Sustainable Cities: Module 7

I live in a small borough in Jessup, PA. The total population is about 4,600. The closest city is Scranton in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania located right off of Interstate 81. The city is broken into six sections. Some of the neighborhoods are pedestrian-oriented, others are more automobile suburb. The urban downtown area is mostly commercial. The population in the metropolitan area of Scranton is estimated at 562,037 in 2013. I have many connections to Scranton. I attend college and live within the metropolitan area. Another personal connection is both of my parents attended college in Scranton. The city is currently in a revitalization phase, trying to bounce back from almost going bankrupt in 2012. The city is also the setting for the NBC show The Office where its fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin is located. Scranton also hosts a marathon once a year that attracts many visitors.

The first city I selected is Copenhagen, Denmark. The main reason I chose this city is because of its successful traffic calming program. The city of Copenhagen and Scranton are similar because they both experience cold and snowy winters. Scranton has one main biking/walking trail that runs through part of the city, but it is broken in sections where the trail intersects with roads. Also, Scranton has a Tour de Scranton event that attracts many cyclists. Scranton does get traffic congested at certain times. Dedicated cycling routes would help to improve the city, while reducing the overall pollution. I believe it will attract more people and increase the quality of life. Since the demand for cycling is there, Scranton should look at ways Copenhagen was able to incorporate cycling into their city.

The next city I select is Bogota, Colombia. Bogota has weekly car-free events known as Ciclovias. The Bogota Ciclovias takes place every Sunday and on their holiday. The Ciclovias works by banning or restricting cars on almost 75 miles of streets throughout the city. This allows for people to use the streets safely and promote exercise. Scranton can adopt this type of event every easily. Scranton already has people have that like to cycle and walk and has some ways to include this. Also, it would be the most cost friendly of ways to include cycling and walking. This will help Scranton be more family friendly and attract more events and businesses. Scranton’s adoption of an event like Ciclovias will help promote a more sustainable development.

4 thoughts on “Sustainable Cities: Module 7

  1. Nick,
    Great post! It is interesting to compare your town of 4,600 to the city I wrote about, Newark, N.J. which has more than 277,000 people. You mention that Scranton is currently in a revitalization phase – I will look into that to see what the various elements are. Are they anything like those described in the course videos? I also like the cycling aspect of your videos and agree that Ciclovia is a fascinating concept for improving the health and environment of a city. If you would be interested in reading my post about Newark, Nj you may find it at
    https://wp.me/p3RCAy-cv7
    Mike Evangelista

  2. Hey Nick, I’m Tyler. This is the third reply but I noticed you talked about Scranton. It was nice reading about Northeastern Pennsylvania for a change. It seems like everyone at Penn State lives “just outside of Philly.” I discussed Wilkes-Barre, mentioning how most residents use cars to get around and some of the city’s economic struggles. Copenhagen was also one of my cities. The pedestrian zone reminded me of church festivals where communities gather in the summer. Here’s a link to my post: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/18/module-seven-urban-planning/

  3. Hey Nick,

    My name is Jordan, you can read my post here! http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/03/18/sustainable-nort…-jordan-dodderer/

    I was also very turn on by the idea of a cycle day like the Ciclovias of Bogota. I think it is incredibly inspiring to forgo the auto culture to promote the healthier lifestyle of bicycle culture. In my post I wrote about Copenhagen’s bike culture and how they allow for better travel by putting an emphasis on safety. Do you think if Scranton invested in bike infrastructure that the idea would catch on? Thanks for sharing your post!

    Jordan

  4. Hi Nick, my name is Samantha and I took the time to read your blog entry. I have never heard of Jessup, PA, but I may have to check it out to see The Office set-up. I had no idea that there was a has a bicycling event each year. The idea from Copenhagen certainly sounds like your community would benefit from it. There is no harm in going out to bicycle for a little bit, health wise. The only downfall I see from the Ciclovias of Bogota is if there would be a state of emergency or if you had family who resides farther away. Other than that, our communities need to both get out and not be afraid to ride a bike!

    Here is a link to my blog post: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/18/learning-activity-sustainable-cities/

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