Sustainable Bicycle Transportation in Europe
Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Europe, Denmark, Netherlands
GPA: 3.0
Program Overview
Study bicycle planning, design, policy, and culture as a sustainable and economically viable form of transportation in key urban locations in Western Europe. This program will focus on the practices and policies that foster safe, convenient, and accessible bicycle infrastructure and the underlying culture that supports a high rate of bicycle use. Explore how and why Denmark and the Netherlands became great places to bike and consider how to make similar changes within the United States. Students will starting in Copenhagen, and then travelling to Nijemegen, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, with day trips to Odense and Malmo.
Please note that students should be prepared to bike up to 20 miles a day on this program, although this is not an every day occurrence. Students should also be prepared to carry some bags with them.
Additional information about the program, including the working itinerary and a link to the book produced by previous students, is available on Professor Schlossberg’s website.
Foundation Scholarships: Due to the generous support of the Scan Design Foundation and others, Faculty-offered scholarships are available in amounts ranging from approximately $2,000 to $2,500 depending on the number of students enrolled. These funds are automatically distributed equally to all eligible program participants (US citizens only, based on funding source). No application necessary.
Program Scholarships: Applicants to this program have the option to apply for a program-specific scholarship, separate from the Foundation. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$2500. To be considered, the Scholarship Essay must be completed by January 15. Please refer to the Scholarship Essay instructions in the program application or speak with your GEO advisor for more details.
Dates and Deadlines
| Term | Year | Scholarship Deadline |
Program Deadline |
Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 2025 | 1/1/2025 | 2/1/2025 | 8/18 | 9/11 |
Academic Details
You will observe and experience a variety of cycling facilities in urban, suburban and rural locations; meet with local officials and government representatives for formal presentations and informal dialogue about their bicycle transportation planning and design; and engage in conversation with program faculty to reflect on the day’s activities. There will be a pre-course community observation assignment to get you into the spirit of looking at uses of streets differently. You will keep a reflection journal and a field notebook to record observations and lecture notes, and will take photographs to document your observations. The class as a whole will also work on a whole class project that will result in a publication to share your insights with the larger world. The format of this publication will be decided by the group.
Course objectives include:
- Understand the role of bicycling in urban transportation;
- Understand the role of policy and planning in shaping urban form and transportation choices;
- Understand the contribution of design, safety, and legal issues toward bicycle planning;
- Learn the critical components of successful integration and promotion of walking and bicycling into communities.
Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.
Course Equivalencies
UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.
Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.
Application process
This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff (and the program faculty leader, if applicable) will complete a review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.
Acceptance is based on a holistic review of your application. This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and the short statement.
Faculty and Staff
Rebecca Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. Her applied research focal areas revolve around land use policy, growth management, housing affordability and the intersection of land use, transportation and climate change. In her classes, she works on applied projects to examine the budgetary impacts of new mobility (like autonomous vehicles.) Rebecca works on policy issues at the state, regional and local level and works directly with state and local agencies to address critical problems. She is an avid recreational cyclist and triathlete who enjoys exploring cities by biking, walking, and transit.
Marc Schlossberg, PhD is a Professor of City and Regional Planning and co-director of the Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) at the University of Oregon. His teaching, research, and community engagement focus on sustainable transportation, livable community design, and the processes that can accelerate implementation of more sustainable policy and practice. Schlossberg is a two-time Distinguished Fulbright Scholar (United Kingdom, 2009-10, Israel 2015-16) and also a founding Executive Committee member of the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), one of five national University Transportation Centers in the United States. Schlossberg also co-leads the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N), an international effort to leverage the underutilized talent and capacity of universities to accelerate societal change toward justice, sustainability, and happiness.
Housing Description
Stay in specially arranged hostel accommodations located in the city centers of each program site, with convenient access to the city by bike. Students will be responsible for their own meals, although some will be provided. Access to kitchens, study space, and laundry will vary depending on location.
There will be about 4 different program sites throughout Denmark and the Netherlands that the students and faculty will bike to. Be prepared to both pack light to accommodate this travel (although there will be a luggage van), and pack primarily for biking.