Characteristic Pavement Patterns in Freiburg, Germany

By Kelly Matheson

As you walk around Freiburg, Germany, it is easy to notice the many paving designs throughout town. They are mostly circular in shape and usually relate to the building they are in front of. This unique urban design element that adds to Freiburg's uniqueness and helps you orient yourself in the town. Personally, I like them because it's fun to guess what the image means if it isn't obvious. Also, you can learn a little bit more about the building, which you might not know any other way.

Here is a store, and I'm not sure what they sell exactly. But you can see Storchen in the name, and here is what you see on the ground:

Another easy to understand paving design is in front of the watch store:

Another simple one is in front of a church:

These are minor additions to a city, but they add lots of character and are fun to look at.

Stige Island Landfill

Our biking adventure in Odense led us to the Stige Island Landfill. During the landfill closure the landfill was converted into recreational park that features picnic areas, playgrounds, mountain biking trails and track. The landfill created the perfect opportunity for a large park for the people of Odense. The wants and needs of the community were taken into consideration when the park was designed. When visiting the park the different stages of landfill conversion can be seen.

The piles of trash are compacted and covered with vegetation. As the trash decomposes it gives off greenhouse gases such as methane and nutrient loads the soil. The methane that is given off from the trash is recaptured before it can disperse into the atmosphere. Then it is sold to the industry to create electricity and heat for households in Odense. An intricate drainage collection system collects surface water before it can enter and pollute the river.

The vegetated mounds create a playful environment and vista points.

View at the top of the park which featured a play area.

(Bottom Photo) Some of the SCONES students playing tether ball.

A remote control lawn mower is used to keep the vegetation manicured.
(video to come later)

One of the slides created on a mound.

By Kathyryn Waje & Liana Ramos

What students had to say...
"From 'trash' to 'class'!" -Kathy Waje
"My favorite part was watching the lawn mower" -Kelly Matheson
"I thought it was awesome because they created a park out of garbage" - Melissa Traverso

My Solo Transit Journey from Freiburg to Stuttgart, Germany

Log of my travel, observations, and comparisons to group travel

The first step I took was to plan out my trip! I used the Eurail website to research train times and transfers I would need to make. It specifically showed which platforms each train would leave from so I didn’t even have  to check the list at the station.

Freiburg to Stuttgart

8:35- Leave hostel and walk to the train station

            -Of my two options (walk or tram) I chose walking because I wanted the exercise, it wasn’t too far, and because I wasn’t familiar with the tram schedule.

8:54 – Board train

8:57- Train leaves right as scheduled

9:58- Arrive in Karlsruhe to switch trains

            -I found the next platform easily because I had checked the platform number ahead of time on the Eurail website

10:05- Depart Karlsruhe

10:58- Arrive in Stuttgart!

On my walk to the train station:

Walk observations:

-At the early hour, the streets were completely empty.

-I felt uncomfortable while passing a place with numerous homeless people.

-I was much more aware of my surroundings since I was not in a large group, and paid close attention to be sure I was going the right way.

On my train ride to Karlsruhe and then Stuttgart:

Successful arrival and reunion with an old friend

Train observations:

-Signs were incredibly easy to follow.

-Being alone meant staying awake so I wouldn’t miss my stop.

-Announcements were usually only done in German, so I had to pay close attention to intermediate stops.

-I didn’t make seat reservations, so I had to choose seats carefully.

-Moving from train to train was very easy and efficient without luggage and a large group of people.

Stuttgart to Freiburg

4:00- Train departs Stuttgart

            -Since I didn’t know the times ahead of time, I had to consult the board of departure times.

4:53- Train arrives in Karlsruhe

            -Checked the departures board to see what platform to go to for my connection.

5:03- Train departs Karlsruhe (arrives and leaves 3 minutes late)

            -This train was crowded, so I had to sit on the floor for the first half hour since I didn’t have a reservation

5:59- Train arrives in Freiburg

6:45- Return to hostel after making several stops on the way

On my walk back to the hostel:

-The streets were much busier, so I felt a lot safer.

Conclusions:

-Train travel is extremely reliable and easy to understand

-Prior research isn’t really necessary, but does make it a little easier

-Seat reservations might be a good idea, especially for long trips

-Walking through town is more comfortable with people around

-Traveling alone is very different than with a large group:

            -Ease in moving quickly

            -Hightented awareness of surroundings and directions

Meredith Plant

Creative Ground Work of Stockholm, Sweden

Creative Ground Work of Stockholm, Sweden

Fahhrad Schläuche (Bike Tube Dispenser)

Freiburg, Germany

On Kartäuserstraβe, the same street our hostel for the week was located on, I came upon a bike tube dispenser. I have never seen a dispenser for bike accessories before and thought it was fascinating. The dispenser accommodates 6 different tube sizes for the bikes throughout Freiburg. The location was perfect because it sits in a residential area between downtown and the Dreisam river. Both places have many bike riders daily. I am assuming that because of the many nature trails along the river and within the Black Forest (less than a 10 minute bike ride away) that it is common for Freiburgers to need tube dispensers. However, I have not seen anyone use the dispenser within the 6 days that I have been in Freiburg.  

By: Melissa Traverso

AMSTERDAM Prinsengracht: A Complete Street?

AMSTERDAM 

Prinsengracht: A Complete Street?

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A complete street is a street functional for all modes of transportation, including but not restricted to: pedestrians, cyclists, public transportation, and cars. However, what makes a street unique is how the city prioritizes it's modes of transportation and the emphasis given to each. A sustainable complete street emphasizes all modes of transit other than personal vehicles.

We chose Prinsengracht as the subject of our complete street case study in Amsterdam. This street is a smaller street off of the bustling, commercial Leidsestraat. We chose this particular street because of its location off of a wide and populated main street. Prinsengracht is a street cut by a canal, a feature fairly unique to Amsterdam, with shops on the ground floor and residential living above. The residential aspect of this street was important to us because we wanted to observe a realistic view of life in Amsterdam. On Prinsengracht we caught a glimpse of daily life in a dense urban area, while avoiding the tourists, who stayed on Leidsestraat.

Prinsengracht contained unique planning with room for improvement. There was no separate bike lane on this street; bikes were required to share the road with cars. Despite this lack of planning there wasn't a problem because there is little car traffic on Prinsengracht. The sidewalks were narrow, with just enough room for two people walking side-by-side. This was more of a problem because there were many pedestrians walking the street and stopping along outdoor cafes. Prinsengracht also has access to boat traffic and there are boats parked along the entire length of the canal. There is no public transportation on Prinsengracht, but there is a tram stop directly at the end of the street that runs along Leidsestraat.

Prinsengracht has access to all modes of transportation: pedestrian, bike, public transportation and car. However, none are emphasized over the other. Every form of transportation on the street was very small and narrow, with little land allocated to each. If improvements could be made to the street, we would recommend making the sidewalks wider for pedestrians. From a personal pedestrian perspective, we would have liked to have had a safer place to walk along the street. Another observation is that there are a lot of parking spaces perpendicular to the canal, which surprised us. A suggestion would be to reduce the number of parking spaces and making them parallel with the canal, opening up space for a bike lane. Additionally, bike parking is needed on the street because there were clumps of bicycles parked along the entire length of the street, taking up sidewalk space for pedestrians. Some of these changes will be harder to implement than others, but have the potential to make a big difference in all methods of transportation.

The Wonderful World of Woonerfs!

As more and more urban communities focus on sustainable design techniques, a major concern is the phasing out of the automobile. One strategy for accomplishing this ambitious goal is the concept of a Woonerf, a street designed with the pedestrian in mind.

The concept of the Woonerf began in the 1960s with the Dutch architect Niek De Boer who wanted to correct two problems in city streets: inconvenient traffic flows as well as decaying streetscapes. A Woonerf functions as a play street for children as well as a cut through to larger streets while reducing the flow of traffic and forcing drivers to be aware of their surroundings. Characteristics of a Woonerf are distinct gateways, benches, plants, play equipment, and parking with intermittent spacing. The key distinction of a woonerf is the elimination of continuous curbs, placing the car and the the pedestrian on the same level. The benches, trees, and plants serve to direct the car  through the street.  A woonerf is typically marked by a blue sign with a picture of a pedestrian, a child playing, a house, and a car.

                                 

On July 18, 2011, I observed a Woonerf in action  on Frederikstraat, about a fifteen minute walk from the Arco Hotel. Initially, I thought cars and pedestrians sharing a single street would prove to be difficult and result in injured pedestrians and frustrated drivers. I observed from 2:15 to 3:00 pm.  

I observed twenty-four bikers passing through the Woonerf within the hour, mostly on leisurely rides or running errands. Fifteen cars drove through, all aware of bikers and driving very slowly. Thirty one pedestrians walked along the street, mostly mothers with small children and older couples who appeared to be tourists. Also many children ran through the street when no cars were around, and no accidents occurred. 

The Woonerf in Amsterdam had a very pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Many pedestrians were lounging on the sidewalk, like the man above. Overall, no one seemed to be worried about getting hit by a car, and several small children were able to roam the streets freely.  

Woonerfs are an innovative urban design feature that effectively reduce traffic flow in residential sectors of cities and towns. They physically raise the pedestrian to the same level as the automobile, empowering those who choose alternative modes of transportation. It eliminates excessive traffic noise and speed, and creates community gathering spaces. A few drawbacks are the costs of renovating these streets, as well as the constants maintenance required to keep the street in good condition. Also, although traffic is thinned out on one street, the mass of transit will simply move elsewhere. Nevertheless, Woonerfs are a step in the right direction and can be improved with increased community involvement.

-Annalise Reichert