OpenIDEO - How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? - Inspiration

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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline?

Inspiration 894 inspirations

Concepting 329 concepts

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Refinement 20 final concepts

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Mission #1

Explore Vibrancy

Share your definition of what vibrancy looks like where you live. Find out more...

Mission #2

Share Stories

Tell us about the cities and communities you know are currently struggling or in the process of revitalising.

Mission #3

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Take some time to get active and explore your own community – then report back what you learned. Find out more...

Mission #4

Collect Insights

Interview someone living in a struggling city or region to learn more. Find out more...

Mission #5

Surprise Us

Got an Inspiration that doesn't fit the other Missions? Find out more...

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Cycling for Revitalization

Implementing bicycle culture in bigger cities could lead to improved health and social relations AND biking is good for the environment! Finally, a cycling culture could develop the regional and international tourism.

As a citizen of Copenhagen I can't live without my bike. It seems to me to be the only possible way to get around. The biking culture is very developed here in CPH, but I really think it is one of the best things about my city. It makes life so much easier and efficient. Worth to mention, Denmark, again this year, takes the 1st place on the list of the happiest countries in the world, and on 5th place you find the Netherlands – another big cycling nation. Well, maybe there is a coherency between happiness and biking?

In 2007 Paris launched a great city bike initiative the "Velib", which has become a big success. So big that bike lanes are now being constructed in the old city of Paris – a hard place to implement changes. The velib initiative shows that any culture can become fond of biking.

Watch the film: rethinking streets in Paris

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Comments

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Arjun Adamson

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November 20, 2011, 09:13PM

Adding to the list of bike initiatives, there is an American example of establishing bike culture. Minneapolis Minnesota has also started an initiative to improve city well being.
Here's a GOOD article on the impact a bike initiative has on costs. http://www.good.is/post/how-biking-can-save-cities-billions-of-dollars-in-health-expenses/
The important thing is not to segment its impact into purely a 'transport' issue, or a cost savings but as a collective improvement of the city on pollution, costs, and even physical health and mental well being. The significance goes far beyond one sector, it's collective vibrancy in one action.

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Marie Jakobsen's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Marie Jakobsen

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November 21, 2011, 03:57AM

Thank you for sharing this article. Very interesting reading. I am surprised that Nearly 70 percent of Americans' car trips are less than two miles long. That confirms that there is such a big potential in changing the mindset about daily transportation.

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Avi Solomon

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November 09, 2011, 09:50PM

I love the fact that there is a continuous physical hump dividing the bike lanes from the car lanes in Copenhagen. Makes for a less anxious trip for everybody (including the car drivers). The US has a lot of catch-up to do in this department.

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Marie Jakobsen's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Marie Jakobsen

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November 09, 2011, 10:48PM

True ! And a very crucial factor to make biking in cities a succes.

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Arjan Tupan's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Arjan Tupan

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November 13, 2011, 07:34PM

If I look at the Netherlands (and I think in this case Denmark and NL are very similar), I think the whole infrastructure is aimed at making traffic most comfortable and safe for all parties involved. Sometimes, bike routes are not even close to where the cars are.

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Louise Wilson's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Louise Wilson

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November 18, 2011, 10:08AM

Interesting comment, Avi. Do you have a photo of the road layout in Copenhagen? London has started to introduce physical divides between bicycle and car lanes and I think it's more dangerous! Possibly just the way Londoners cycle....I do agree that cities need to find ways to make journeys more pleasurable!

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Arjan Tupan

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November 13, 2011, 07:36PM

I really love this inspiration, Marie. Might also be because I'm Dutch. On top of that, I lived in Paris, where I made great use of the Velib'. I really like that similar initiatives are popping up around the world. I've seen them now in several places. Next step is infrastructure reorganisation.

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Louise Wilson's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Louise Wilson

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November 18, 2011, 10:00AM

Agree Arjan, the Barclay 'Boris' Bikes in London are so great. Even for a keen cyclist like me, it's great to be able to jump on one when I don't have my bike with me! It makes a large city very manageable!

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Anne-Laure Fayard

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November 11, 2011, 01:23AM

Hi Marie, nice inspiration. It reminded me Yen's inspiration on biking to the city: http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/inspiration/biking-to-the-city/
I agree that rethinking the transportation system through biking (and even walking) is crucial.
Velib is indeed a great initiative (also implemented in London, in spring 2010 I believe). It really changed the way Parisians experienced the city. I also creates a rethinking of your internal city map.
NY where I live now is far behind, but I see cycle lanes popping up in various parts of the city...

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Marie Jakobsen's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Marie Jakobsen

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November 13, 2011, 01:36AM

Hi AL, I just noticed the bike lanes at 1st ave yesterday. I don't see many bikes on them though, but definitely the bikes are coming to Manhatten!

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Anne-Laure Fayard's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Anne-Laure Fayard

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November 17, 2011, 03:48PM

They are in fact coming but not that many people riding them and while in Brooklyn, there are bike lanes where you can safely ride, I personally would not take the risk in Manhattan. I know some people who do but I also heard of too many bike accidents...

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Rens

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November 09, 2011, 10:51PM

In holland we have the same!

Would be really cool if detroit famous for its cars would start implementing bikes!

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Rens 's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Rens

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November 09, 2011, 10:52PM

Maybe small electric cars even

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Anne-Laure Fayard's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Anne-Laure Fayard

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November 11, 2011, 01:18AM

well in fact the velib initiative in Paris is now going to be extended with a similar system of small electric cars.

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Marie Jakobsen's reply to Arjun Adamson's comment

Marie Jakobsen

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November 13, 2011, 01:31AM

I just read about that! It will be exciting to follow that initiative!

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Callie Neylan

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November 12, 2011, 09:40PM

I would think, too, that cities could create jobs by providing bike stations, like ones that exist in Seattle and DC. These prove as storage and pit stops for cyclists and have in-house bicycle mechanics on-staff.

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Charlotte Fliegner

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November 11, 2011, 12:48AM

Great post !! I think that transport is so relevant in the context of declining cities, especially when looking at the city of Bogota, Colombia, and the impact that introducing a network of bike lanes had on bridging social segregation in cities to break down hierarchies and create community.

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Meena Kadri

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November 09, 2011, 09:50PM

Go the citizens of Copenhagen – and great to have one of them championing cycling here! Tip: To activate the links in your post, hit the Update Entry button up there on the right, then follow the instructions here: http://bit.ly/oi_link

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