Almost 'Finnish'ed, it's bitter-Swede
If you go to Stockholm, here is a fantastic place to watch the sunset. It is certainly nice to stop and be still especially during the study tours. This trip was full of some incredible experiences, like they all are I am sure.
We started in Cope and went to Stockholm by Train, a very beautiful ride I must say. Do your best to stay awake, it isn't thaaatttttt early! Upon arrival we checked in to the hotel which was quite nice and then headed towards Sergels Torg and the lovely Kulturhuset it was an interesting place to say the least. I will save you from my personal opinion of the place and will just let you form your own opinion of it when you see it for yourself :).
The next place we went, Gamla Stan, is one of the oldest and best preserved medieval cities in Europe. So that is pretty cool. Narrow winding streets make one feel like they are in an old movie with knights or something.
After exploring for a few hours, we had the rest of the night to ourselves, so we entertained ourselves in various ways. The next day was probably my favorite part of touring in Sweden. We went to Hammarby Sjöstad. This incredible place that was built in a way that I think all cities should strive for. There are some pretty harsh environmental regulations here, hence why the community is so incredibly energy efficient and sustainable. Check out their "Hammarby Model", maybe it will give you some inspiration for how to design communities in a more cyclical way. There are shops, restaurants, and housing. There is water access, public green space, and public transportation. What more could a person want? Okay, besides being able to afford it.
If you are at all interested in Urban design and planning, architecture, or even landscape architecture, there is a lot to take away from this trip. This was what we did in 2 days. For the sake of keeping the blogs short and sweet I will write about other adventures from the week later but it is time to wrap things up and come to an inspirational closing statement, are you ready?
Design for people. Build for people. We are not machines, therefore we should not be expected to live as such. We need space. We need trees. We need grass, flowers, and water. I think we lost sight of that during the industrialization era and everything was expected to become as efficient as a factory production line. So if you are a designer, ask yourself, "would I really want to live here?" It should also be noted that efficiency can and should be achieved in the sustainability realm.
Instead of rebuilding him, it should be it, and it should be referring to the built environment. I think you get my point. As one of the tour leaders said over and over again
"Life is not a business."
-The one and only Jacob
Don't live your life like a business. We are humans. Live like one.
Peace and Love Turtle Doves.
