Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Last Field Trip for PSU Netherlands Trip - Rotterdam

Fietsenstalling is bike parking. It is a bike shop where we got our day rentals.  
We started out meeting at Delft the train station. There was a little confusion about the train station, but the good news is that Delft provides better train service than Delft Zuid (south).

We got off at Rotterdam Centraal which was under construction. We would come back there after an orientation at Rotterdam University. Our topic today: Sustainable Safety.
Excellent ramp down into the parking garage at the University!

The bike parking was under the garage and amazing welcome mat the University lays out for its students every day!
Hogeschool Rotterdam or the University is establishing an exchange with Northeastern University. There was interest in setting up a similar arrangement with Portland State. I think it would be an amazing opportunity for students if you can swing the tuitiion arrangements. The housing costs might be a bit challenging, but what a pheonomenal opportunity for exposure to another culture, especially one that has such amazing experience with construction techniques with below sea level and flood control.

It was a great day with a great topic and a fun city to explore. Sustainable safety is a fantastic topic and the Dutch seem to have it figured out. That is, until I got back to the Delftse Hout and as I was making the 50 meters to the house there were two kids that ended up crashing on their bikes because one of the kids wasn't looking. I hope that doesn't disuade them for riding their bikes, they are much better off on two wheels.
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