Oulu and Greensboro are roughly the same size, but the bus systems are very different. Looking forward, improving public transportation is something the U.S. really needs to focus on.
The community need I learned about was public transportation and the bus systems of Oulu. It was really interesting to see how it differs so much from that of the U.S. I know the U.S has some public transportation systems like Amtrak and that we have public buses, but our systems are incredibly different.
The U.S. was built around the use of private cars. As a result, the public transportation system isn't very developed in many areas. In Europe, the focus is on public transportation. While people have cars, there are fewer than in the U.S. Some Europeans never even learn how to drive a car, like Bernt, the Finn I interviewed.
The need for public transportation is being met every day. There are many bus stops throughout the entire city. Buses arrive about every 20 minutes and the system is inexpensive. You can even Google the bus routes, making it very convenient. In Oulu, you are never more than a few blocks away from a bus stop. I couldn't tell you the last bus stop I saw in Greensboro.
