Jul 16
Jun 17
Shanghai - Cycles from Lrock on Vimeo.
Jun 12
Innovative Bicycle is Designed to Meet Needs of Urban Poor
Sustainable Transport, Bicycles, Innovation, People, Water, eye-catching-Bottom-of-the-Pyramid-design 1 Comment »This post is cross-posted on NextBillion.net.
File this under the eye-catching-Bottom-of-the-Pyramid-design category and add it to the list of fascinating cycle innovations intended to meet multiple needs for the poor - in this case, the challenges of water filtration and transportation.
The product is called the Aquaduct, a tricycle designed by a team of five at IDEO that stores water in a twenty gallon tank in the back of the bike’s wide, blue frame. As the user travels back home, the energy they expend pedaling is used to filter the water into a removable two gallon tank that rests in front of the handlebars.
As with any shiny new Bottom-of-the-Pyramid innovation, it’s important to remember that just because the product is inarguably cool doesn’t mean it will actually be applicable in the specific context of local consumers. Has research been done to confirm that the Aquaduct would be cost effective and functional for the BoP in different regions as compared to other available means of water filtration and transport? And I didn’t understand the idea of storing 20 gallons of water but having only two gallons filtered - is this really enough for a family? Does the user have to pedal around every time they want an additional two gallons of filtered water?
These are questions that IDEO will have to answer as the bike moves beyond its prototype status (and I’m sure they will - if they haven’t already). In the meantime, IDEO’s creation has shown promise as grand prize winner of the Innovate or Die contest for sustainable cycle design. Maybe soon, we’ll see it in use on the ground.
Jun 02
Photo by Alexandra Moss.
Once known as the world’s ‘bicycle kingdom,’ China has experienced rapid urbanization leading some to declare the beginning of the end for China’s bikes. While it’s true that from 1995 to 2005, China’s bike fleet declined by 35 percent and private car ownership more than doubled, there is no evidence today that bicycles are a thing of the past on Beijing’s streets.
Increased urbanization and growing diversification of transport has only meant cycling Beijing streets is becoming a greater challenge, particularly in areas where designated bike lanes have been removed. Cycling in Beijing – let alone mastering the art of walking Beijing’s overcrowded streets brimming with buses, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and some 18 million people – is (in a word) terrifying, yet somehow millions of Beijingers seem to cope just fine.
Helmets are nonexistent, and the agile Chinese have mastered the art of multi-tasking while cycling. Not only do people seem to cart their livelihoods on bikes, but I’ve witnessed whole families perched atop a single tandem, ladies cycling one-handed with umbrella in tow to prevent any sun exposure that would risk their pale complexions; I even saw a man with three 15” computer monitors strapped above his back wheel (and they were not flat screen). And you’ll never see a hint of the abashed – anything goes in the Beijing bike lane. Read the rest of this entry »
May 19
May 16
I haven’t had a chance to see this elegantly shot film, but I still thought it would be appropriate for me to share it with you.
Click here to view the film makers site.
And click here for AO Scott’s review in The New York Times.
May 01
At least some people bike in Delhi. Photo by indoloony.
“Once you see the dedicated cycling tracks coming up, you’ll see a very big crowd of people taking to their bikes.” That’s a quote from Nalin Sinha, a leading member of Delhi’s Cycling Club, a group founded in 2006 to raise awareness about the benefits of cycling.
You can join the group by clicking here.
Earlier this year, Chris Morris from the BBC had a chance to catch up with Nalin and take a ride on Delhi’s cycle-hostile streets. His conclusion: “Delhi’s roads are no place for the faint-hearted cyclist.”
Click here to read the BBC article.
Apr 29
The Supidest Bike Lane Ever - Part II
Sustainable Transport, Video, Bicycles, Urban Planning 1 Comment »A few weeks back we posted a video from SlateV about “The stupidest bike lane ever” which featured a short and poorly thought out bike lane near the University of California Los Angeles. Now SlateV has made a follow up video in response to readers feedback, documenting several other stupid bike lanes. Check out the video above.
Mar 27
Well at least its a bike lane. The vast majority of LA’s streets don’t even have them.
Mar 19
Behind Bangalore’s Growth, A New Species Is Born: Transport Challenged People
India, Bangalore, Bicycles, Urban Planning, Mobility, People, Walking, Pedestrian, Safety, Suburbs, Public Health 5 Comments »
Here two-wheelers invade a footpath. All photos by Sudhir Gota, SECON Pvt Ltd.
Krishnappa is a security guard for a multinational software firm in Bangalore who, for the past thirty years, has walked and cycled to work. For Krishnappa, the trip, which often took around 15 to 30 minutes, was one of life’s small pleasures as he made his way along Bangalore’s tree-shaded streets, often meeting friends and acquaintances, discussing politics and family matters, before continuing on his way. However, in recent years he has been unable to walk or cycle to work. And it’s not because of age or injury.
When asked about his transport woes, he blames the government. The increase in land prices, lack of cycle tracks, footpaths, poor public transportation, and the risk of being struck by a motorized vehicle have forced him to drive to work. He now spends nearly 30% of his salary on his monthly commute.
Krishnappa is not alone. Rapidly growing Bangalore city has generated a new human species aptly named “Transport Challenged People.” The common trait of these people is that they are forced to become captive to a mode of transport just because they don’t have an accessible alternative. Their other characteristic is that they pay a price for traveling that they do not consider fair or just, but because they have no other option, they continue to pay it.
Bangalore has seen a spiral of economic activity and urban growth, with the developed area of the city increasing from roughly 175 square kilometers in 1971 to more than 560 in 2006. The government, in order to decongest the city center, restricted the Floor- Space-Index (FSI) – that’s a technical term for building density - in the core and liberated the FSI along the outer peripheries. The restriction in FSI in the city core caused land value here to skyrocket, driving out the lower class to the more affordable peripheries. (There’s a photo essay after the jump)
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