Learning a lot in a short amount of time

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the chance to go on this program. I cannot think of a better way to end my time at Michigan State University. The program, which took us to four cities and three countries, was a wonderful learning experience. Between the actual academic piece of the program and getting to experience new cultures I was able to learn so much in a short amount of time.

We began in Germany where we were able to learn about the industrial roots of one of their major cities. With that we were able to see how different urban planning strategies were implemented to rehabilitate and reuse former industrial sites and brownfields. There were many ideas and projects the German planners used, such as turning a former coal mine into a climbing course and public park. Our course work in Germany provided good examples of thinking outside the box.

In Milan we were able to experience how urban planning influences historic old cities. Throughout the workshop in Italy, it was easy to see the importance of history and architecture. The presentations we watched were centered around how cities can appeal to events like the Olympics. Each street was well designed, and the majority of buildings were unique to one another. This gave each area of the city a distinct character and feel. We also spent three days in Venice while in Italy. It was very fun and interesting walking the streets of Venice. It was unlike anything I had experienced before.

To finish the program, we visited Athens. Athens was a very interesting city. It was very different from our time in Italy and Germany. Although Greece is a part of the European Union, Greece did not feel European in the same sense as the other two countries we visited. The streets were very tight and congested. Working along one of the major corridors in Athens we were able to see the challenges that face Greece in terms of urban planning. The culture in Greece was very fun to experience, from the food and historic sites such as the Acropolis were amazing experiences.

This program had so many good experiences and I am so thankful I was able to go. I feel this was a wonderful way to finish school and begin the next chapter in my life. I hope to use the knowledge and experiences from this program in my professional career and I hope to be able to return to these places one day.

Name: Quinton Hay
Status: Graduate
Major: Urban and Regional Planning
Hometown: Lansing, Michigan
Program: European Planning and Practice