Christiansen described the successes of the Friendly Streets Initiative to author Jay Walljasper for a chapter of the new book, “America’s Walking Renaissance: How cities, suburbs, and towns are getting back on their feet.” Walljasper serves as a senior fellow in Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, and his writing explores how new ideas in urban planning, tourism, community development, sustainability, politics and culture can improve citizens’ lives.

An excerpt from “America’s Walking Renaissance” was published by MinnPost and included a photo of Darius Gray ’15, a community organizer with FSI.

Read, “” on the MinnPost site.

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MinnPost recently published an article covering efforts by the City of St. Paul to more strictly enforce crosswalk laws and change a driving culture that places drivers and vehicles ahead of pedestrians. State crosswalk laws dictate that drivers should stop for pedestrians at every crosswalk, marked or unmarked, but drivers in the city rarely comply. This has led to fatalities and, more recently, sting operations designed to ticket drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians.

Lars Christiansen, associate professor of sociology and urban studies at Augsburg College, feels that the problem is larger, and less easily addressed, than simply ticketing individuals. “This isn’t about an individual flouting the law, it’s a very real feeling of pressure from motorists,” he said. “One feels the heat of the other cars around you as you’re moving, so to do something unusual [like stopping for a pedestrian] feels dangerous.”

Read on the MinnPost site.

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Moving beyond public processes that merely pay lip service to community inclusion takes time, according to Christiansen. The MinnPost article quotes him as saying, “The community organizing approach to public engagement [that I prefer] takes a lot longer. Like any other community organizing, it involves trust building, relationship building, and lengthy listening. It’s really aiming for co-creation.”

In the article, Christiansen stresses that one important aspect of processes that successfully engage the public in city planning projects is timing. The earlier that planners can involve the public and establish communication with them about a project, the more likely it is that their involvement and communication will see a project through to completion. “The holy grail is the notion of inclusion. How do you do it for the whole duration of the project?” Christiansen says in the article.

Read:  on the MinnPost site.

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In the article, Christiansen describes how he and Fischer have never been happier living “car-ownership-free” after selling their car two years ago and relying on their bicycles and, if necessary, the metro transit system.

Christiansen also revealed his tips for healthy living as well as his reasoning for choosing a car-free lifestyle, noting that the sense of community gained in such a lifestyle could easily be reason enough.

“…when you ride a bus, train or bike, you’re in public,” he said. “You encounter a greater diversity of people with whom you develop camaraderie.”

To learn more about living car-free, read “.”

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Each year, Augsburg College honors the legacy of an individual who helped shape the College’s mission by hosting the Torstenson Lecture in Sociology, and—for the first time—the 2013 presentation will highlight the important work of a current Augsburg faculty member.

The Torstenson Lecture is an opportunity for a sociologist from the Twin Cities area to share with the Augsburg community the contemporary scholarship, research, and thinking on a sociological topic.

This year’s speaker, Garry Hesser, is the first Augsburg professor selected to be the Torstenson lecturer, and Hesser will present “Place Matters…So?” at 5 p.m., April 2 in Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center.

A college in the city

Hesser’s lecture will focus on concepts with a clear connection to the legacy of the event’s namesake. The annual lecture acknowledges the contributions Augsburg professor emeritus Joel S. Torstenson ’38 made to the College by founding the Sociology Department in the late 1940s; laying the foundation for the Metro-Urban Studies and Social Work programs as well as the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs; expanding experiential education; and uplifting Augsburg’s identity as “a college in the city,” according to Nancy Fischer, associate professor of sociology and presentation coordinator.

Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders, and—as acknowledged in the institutional mission—the College is shaped by its urban and global settings.

“Joel Torstenson shaped that part of the College mission, and Garry became the bearer of that torch when Joel retired,” Fischer said.

In 2012, the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) presented President Paul C. Pribbenow with the William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education. Pribbenow, in an acceptance speech delivered on his behalf, said the award was possible because of the work of Hesser and others who have dedicated themselves to the experiential learning that is at the heart of the identity and character of the College.

Hesser is regarded as one of the pre-eminent experts on experiential education and urban education, according to Lars Christiansen, chair of sociology. In his lecture, Hesser said he will illustrate how “cities can be both the ‘best’ and the ‘worst’ places to live and grow, depending upon your resources and where you live in the city.” He will then discuss examples of what citizens and policy-makers are doing and might do to address some of the disparities and inequities in “our own tale of two cities.”

About the presenter

Hesser is the Martin Olav Sabo Professor of Citizenship and Learning and professor of sociology and metro-urban studies. He chaired the Augsburg Natural and Social Sciences Division from 1996 to 2006 and chaired the Augsburg Metro-Urban Studies program for more than 30 years.

Hesser will retire at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year, and the Torstenson event will include a celebration of Hesser’s career immediately following the lecture (schedule below).

Hesser is the author of Experiential Education as a Liberating Art; “Principles of Good Practice in Service-Learning”; “Examining Communities and Urban Change”; “Benefits and Educational Outcomes of Internships”; and more than 30 other publications that include research in the area of housing, community building, planning, and neighborhood revitalization. He received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame after earning a bachelor’s degree from Phillips University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

2013 Torstenson Lecture event schedule

Tuesday, April 2

Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

5 p.m. – Lecture by Garry Hesser

6 p.m. – Remarks by Hesser’s colleagues

6:30 p.m. – Reception

Event hashtags

Share your event experience using social media. The hashtag for the lecture is #Torstenson.

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Sociology professor Lars Christiansen, who is a member of the Nice Ride board of directors, helped initiate the Nice Ride program at the opening event held Thursday, June 10 in downtown Minneapolis. Our own Auggie Eagle [shown giving a high five to Christensen] was also present at the opening to try out the bikes and to support riders who coasted down Nicollet Mall at the lunch hour.

Christiansen says, “Nice Ride adds another important layer to increasing transportation choices for Minneapolitan residents, workers, and visitors to the Twin Cities.” He adds that if short trips between work and the grocery store, or home and the theater or a local restaurant, can be taken by bicycle instead of an automobile, there will be benefits for the health of the city and its residents.

“But more important to me is that Nice Ride is providing another way to explore the city, to take it in, to interact with one another more directly, and to have more fun. There is an aesthetic and even sensual experience in crossing the Stone Arch Bridge on bicycle and riding downtown under your own power in the presence of our magnificent architecture and the cultural events that make Minneapolis an extraordinary place to live and study. Augsburg’s involvement demonstrates the College’s continuing commitment to the city, its people, and a healthier built environment.”

After a busy weekend of assembling stations and bicycles, 46 stations are currently open with a total of 350 bikes on the streets. Nice Ride will bring 1,000 bikes and 75 kiosks into the city of Minneapolis in its first phase, with a kiosk located at Augsburg on Riverside Avenue in front of the ice arena entrance.

For a subscription price and a trip mileage fee, riders can rent a bike and then return it to any kiosk in the city. In addition to 24-hour subscriptions, riders can subscribe for 30 days or a year, and student rates are also available.

Inside Augsburg showcases the experiences of Augsburg College students, alumni, staff, and faculty. Send your story idea to marcomm@augsburg.edu.

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What happens when you combine 50 first-year students, five professors, a gigantic problem, and no traditional grades? In the case of Augsburg’s Integrated Term, you get a pretty interesting story.

Here’s a quick primer on the iTerm.

For the students in the iTerm and the five faculty members teaching it—Phil Adamo, Lars Christiansen, Robert Cowgill, Lori Brandt Hale and Colin Irvine—this is their entire load of courses for the semester. The focus of the iTerm is on the Fate of the Earth: Food, Fuel and Consumption.

Students who complete the term will receive credit for either English 101 or English 111 (writing), Religion 100 (Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning I), History 101 (Western Civilization), Sociology 121 (Intro to Human Society) and AugSem. They will also complete their Engaging Minneapolis requirement.

What the students won’t receive, however, is a traditional letter grade for the term. Instead, they will receive written evaluations from each of the faculty members teaching the class.

One of the goals is to get students out of the routine of simply working for a grade. Many students learn how to get a good grade rather than learning how to learn. The hope is that this term changes some of that.

“The hope is that students will develop a different attitude toward learning, and even some ability to evaluate their own work,” Adamo said. “Hopefully they get to a point where they say, ‘Wow, I get it.’ And then going into the second semester, they don’t retract back like a big rubber band. When you say no grades, students’ eyes light up. But no grades does not mean no evaluation.”

Because of the unique nature of the program, a reporter from the Minneapolis Star Tribune visited the Augsburg campus and the class several times this month. On Saturday, the story, entitled, “Learning for the sake of learning,” was published.

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Original story, July 25, 2008

How can a major metropolitan area — with all its concrete, glass, and steel — be green? How can it be eco-friendly and implement measures that will ensure its healthy future? That is precisely what students in the Sustainable Cities summer course are attempting to discover. Sociology professors Nancy Fischer and Lars Christiansen are leading a group of students through Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia to examine different facets of sustainability in an urban context. The course is a faculty-led seminar through Augsburg Abroad.

Looking at food systems, waste and recycling programs, transportation, public policy, and community development, students will see how nature and the city can coexist. According to Fischer, the purpose of the course is to learn what’s being done and how to promote sustainability in North America. “It’s easy to get down and say there’s nothing we can do,” she said. “We want students to know what can be done and hope they see what they can do in their own city and on campus.”

Fischer got the idea while teaching Human Community, Modern Metropolis at Augsburg two years ago. She shared an article on peak oil, the theory that predicted the terminal decline of the world’s petroleum production, with the class. “The students thought the idea that we would run out of oil was crazy,” Fischer said. Ensuing class discussion about the world’s dependence on oil led Fischer to examine urban efforts to “go green.”

At the same time, she and Christiansen began to see reports on Vancouver, ranked consistently at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s livability survey. Vancouver is a leader in sustainability measures, particularly with regard to urban planning, public transit, waste management, and food production. Based on their shared interest in urban sustainability the two began discussing the idea of a course to explore Vancouver’s initiatives.

The class began its journey on a flight from Minneapolis to Portland. After their arrival, students and instructors will use public transportation, bicycles, and their own two feet to get around. In each city Christiansen and half of the 13 students in the class will use bicycles to travel. Fischer will join the remaining students, getting around on foot or by light rail train, bus, or streetcar. Fischer said, “We won’t be getting in a car for 20 days.”

While in Portland, the class will stay in Epler Hall at Portland State University. Epler Hall is Portland’s first mixed-use LEED certified building. The design includes “stack” ventilation and a rainwater harvesting system that is used for onsite irrigation and toilet flushing. The building was designed to integrate new technologies with wind and sun for climate-responsive heating and cooling systems.

The class will travel from Portland to Vancouver by Amtrak. From its green building strategy to energy conservation measures including using methane gas captured from the landfill to generate heat and electricity, Vancouver is a leader in urban sustainability. The city has 40 km of off-street bike routes and 393 km of on-street routes with 258 cyclists’ right-of-way buttons and 1,000 bike racks. There are five producer-only farmers markets in Vancouver that allow for the purchase of locally grown food year round.

Portland has now surpassed Vancouver on sustainability measures. In the downtown area, all public transit including light rail, bus, and streetcar, is fare-less. Portland also has more bicycles than any U.S. city. When the professors visited the city to prepare for the course, Fischer said they timed bicycle sightings in the downtown area. “We saw a bicycle every 30 seconds,” she said.

The class will meet with policy makers, university professors, and community organizers to discuss sustainability efforts in both cities. They will also have an opportunity to participate in several bike rides including the Critical Mass demonstration in Vancouver and the Night Ride in Portland. Beginning in early evening, the Night Ride’s costumed or pajama-clad riders take off from the Portland Train Station. They watch bike-themed movie shorts at stop one, have a disco party at stop two, and enjoy an all-you-can-eat midnight donut feast at the finish line. This 15-mile street ride benefits the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) which promotes bicycle use and works to improve cycling conditions in Oregon.

For more information on Augsburg Abroad programs including faculty-led seminars go to 

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Looking at food systems, waste and recycling programs, transportation, public policy, and community development, students will see how nature and the city can coexist. According to Fischer, the purpose of the course is to learn what’s being done and how to promote sustainability in North America. “It’s easy to get down and say there’s nothing we can do,” she said. “We want students to know what can be done and hope they see what they can do in their own city and on campus.”

Fischer got the idea while teaching Human Community, Modern Metropolis at Augsburg two years ago. She shared an article on peak oil, the theory that predicted the terminal decline of the world’s petroleum production, with the class. “The students thought the idea that we would run out of oil was crazy,” Fischer said. Ensuing class discussion about the world’s dependence on oil led Fischer to examine urban efforts to “go green.”

At the same time, she and Christiansen began to see reports on Vancouver, ranked consistently at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s livability survey. Vancouver is a leader in sustainability measures, particularly with regard to urban planning, public transit, waste management, and food production. Based on their shared interest in urban sustainability the two began discussing the idea of a course to explore Vancouver’s initiatives.

The class began its journey on a flight from Minneapolis to Portland. After their arrival, students and instructors will use public transportation, bicycles, and their own two feet to get around. In each city Christiansen and half of the 13 students in the class will use bicycles to travel. Fischer will join the remaining students, getting around on foot or by light rail train, bus, or streetcar. Fischer said, “We won’t be getting in a car for 20 days.”

While in Portland, the class will stay in Epler Hall at Portland State University. Epler Hall is Portland’s first mixed-use LEED certified building. The design includes “stack” ventilation and a rainwater harvesting system that is used for onsite irrigation and toilet flushing. The building was designed to integrate new technologies with wind and sun for climate-responsive heating and cooling systems.

The class will travel from Portland to Vancouver by Amtrak. From its green building strategy to energy conservation measures including using methane gas captured from the landfill to generate heat and electricity, Vancouver is a leader in urban sustainability. The city has 40 km of off-street bike routes and 393 km of on-street routes with 258 cyclists’ right-of-way buttons and 1,000 bike racks. There are five producer-only farmers markets in Vancouver that allow for the purchase of locally grown food year round.

Portland has now surpassed Vancouver on sustainability measures. In the downtown area, all public transit including light rail, bus, and streetcar, is fare-less. Portland also has more bicycles than any U.S. city. When the professors visited the city to prepare for the course, Fischer said they timed bicycle sightings in the downtown area. “We saw a bicycle every 30 seconds,” she said.

The class will meet with policy makers, university professors, and community organizers to discuss sustainability efforts in both cities. They will also have an opportunity to participate in several bike rides including the Critical Mass demonstration in Vancouver and the Night Ride in Portland. Beginning in early evening, the Night Ride’s costumed or pajama-clad riders take off from the Portland Train Station. They watch bike-themed movie shorts at stop one, have a disco party at stop two, and enjoy an all-you-can-eat midnight donut feast at the finish line. This 15-mile street ride benefits the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) which promotes bicycle use and works to improve cycling conditions in Oregon.

For more information on Augsburg Abroad programs including faculty-led seminars go to .

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