Unanswerable Questions
Copenhagen in the summer is the land of serenity. The scene is picturesque – bikers with a day’s worth of groceries, pedestrians wearing skirts with tennis shoes and young professionals casually sipping beer midday while enjoying city life. Many restaurants leave blankets in their outdoor seating just in case people get cold. There is no sense of haste at cafes from those preparing, waiting for or enjoying their meal. People are present while enjoying their time together – ignoring their phones and other distractions. Inviting public space created in triangle medians and large canal-side, tree-lined parks are speckled by joyful Danes at all hours. People seem less concerned with external judgment while they soak up sunshine naked and do slow motion tai-chi in the park. Rows of unlocked bikes symbolize the deep sense of shared trust present in Copenhagen that makes vulnerability more socially acceptable. These values are pleasurably apparent in the air, like the intoxicating aroma of freshly cooked cinnamon bread. A local baker told me he moved to Denmark from Iraq instead of Germany or France where he had family because it’s the land of calm, peaceful people. At the close of my first week here, his tale rings true.
As we explored by boat, foot, metro, swimming, and bus, unanswerably subjective questions popped into my head. Why do American cities feel so different? How do Danes have time to relax so much?
And most importantly from a career perspective, what strategies from Denmark can be applied to cities in the American Rust Belt area to maximize community happiness?
There are many similarities between Rust Belt cities and Copenhagen including proximity to water, cold winters, mixed use urban design, growing immigrant population and a robust urban agriculture movement. During my trip I am exploring the transferability of sustainability solutions to the cities I plan to work in after this trip is over. More to come!