Stuttgart

I really enjoyed our trip to Stuttgart. I was suprised when I arrived in the city because it didnt resemble how I imagined traditional european city to look. It made sense once the tour guide explained that the city was bombed during world war two and many of the buildings had been rebuilt in the style of 1960s architecture. For me, the most exciting guest lecture was by Thorsten Donn, a city planner for Stuttgart. Mr Donn touched on many topics of interest to me. It was fascinating to learn about how the city is taking measures to make itself more pedestrian friendly, especially considering its long history of car manufacturing. It was amazing to see the transformation photos of Stuttgart from 2010 to now, as it has become a much more walkable place, and fewer cars are allowed in the city center. Mr Donn also discussed how he has taken urban planning inspiration from Seattle. I was born and raised in Seattle, so it was interesting to learn that these two cities, on oposite sides of the world, interact and take inspiration from one another. I also really enjoyed our visit to Tubigen, especially the french quarter. I had a lot of admiration for those living in the french Quarter of the city, especially those that chose to engage in a completly circular lifestlye. I left the French Quarter wondering whether a community like this would work in the United States. American society prioritizes indivuality and privacy, which contradicts the foundation of the French Quarter. At the same time, many members of our class reflected that they would enjoy living in a community like that.