspective to what we've been learning in Copenhagen and the teams we've been speaking with.

I was really struck by the discussion we had about changes in our perception of who is responsible for reducing fatalities and serious injuries when it comes to Vision Zero. And about how we can not only hold system designers accountable, but how we should bring in car manufacturers and key stakeholders into the conversation, pushing for their support of this commitment.

Vision Zero Policy Innovation with Lars Ekman

COWI walking tour

July 4, Day 10

Revamped Parking

This area used to be an old parking lot, but during our walking tour we learned that these spaces were revamped into community green spaces and paths that added a more sustainable element to the shared area.

Bus & Bike Only

These cut-outs were intended to be something that bikes could maneuver around and buses could subvert, but would interfere with cars passing through.

Imagine how mad Portlanders would be if these existed.

Attached Ped Bridge

After this bridge was built, they added a pedestrian path to the side that did not interfere with the structure of the bridge but allowed for alternative uses.

I thought it was a great example of how to utilize current infrastructure, but to continue promoting alternative modes of transportation and commmuting.

Aalborg, Denmark

July 3, Day 9

Tell me something that the tour that stood out to you about the bike tour around Aalborg.

During our tour, it felt very apparent that the movement of the city was quite different than Copenhagen. After being in Vesterbro for over a week, it felt to me as though the bike and pedestrian infrastructure was the standard for what we should expect to see elsewhere on our travels around Denmark, but Aalborg proved to be quite different. Though one tour group did experience a more structured exploration of the city, where our group went, there weren't bike path separations, painted pathways, or raised bike lanes, and cars were much more aggressive and drove quite close to bikers. Even ways in which the people cycling prepared for the various weather was different - helmets were more prevalent, rain gear appeared to be an after thought, and bikes themselves seemed to be more streamlined for a more intentional and (potentially) long commute. It did also seem to have more cars in the city than I've noticed in Copenhagen, or maybe just in proportion.

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Town square with the city bustling around during lunchtime

Home of the nook planning

June 30, Day 6

Copenhagen is all about planning for cute little nooks that allow you to be out in public but also allows for some privacy if you want to be in a shared space but not make awkward eye contact or be right next to someone. Want to find a pocket park? Boom, here. Want to sit on a rooftop but in your own little bench so you can read? Boom, here. On top of buildings, under overpasses, it's a city that looks to utilized spaces that people don't think about usually. And it reminds us to be playful and curious again.

Cemeteries are green spaces too

June 29, Day 5

Why are Copenhagen's parks important for livable communities? What is your favorite public space or park you have been to in Copenhagen? Is there a place in Portland or other city you think should be redesigned?

As we consider making cities more dense, it is important to look at utilizing our green spaces more efficiently and create a sense of belonging in these spaces. Parks and community hubs (and the inclusion of green space) increases mental and physical health and draws people together. It helps people feel less isolated, and creates accountability with one another.

My favorite park during our tour with Ras that felt to me like it was especially utilizing that space to bring people together and to make the most of what existed was the Assistens Cemetary (oddly not pictured here). While I enjoyed the other parks pictured below, I thought that these were quite empty, but the cemetary was filled with people walking, gathering, biking, and chatting. It was a celebration of sorts of the space available to them, and what they had while they were here. It was easy to access and welcoming to everyone. There were paved paths, but also walking trails that were more private. It just shows that there can be multiple uses for a shared space.

I think the SW Waterfront property should be redesigned and utilized in a different capacity. While the cherry blossoms are gorgeous in the springtime, it is quite underutilized at other points in the year, becoming most a place for people to bike through or to gather in during the Rose Festival. I'd like to see more play structures or creative use of space on the waterfront.

Bridges and bike tours

June 28, Day 4

Engaveparken

Climate resilience infrastructure and park! Seemingly modeled after some of the influential water and drainage systems in Portland, this park is intended to aid in the flooding of the area. What a great mixture of green space and adaptive climate resiience planning measures.

J.C. Jacobsen's Have/Academy Garden

With Copenhagen being such a dense city, green spaces are a much welcome reprieve. This one has only been open to the public since 2008! There are over 116 plants from across the globe, which makes it the most biodiverse park in Copenhagen.

SUND Nature Park

If only this design would work in Portland. It could serve as both seating and bike parking, but NIMBY folks may argue against them and bikes would be stolen from them immediately.

Multi-modal trek

Ode to FX2

June 27, Day 3

I never grew up taking public transit.

Cars were our main mode of transportation, bikes were used for recreation, my town didn't even have a bus system or infrastructure, and to get to the nearest train to take into Boston, we had to drive 20 minutes to the station.

As I got older a car meant freedom. And space from awkward social interactions was my favorite.

I've only begun to appreciate alternative transportation modalities in recent years, but still prefer to keep my bike and bus trips separate. On the way back from DTU, however, we biked to the train station and brought our bikes on board. Though the signage was pretty small, the racks were easily identifiable from the bike logo on the cars. The racks were angled in a direction indicating ease of use, and ease of leaving the car with minimal resistance at your stop. Honestly, it reminded me of the FX2 line down Division in Portland. It's got a similar structure, though only 2 bikes can enter at a time.

The University of Copenhagen

Big ideas and biophilic design

June 26, Day 2

What did you learn about today that surprised/interested you?

I think many people choose planning for the promise of co-creating innovative solutions that positively impact their community and allow for people to navigate these urban spaces with an increased level of accessibility, inclusivity, and safety. However, I think that it's easy over time to question whether or not that's possible, as we're quite consistently told "no" on a regular basis to ideas and proposals that are too expensive, not-how-we've-done-things, or contradict current policies, but for me it was really encouraging and enlightening to see both Niels Hoe and Margo Fredericks spoke to pushing the boundaries continuously, even if it hasn't been done or policy doesn't reflect that value currently. We can create infrastructure that prioritizes bikes instead of cars, and we can create biophilic spaces close to transit that also consider carbon impacts. We don't have to continue to haphazardly use greenwashing words like "sustainable" without an actual, definable measurement of what makes something sustainable. These are priorities we can fight for and push for in this space.

Co-pilot pups

June 25, Day 1

Who do you see, how are they using the lanes, how is it different from where you live?

Admittedly, I didn't take pictures during my first day observing cyclists in-country. While one of my favorite things to do when I get to a place is to wander and watch people while posted up, getting a feel for the pace of the city, it felt out of place at the places I posted up to point my lens at people passing by. I did, however notice a few things that seemed different from cyclists and the cycling culture in Portland.

People wore what they wanted to wear out, and didn't conform to the athleisure wear that most Portlanders done as their uniform. Here, there wasn't the same urgency to reach a destination, as this was just a singular part of their longer journey, not a task that needed to be completed in a hurried fashion, showing up sweaty, or rained-on, or rumpled. People here are fashionable, and celebrate that whether on a bike or not.
Dogs. I love a pup on the front of someone's bike who lays down and gets ready for the wind in their hair. I was thinking about the fact that we account much of our time spent in a SOV being attributed to grocery trips or family safety, but as a pet owner, I realized, I can't take my pet on transit and unless she is used to a bike, the only way to transport her further distances is with a car. What felt quite normal here, feels slightly insurmountable to me in Portland.
There appeared to (seemingly) be a large representation of female-identifying folks out on bikes. As someone that explores Household Travel Survey Data for the Puget Sound Region, we just completed a report about women and non-binary folks not feeling supported or safe in their experience with transit or cycling. Based on cursory observations, that didn't seem to be the case here.

Pre-Travel Thoughts

June 24

The Sustainable Transportation Abroad program touches on a myriad of my goals, spanning from personal to professional. Much of my professional career prior to the program was in international development and health, working across East and West Africa, as well as India. Working abroad helped to cultivate an appreciation for the intersectionality of complementing fields such as this program does for civil engineering and urban planning and policy.

As for my continued and applied interest in the field of transportation, I’d like to continue exploring ways in which planning and policy provide support for innovative mobility opportunities. I'd like to be able to conceptually design (or understand the characteristics of the design for) a roadway system that meets the needs of communities, is inclusive for all genders, and ensures safety for cyclists and walkers. I currently work as a Data and Planning Intern for Puget Sound Regional Council, based in Seattle, Washington where my position has me analyzing large, complex datasets such at their Household Travel Survey and using that data to inform and make recommendations for transportation policy in the region. More recently, I utilized some of that data alongside nationally-focused PUMS data to compose a narrative for the region regarding women and safety in multi-modal transportation systems (mainly biking, walking, and public transportation).

I'd like to identify potential solutions and analyze the economic cost-benefit to them, so that I could work towards implementation or further analysis and feasibility upon my return. Most of all, I’d like to feel confident in my ability to speak to innovative mobility opportunities and multi-modal planning policies that could potentially increase ridership shares and biking investments.

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