Guest Blogger

This is Paul and I've taken over the blog, just for one post though, then you can get back to Brian's boring posts later.

I had an absolutely wonderful time here in Copenhagen the last two and a half weeks, I was very busy learning about new developments and basic planning in the city and nationally. It was neat being able to tell Brian and Amy things about the city in which they have lived for the last 9 months. They know all the touristy things but I got the inside scoop on developments and other happenings they didn't know about.

Here in CPH they're are doing some very cool stuff and approach it much differently than how it is in the US. The main theme I've found is that it seems that the governments will just make changes to planning regulations as they want, such as making stricter environmental regulations, and not really caring what developers will think. Along that line, the old Carlsberg brewery in Frederiksberg is being redeveloped and the company has said they want to make it the greenest development yet, not for any particular reason but because it's important to them, they don't need to do it to set an example.

It was an interesting trip coming here for a class. I didn't see much at all of the "touristy" things that one must do. I stayed in the city center on H.C. Andersen Blvd. by the canal, two blocks from Tivoli, and didn't even make it there. I was able to make it to the gorgeous botanical gardens, the old fortress, the mermaid, and up to Helsingor. One day I took the water taxi east to the fortress and ran back to the hostel, that's mostly how I was able to see all the touristy things. We had busy days with lectures and by the evenings I was tired and wouldn't feel like wanting to learn more. For class we also went to Malmo one day and walked by the Twisting Torso, very cool building to see and it towers over the rest of the short city.

My favorite part of the area is the height regulations on buildings of about 5 stories so when walking it is at a human scale. We also went west to Kalundborg one day to learn about industry symbiosis and had a tour of a Dong Energy plant and part of Novo Nordisk which is the leading manufacturer of insulin.

Copenhagen is a fun city to stroll around. I had more fun walking around random streets, many times getting lost, than I did from seeing actual tourist things. I think that's the best way to see a city; to find the local shops on the local streets. This city is full of small store fronts and restaurants/cafes/bars with seating outside. The most fun I had was sitting at one of these places, on the Stroget, or a city square on a nice evening with a beer in hand and good company just shooting the breeze till the sun finally set at 10:45 pm. The second Saturday I was here there was a Denmark-Sweden soccer game, which of course the Danes won 1-0, and the city hall square was packed full of people. The celebration after was phenomenal and very cool to be a part of. After the conclusion people threw their beer cans in the air, shot off fireworks, and lit flares.

Shot of a new apartment building in the area of Orestad, designed by Bjorn Inges of BIG Architects. We saw an exhibit by him and he has some interesting designs but are not good urban planning wise.

Shot of a cool roof garden in Malmo, yes that was on the roof of a building. I would love to do this on my house some day.

Brian is now on his way back from work so it's time for me to psych myself up for the 9 hour flight back to Chicago and eventually end up in Milwaukee again. I had a wonderful time here and can certainly see myself coming back to the area in a few years to see how what I was able to learn has been implemented. Brian and Amy are great hosts so if you happen to be over the pond in the next few months be sure to ask them for an air-mattress. I think I was too intimidating for Oliver to show up so I don't get to be the first to see the cool dude... but Mom will be so I guess it's only right that she gets that privilege.