Smarter Than Car - An Open-source Bicycle Urbanism Think Tank

We are gladly launching Smarter Than Car as a Think Tank engaged with questions of Bicycle Urbanism and Future Urban Mobility.

See our new beautiful website:

As an open-source Think Tank we reagulary host events bringing together people to discuss ideas and brew up projects. We are also preparing some projects for the upcoming months so keep an eye out on the new website. I will also keep some updates on flolo.org.

Serk Space Beijing

SERK – a new hybrid space – bar / cafe / bike shop south of Lama Temple in Beijing opened June first. Since speaking to Shannon Bufton and Liman Zhao (founders of SERK) about their latest project for the first time, I am curious to see SERK space evolving as a place for new cycling cultures in Beijing (and the World). The hybrid space between bar/cafe and bike shop was inserted into Beijing's inner Hutong districts as a space for catalytic exchange between traditional and modern cycling cultures in Beijing. It provides manifold potentials for enriching Beijing's cycling cultures and is a great leap forward to making cycling sexy (again) in Beijing. For the work of Smarter Than Car this new space will allow for new kind of advocacy work as SERK space enhances bicycle cultural diversity in Beijing (bicycle mainstreaming) and creates a physical space communicating a cycling lifestyle to the urban context of Beijing (bicycle urbanism).  

The founders of SERK – Beijinger Liman Zhao and Australian Shannon Bufton – have been working hard over the past 2 years to promote cycling culture in Beijing. They co-founded Smarter Than Car, Beijing Bike Week and have undertaken research on Beijing’s bicycle cultures which has been presented around the world. The SERK space represents a focal point for their activities and a meeting place for those interested in bicycles and in reinvigorating the two-wheeled culture of the former bicycle kingdom, Beijing. The space was set up as melting pot of ideas for bicycle cultural exchange between East and West. The SERK space is an architectural insertion into a traditional Hutong still flourishing with two-wheeled culture. It’s open at the front and invites the passerby to engage with the concept and think about the bicycle in a new light. Thereby the SERK space becomes much more than a traditional bicycle shop, bar or cafe. It is a place of exchange, wonder, learning and promotion of a newly invigorating bicycle culture in Beijing.

And here some images taken during the opening night. The space is looking very vibrant on the inside and it appears that the people in the street are really attracted by this stylish new bicycle culture radiating outwards from the SERK space.

 

 

 

Urban Stories Beijing

I am looking forward to giving a talk in Zürich at ETH DARCH's Chair of Architecture and Urban Design run by Urban-Think Tank, alias Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner. The talk will be part of the Urban Stories lecture series which puts an emphasis on deciphering the underlying "urban plans, instruments, visions, political decisions, economic reasonings, cultural inputs and social organizations" which have produced a certain urban morphology. With this knowledge 'urban operational tools' shall be defined which collectively will form an operational urban toolbox as an "improvised manual to navigate theories".

It is a great opportunity to merge the research were doing in Beijing with Smarter Than Car with new insights into Beijing's urban development and contemporary urban morphology. 

LED Heaven

Imagine to send a message to someone and you want it displayed. How nice to have an entire heaven to do so.

Bicycle Mainstreaming

Following STC's Vienna lecture on bicycle cultural exchange between Beijing, New York and Vienna it was nice to see that some concepts were successfully introduced into public discourse.
During the talk I emphasized the importance of a process of 'bicycle mainstreaming' which could (in a nutshell) be understood as a process of supporting a broader understanding and support for the bicycle as viable means of providing urban transportation and to see the bicycle as equal participant next to people on foot or in cars.  Traveling everyday commutes on bicycles in cities like Beijing, Vienna or New York makes one conscious about the importance of the bicycle mainstreaming concept.
Today (February 4th 2012) a google search returned three results for "bicycle mainstreaming", not too many if one thinks about the usefulness of such a concept. Two of those hits are by the way related to the work of "Smarter Than Car"... :)  
To demonstrate the transition of the concept from the lecture into the broader discourse please find two images below, one of y slide in my presentation and another one from the article (in german) on the lecture's content which was published by the Austrian Federal News' website (ORF.at).
At 'Smarter Than Car we continue working that such a bicycle mainstreaming will become a more day to day process in Beijing and Vienna.

Screen shot of the article on ORF.at. Dated 2011-09-27

Slide from the lecture.Dated 2011-05-18

Nuclear China

The recent disaster in Fukushima, Japan has demonstrated that atomic power is a form of energy supply coming with high risks attached which cannot be fully controlled. Now China is starting into on a nuclear future and my recent visit made me aware of the scale of the operation. To quote some numbers:
"Mainland China has 14 nuclear power reactors in operation, more than 25 under construction, and more about to start construction soon.  

Additional reactors are planned, including some of the world's most advanced, to give more than a ten-fold increase in nuclear capacity to at least 80 GWe by 2020, 200 GWe by 2030, and 400 GWe by 2050.  

China is rapidly becoming self-sufficient in reactor design and construction, as well as other aspects of the fuel cycle."  [source]

Urban nuclear energy in Beijing, China. Beijing' s CBD is the conglomerate of darker buildings in the right rear. 

With China becoming a nuclear nation there is growing concern of how safe the industry may be. The recent train accident in Wenzhou province has sparked a fierce controversy and some connect the mistakes made within the railway administration to possible flaws in the nuclear power sector.

"China is embarking on the world's biggest and fastest expansion of nuclear power. The world must pray the industry will somehow prove immune to the curse of corner cutting, secrecy and corruption – or the potential consequences are chilling." [source]
If future events could be wished for like christmas presents, there are two things to write on a wish list:
That China's leaders know the responsibility and risks attached to nuclear power and take the industry serious enough.
That China's expansion of green energy will be more successful and faster that the expansion of nuclear power.

Talk: New York's Pedal Power and Beijing's Bicycles

This Thursday, Smarter Than Car is hosting a lecture in Beijing, where Shannon, Liman and me will present some of our current research about bicycle culture in Beijing and New York. This event is a preview to an upcoming talk which STC will give at ‘UIA2011 Tokyo – The World Congress of Architecture’ later this year.

See the flyer for details (click to enlarge)

Linkliste "Lernen von Fahrradkulturen in Peking und New York"

BEIJING 

http://www.stcbj.com/
"Smarter Than Car (STC) was set up as a platform for promoting cycling, the bicycle life and preserving Beijing’s unique cycling culture."
 

NEW YORK CITY


http://www.nyc.gov/bikes
NYC - Department of Transportation's bicycle program with several initiatives.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/bike/home.shtml
"The goal of the Department of City Planning, New York City Department of Transportation, and the Department of Parks and Recreation Bicycle Network Development program is to reduce congestion by promoting cycling in New York City."

http://www.youtube.com/user/nycdot
youtube-channel of NYC - Department of Transportation
 

http://www.streetfilms.org/bike-lanes-in-the-big-apple/
Short movie describing the development of bicycle infrastructure in NYC. 

http://www.bikenewyork.org/
"Bike New York is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote and encourage bicycling and bicycle safety through education, public events, and collaboration with community and government organizations."
 

http://www.ridethecity.com/
Bicycling directions for (as well) New York City. 
 

http://www.transalt.org/
"Our mission is to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives."

http://bikingrules.org/
"Biking Rules is a new 'Street Code' for NYC cyclists, following the simple principle that our responsibility to others on the street increases in relation to our potential to cause harm."

www.bikemonthnyc.org
"Each year the Department of Transportation and Transportation Alternatives team up to bring you Bike Month NYC, a city wide campaign to promote the joys of cycling in New York City."

http://rollingcarbon.org/
Rollingcarbon.org calculates the carbon impact of various New York City commutes.
 

http://www.crashstat.org/
"For the first time, all New Yorkers had a way to see pedestrian and cyclist crashes in every neighborhood, enabling them to back up their first-hand experience of dangerous streets with comprehensive hard data."

http://www.recycleabicycle.org/

 Recycle-a-bicycle is a community-based bike shop and non-profit organization that provides educational/job training programs and encourages environmental stewardship and everyday bicycle use.

http://rightofway.org/

"Right Of Way is a group of activists dedicated to asserting the rights of car-free street users -- including pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters -- and fighting back against car domination."


http://www.nycbikepolo.com/

"Bike Polo has been played in New York since 2003. Now, our home court is The Pit at Chrystie & Broome Streets."


http://nybma.com/news/

"The NYBMA is a worker’s alliance of the messenger, by the messenger, and for the messenger. Our mission is to unite, represent and advocate for the bike couriers of New York City."

http://www.fixed.gr/ 
"Home is where the harbl is."


http://www.iparkedinabikelane.org/
"I Parked In A Bike Lane.org is a humble movement aimed at raising driver awareness towards the problems associated with blocking bike lanes."

http://www.bikeblognyc.com/

"I write about mutant bikes, messenger events, bicycle technology and the vast realm of bicycle culture."



http://www.brooklynbybike.com/

"Brooklyn by Bike was born out of a love for traveling around the city by bicycle. Others think we are crazy but we have a passion for our wheels like nothing else."


http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

"While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment." 


http://brooklynspoke.wordpress.com/

"I’m a father, husband, writer, TV producer, comedian, and city cyclist.  Just another voice in the ongoing discussion about city biking."


http://www.bikecult.com/

"The Bike Cult resource, a work in progress, includes listings of bike and cycling groups, velodromes, world and olympic champions, along with excerpts and updates from the book." 


http://newamsterdamize.com/

"We are dedicated to NYC’s Slow Biking Culture, guaranteed 100% Lycra-Free ! Relax. Enjoy your city." 


http://www.astoriabike.com/

"About Bikes and Biking in New York City. Bike, Damnit! Bike!"


http://www.bikehacks.com/

"BikeHacks.com comes to you from both coasts of the USA. We write BikeHacks 'cause we love bikes. We dig up all kinds of cool, interesting and useful stuff, from the funky to the functional." 


http://www.dykesonbikecycles.com/

"We formed in spring ’06 to promote the integration and visibility of the existing community of queer bike riders."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bicyclesonly/
"the purpose of almost all my photos is to inspire New Yorkers to make everyday trips by bicycle"


http://www.streetsblog.org/ 
"Streetsblog is a daily news source, online community and political mobilizer for the Livable Streets movement." 


 http://www.streetfilms.org/
"Streetfilms produces short films that show how smart transportation design and policy can result in better places to live, work and play."



INTERNATIONAL


http://thecityfix.com/
TheCityFix.com is an online resource for sustainable transport news, advocacy and “best practice” solutions from around the world. 


http://www.copenhagenize.com/ 
"Each and every day roughly 500,000 citizens choose the bicycle in Greater Copenhagen. This blog highlights who they are, why they do and how it was made possible."


http://amsterdamize.com/
"I’m just an Amsterdam native who won’t take his city and its cycling extravaganza for granted anymore, thinking these posts might be clues for others, inspiration perhaps, if you will."
 

Learning from Bicycle Cultures in Beijing and New York

I will be giving a talk in Vienna as kind of cultural-learning event to inspire Vienna's efforts in raising bicycle ridership in the city and to support the creative use of pedal-powered vehicles by urban planners, designers and policy makers. The talk will feature Smarter Than Car's research on bicycle culture in Beijing, China and some recent efforts to understand New York's bicycle supporting strategies and specific culture.
The talk and a subsequent discussion will take place on May 18th 6:30 PM at 'Wiener Planungswerkstatt', 1010 Wien, Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 9.

Poster (click to enlarge)

Outline (German):
Die Unterstützung von Lebensentwürfen die intensive Fahrradnutzung integrieren, kann einen wertvollen Beitrag für lebenswerte und kulturell diverse Stadtlandschaften leisten. Der Vortrag präsentiert Beispiele aus Peking und New York als kreativen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung der Wiener Fahrradkultur. In Peking untersucht Smarter Than Car Lebensstile und ökonomische Strategien verbunden mit dem Fahrrad, spezifische Fahrrad-Infrastrukturen und die hohe Diversität der Fahrradnutzung. Ein Blick nach New York zeigt eine stark auf Gemeinwesen aufbauende Fahrradkultur, die in jüngster Vergangenheit von progressiven Strategien der Stadtverwaltung unterstützt wird. Der Vergleich von Fahrradkulturen sowie Gesetzgebungen soll die Diskussion über die Positionierung der Wiener Fahrradkultur ermöglichen.

lake houhai in Beijing

look over lake houhai, beijing towards north. you can see the drum tower on the horizon right from the center. the locals love to poke holes in the ice for fishing (which is actually forbidden). this day before chinese new years day was clear and sunny.

click to enlarge ;)

to be 'smarter than car' in Beijing, China.

im curious about 'smarter the car' (STC) a great project initiated by ines (runs natooke bike shop in dongcheng, beijing) and shannon to promote biking (again) in beijing, china. starting off, they organize bike rides for beijingers to (re)discover beijing by bike, experiencing a clever way to commute in a city notoriously jammed by traffic.

as ines and shannon describe STC in their last newsletter:
"STC (Smarter Than Car) is a Beijing based group which promotes the use of the bicycle in Beijing. With car ownership in the city going through the roof and the subsequent traffic congestion there has never been a better time to get on the bike and move around the city faster and with more freedom. Our group aims to promote cycling in the city as an enjoyable, healthy and sustainable activity and a much smarter alternative to driving a car or taking taxis."

this months TLFR (the last friday ride) will focus on architecture and traditional hutong settlements. if you are in beijing this friday you may join in the ride, see invitation below. if not, enjoy the fliers and think about how your city could improve through more cycling. ;)

btw. in January STC called for a FYTO*ride (freeze your t…s off*ride).