New Windows on Willesden Green
On my to do list for tomorrow!
New Windows on Willesden Green is one of the Mayor’s Outer London Fund projects, which is being delivered for Brent Council and Design for London by The Architecture Foundation in collaboration with Meanwhile Space and Blue Consulting. This project is an exciting opportunity to revive and improve Willesden High Road bringing positive change to the area. The project runs from October 2011 to March 2012 and will be delivered in two phases.
Picture: Meanwhile Space
Copenhagen is really leading the way with cycling in cities and putting liveable cities first…it puts the UK and particularly London, one of the “worlds capitals” to shame. Forget about high speed trains and a fourth airport. Use those funds to invest in and enhance the technology we have already!
emergentfutures:
Copenhagen is doubling the space for bikes on a number of its suburban trains to meet growth stimulated by the switch to free bike travel.
Full Story: Bicycle Victoria
New York Times: The Dutch Way: Bicycles and Fresh Bread
Interesting opinion piece on bicycles in the New York Times written by an American living in Amsterdam!
As an American who has been living here for several years, I am struck, every time I go home, by the way American cities remain manacled to the car. While Europe is dealing with congestion and greenhouse gas buildup by turning urban centers into pedestrian zones and finding innovative ways to combine driving with public transportation, many American cities are carving out more parking spaces. It’s all the more bewildering because America’s collapsing infrastructure would seem to cry out for new solutions.
Geography partly explains the difference: America is spread out, while European cities predate the car. But Boston and Philadelphia have old centers too, while the peripheral sprawl in London and Barcelona mirrors that of American cities.
More important, I think, is mind-set. Take bicycles. The advent of bike lanes in some American cities may seem like a big step, but merely marking a strip of the road for recreational cycling spectacularly misses the point. In Amsterdam, nearly everyone cycles, and cars, bikes and trams coexist in a complex flow, with dedicated bicycle lanes, traffic lights and parking garages. But this is thanks to a different way of thinking about transportation.
Judges verdict on a recent cyclist assault case
The Telegraph reports on the outcome of a recent trial relating to a cyclist who was assaulted by a motorist in Kent.
The attack had been captured on camera by another cyclist and posted on YouTube in a bid to identify the perpetrator. Through this the police were eventually able to identify and track down the attacker!
The judge fined the attacker £400 with £100 compensation to be paid to the cyclist. Whether or not this was adequate is debateable, but more importantly, when sentencing the District judge said:
“Cyclists are very vulnerable and they feel exposed and feel threatened when a car comes too close to them.
“Car drivers need to respect cyclists and understand that.”
A fear of traffic is frequently reported as one of the primary reasons why people dont want to cycle. Here in London (and the UK) - it is clear that drivers for the most part fail to recognise that cyclists are more vulnerable road users. If you go to Copenhagen or Amsterdam, drivers are courteous to cyclists in areas where they share the road, slowing down and giving them right of way. In the UK it can feel on many occasions that drivers are making a direct effort to stay as close to you as possible and make you fearful.
Disappointingly legislators and highway teams in London condone this attitude through policy and highway design, failing to provide segregated cycle facilities, narrowing cycling paths or obliterating them altogether and by refusing to adopt a road user hierarchy, as is the case with the current conservative led London Assembly.
Without a significant change of emphasis, more education and active, committed campaigning by the government, a notable shift to bike use is unlikely to take place.
I was interested to read the comments made by jahnnasbrain on this post, who has firsthand experience of cycling in Omaha as a former resident of the city! However, despite the signs arising out of laziness, they are visible form of cycling endorsement by the city and offer a clear reminder to drivers that they should expect cyclists to take the lane when required.
secretrepublic:
MAY USE FULL LANE:
These signs are laced all along designated bike routes in Omaha, Nebraska (among other cities). A simple, effective reminder to motorists that cyclists have the right to safety via full visibility.
GOOD reports: Green spaces in cities can be great carbon sinks
Picture: irishboyinlondon
GOOD reports on a recent study produced by the University of Kent that highlights the value of trees in urban areas and indicates that cities can be great carbon sinks. You can download the study here.
Conservation scientists from the University of Kent found out that the mid-sized city of Leicester (pictured above) stores ten times as much carbon as earlier calculated, about 231,000 tons. That’s equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 150,000 sedans. Leicester could further expand its capacity to store carbon by planting more trees. Currently most of Leicester’s publicly owned land is covered in grass, but transitioning that land to just 10 percent tree coverage would amp up the city’s carbon storage by 12 percent.
While this news may just be common sense (trees are good!), it’s another important argument for why urban planning needs to incorporate green space, particularly the shady kind. The human population is on track to add more than two billion people to our ranks in the next fifty years. Much of that growth will happen in urban areas, which currently shelter more than half of the globe. We’ll need that urban land to absorb as much carbon as possible if we have any hope of fighting climate change.
Cycling in City Regions - Delivering a step change
A collaborative report by Sustrans and the PTEG identifying changes that could be implemented to promote cycling in the UK. Report available here and technical annex here
There is enormous untapped potential for increasing cycling in the English city regions, given that nearly half all trips are under 5km. Chronic congestion, high population densities, the cost of parking and the high cost of alternatives further increase the potential for growth. Evidence shows that investing in cycling is highly cost effective, and supports local economies through reducing congestion and carbon emissions, increasing physical activity and improving access to employment, local facilities and public transport….
…..In the report, Sustrans recommends a step change in investment levels and the priority given to measures to increase cycling in the city regions. Although different circumstances in the city regions mean that it is difficult to generalise, broadly indicative examples of what might be delivered and achieved in an area over 5 years at three levels of investment are summarised below.
Step change (£10m/year). This would pay for a comprehensive area-wide programme of hard and soft measures to increase cycling and promote behaviour change. This could deliver a big shift away from car use towards cycling, walking and public transport, and substantial economic, carbon and health benefits.
Boost (£2m/year). This would enable a substantial programme of cycling measures targeted at major transport corridors and town/city centres. This could achieve substantial increases in cycling levels in these priority areas, improving access to public transport, employment and essential services.
Maintain (£0.5 million/year). This would enable continued investment in programmes targeted on increasing cycling where there is the greatest potential for change. For instance this could double levels of cycling to schools and workplaces, delivering substantial reductions in peak congestion.
CABE: Paved with gold - the real value of street design
A report from CABE (now archived content so perhaps worth downloading) on the economic benefits of good street design. Interesting reading!
Summary can be found here and report here
This report presents new research that shows how good street design contributes both economic benefits and public value. It shows that investment in design quality brings quantifiable financial returns and that people value improvements to their streets. It is intended for local authorities, regional government, business, developers and investors.
Brooklyn Receives First DOT Sanctioned “Pop-Up” Cafe
Photo: Pattern Cities
I love this! New Yorks DOT has enhanced the liveablity of local neighbourhoods by reclaiming parking space and creating an inexpensive opportunity for people to stop and participate in their city. These pop-up spaces also create a facility that has the potential to enhance the economic position of local businesses.
Not to be outdone, NYC took the cue and has since added their own “pop-up” cafes, which are typically placed in front of restaurants where sidewalk widths preclude outdoor sidewalk seating. While the seats are open to restaurant patrons and non-patrons alike, intelligent business owners surely see the benefit to making space for people to linger in front of their establishments. Since last fall, several pop-up cafes have been built in Manhattan, adding much needed places to sit and enjoy the City’s wonderful street life.
This is a brilliant idea! It helps to market cycling as trendy, accessible and convenient and also serves as a hub to allow cyclists meet other cyclists!
publicdesignfestival:
The Bicycle Library is a new project that offers people the chance to borrow bicycles instead of books. The headquarter is a double-decker bus in London (UK) where there’s a variety of bicycles, each designed to adapt to all urban conditions. You can ask suggestions to the “Librarian”, test the bike for a few days and even buy it direct from the manufacturer.
Take it to the streets.
