Course Syllabus

Bicycle Urbanism

Semester & Location:	Summer 2017 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 4 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Major Disciplines:	Sustainability, Urban Design, Urban Studies
Faculty Members:	Bettina Werner and Joshua Morrison
Program Director:	Neringa Vendelbo - nb@dis.dk
Time & Place:	See Calendar Below & V10-A12

Description of Course

This class examines the best ways a city can encourage and accommodate bicycle traffic in the present and future. The course will use Copenhagen as the main case study and will examine how a city can integrate bicycling into urban planning and design. The course will look into the spatial components of creating a bikable city, effects of bike use on health and environment, policies for developing bicycle infrastructure and programs, best practices in bicycle facility design and implementation, and implementing bicycle policies and plans through the lens of education, finance, political, and public acceptance. The course will also include a study tour to the Netherlands, which will provide a platform for a comparative study of bicycle infrastructure and bicycle culture between Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

 

Learning Objectives

• To develop a sound historical and current theoretical and working understanding of the ways a city can encourage and accommodate cycling as a dominant mode of transport in the present and future.

• To acquire the ability to recognize, understand, and recreate the key principles of high quality bicycle network design and what is needed to get over the 10% modal hump.

• Using the theories and perspectives learned in the course, students will master the ability to analyze, communicate, and shape the relationship between urban design, public life, and bicycle infrastructure.

• Through use of human centered design research, students will develop a mastery of urban research methods allowing them to effectively assess and propose changes to bicycle and urban environments.

• For students to construct a theory and framework on which they can effectively discuss and critically assess the economic, social, public-health, environmental, and time-efficiency benefits of bicycle urbanism. 

Faculty

Bettina Werner
M.A. Applied Cultural Analysis, Copenhagen University (2016). BA (Political Philosophy), Uppsala University, Sweden, with a minor in Indigenous Studies from UNSW, Australia. Bettina is a native Swede living in Copenhagen. She is co-founder of COurban design collective and have previously worked with urban design firm CITITEK as a researcher and project manager. Projects include data collection, research, and co-creation of playgrounds and public space, interior spatial analysis of office environments, as well as educational seminars with both state and private clients. With DIS since 2016.

Joshua Morrison
MCP City Design and Development (Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, ongoing) B.A., Environmental Design (Brown University, 2009). He has worked at Gehl Architects, the Taubman College of Urban Planning, and is currently managing director and urban designer at Fundament Design. He has designed public spaces and advised on urban quality in South Africa, Scandinavia, China, and Australia. His work has been published by the World Bank, the Energy Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

 

Approach to Teaching

During the course Copenhagen will be used as an ‘urban laboratory’ to study how bicycle policies, strategies and programs are physically manifested in the urban environment. Class room lectures will be supported by weekly field trips by bicycle. The teaching approach is that 1:1 learning and first hand experiences will provide a higher quality understanding of the complex nature of the course topics. The daily class format will be a workshops style set up, which allow students to be more independent in their learning, yet follow the course framework. Teamwork is an integral part of the course framework, and students will work in interdisciplinary teams, reflecting the reality of how urban change takes place in the professional sphere. 

 

Field Studies

Lectures will be supported by weekly field trips by bicycle. All topics will be covered both by literature, lectures and field trips. The field trips will include mapping and observation exercises. All course assignments will be based in these findings and investigations. The individual student notebook/sketch book will be a central element in the learning experience. The notebook/sketch book will collect information, both notes from readings, lectures and the field trip exercises, this way producing a personal ‘Bicycle Urbanism Encyclopedia’. 

 

Study Tour - Amsterdam, Netherlands

On this study tour, students will have the opportunity to build a functional windmill with their classmates in Germany. The study tour will introduce students to the physics related to generating electricity from wind along with teaching students about Danish culture and history.

 

Long Study tour to Netherlands:  Monday, July 17th - Friday, July 21st

 

Expectations for Study Tours

• Participate in all activities
• Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
• Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
• Represent yourself, your home university, and DIS in a positive light

While on a program study tour DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day, and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study or the destination. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

Travel policies: You are required to travel with your group to the destination. If you have to deviate from the group travel plans, you need approval from the program director and the study tours office prior to departure. You are free to return to Copenhagen on your own if you choose to do so, but must stay with the group through the last visit and inform your study tour leaders of your plans in advance. 

 

Expectations of the Students

All students are expected to be independent learners/thinkers, good observers, and capable & comfortable riding a bicycle. The course will move at a fast pace and with a high rigor, and attendance at all class sessions “ready to roll” will be essential to student’s success in the course. Urban planning and design is a multi-disciplinary field, and students are thus expected to bring their unique perspectives to class discussions from their respective areas of study. The mix of backgrounds of students is what makes this a strong course.

Copenhagen and Amsterdam will be used as an urban laboratory to test and explore theories discussed in the course. As bicycle urbanism is a burgeoning field crossing several disciplines, strong engagement in this course will position students as thought leaders on the topic. Students will develop the ability to conduct human centered design research exercises, as well as the ability to think critically about bicycle urbanism in the context of concrete sites and streets in the U.S. and Europe.

Team spirit: All students are expected to be helpful and pay attention to your fellow classmates, especially in relation of the field trips and mapping/observation exercises. Sharing information and experiences is a mandatory class room expectation: together we know more.

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Engaged Participation	15%
Assignment One - Reflection Journal	25%
Assignment Two - Observation Exercise and Analysis	20%
Assignment Three - Final Project: Improve Mobility in the US	40%

Class participation accounts for 15% of the grade. Students are evaluated on their success in building on other students’ remarks and questioning thoughtfully the reading material as well as the field trips. Voluntarily speaking is crucial to the success of the course for everyone. By voluntarily, we mean not having to be called upon to participate.

The mapping and observation exercises in the city’s urban spaces will be graded on the quality of the information gathered rather than a aesthetic qualities of the notation/sketching techniques. No former drawing/ diagramming skills are required. The findings from the exercises will form the base of information from which the final paper will be created. To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, students must complete all of the assigned work.

 

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

 

Policies

Attendance

Attendance (showing up on time, “ready to roll”), thorough and timely reading of the materials and participation are essential to a meaningful engagement in this course. If you miss two classes the Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up with you directly. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will of course be made in cases of illness, but you will need to provide a doctor’s note.

Assignments and Late Policy

Our priority for assignments is for students to gain knowledge and master skills that will make you adept at understanding the urban environment around you. The assignments are structured to build upon each other towards a cumulative final assignment that allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skill mastery from the entire semester. 

Students will be assisted in mastering these skills through a 3 course assignments which involve guided self reflection, peer feedback, and personal feedback from professors. Effective use of these assignments and the different methods of feedback be critical to your success throughout the semester. Timeliness is also essential. Assignments that are not submitted by the due date will not receive written feedback. 

Electronic Devices in the Classroom

Electronic devices, mainly cameras (on your smart phone or separate) and computers will be used regularly in the course. You are trusted to use these for note taking and taking photographs, and for course related activities.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others.   Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software.  See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISaborad.org (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 

 

 

Course Summary: