University of Wisconsin–Madison

Denmark: Brenna Braun (Sustainability in Copenhagen)

Three bikes in the foreground are surrounded by fallen leaves from a massive tree, and more bikes are parked in the background.
Only a few bikes are here for Copenhagen standards!

As someone hoping to live sustainably, I was very fortunate to be able to study in Copenhagen. While Madison is making commendable efforts in becoming sustainable, it is amazing to see Copenhagen’s well-established practices. For instance, Madison hosts many bike-friendly elements that most American cities do not have, however, it cannot compare to the cycling culture of Copenhagen, Denmark. Here, bikes have become the main mode of transportation with a significant portion of the population not even owning a car. It’s so common that I often see entire families biking together to and from work/school in the mornings and afternoons. Even coming from Wisconsin, I feel very comfortable biking here thanks to their great dedicated biking lanes, traffic lights, and parking spaces. Because of this, I will definitely be implementing cycling into my daily routine in Madison, even though Copenhagen does host better terrain and weather for cycling.

Two people sit around a round, white table covered with plates of food, drinking water from wine glasses.
Me, having a very hygge dinner with friends.

In addition to this, Copenhagen incorporates many green spaces into its urban landscape to promote a healthier environment. Furthermore, there are numerous parks, green roofs, and sustainable architecture throughout the city with a lot of new buildings emphasizing the importance of incorporating nature. To add to this, Copenhagen separates their waste to a greater extent with there being different bins for organic material, aluminum, plastic, paper, glass, and other trash. This connection to nature is even evident in the popular Danish concept of “hygge”. Hygge, being a word with a meaning similar to coziness, relates to the idea of prioritizing being comfortable and surrounded by loved ones along with being environmentally conscious. Along with biking, the hygge mindset will definitely be coming back to Madison with me, encouraging me to have a greater appreciation for our green spaces.

 

Brenna smiles in front of a glass door with dark wood trim.

Brenna Braun

Hometown: Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Major: Biology & Global Health

Program: University of Copenhagen Exchange