Shaped by Our Environment

The temperature barely falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit during winter, and there is a good amount of rainfall, creating a healthy harvest of crops in the countryside around the city. The climate in Reims allows for grapes to grow well in the region. Champagne is produced here and its production helps the economy grow. Being close to Paris, France's capital, makes Reims accessible to people who live in Paris and who want to commute to Reims to work.

What challenges do people face living in this environment?:

One interesting challenge to living in a city that is old and densely populated is construction. Many roads and buildings need maintenance in order to work properly. This creates traffic jams, temporary inaccessible roads and noise pollution. Another interesting inconvenience is package delivery. When I first got to Reims, I realized that there were almost no houses. People live in buildings with two sets of doors, one that comes from the streets and leads to the stairs, and another that leads to your room. So when I ordered a package by mail, I was curious about how they would deliver it since they don't have access to the inside of the building and they can't leave the package on the street either. I realized that most packages are left in the nearest post office. This is how they get around this problem, but it's not a very convenient answer.

How have people been adapting to this environment?:

Canals were originally built between cities to transport goods without having to take them by horse or by foot. Now I use this ancient canal to row every week. This is an example of how people have worked around the inconveniences of their environment.

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