Singapore’s Challenge
… could Amsterdam’s bike-friendly culture be replicated in Singapore, a population-dense city-state of 5.3 million where prosperity in the 1970s gave rise to car culture? Yes—but it must be in a way tailored to the unique challenges of tropical environments, according to Active Mobility for Creating Healthy Places, a report published by ULI and its research partner, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC). …
Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and pioneer of people-focused design … said Singapore is the perfect place to test whether active mobility could be moved beyond the realm of recreation—transforming Sunday cycling into Monday cycling, as the report puts it. …
“I could see the state of Singapore as being the best place in the world for public transportation combined with bicycling,” Gehl said in a local radio interview. “But that means we shall have room in the trains for bicycles. . . . Then you have a system, not only a little ride here and there.”
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Victoria’s Challenge
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Carbon Talks releases report on cycling infrastructure in Victoria
“Creating a more welcoming cycling network in Victoria” was held on May 29, 2014 in Victoria, BC with the goal of soliciting feedback from potential cyclists on how the City of Victoria could better provide infrastructure and programs for bicycle commuters.
Key findings and outcomes:
– Cycling laws and driver responsibilities to cyclists are not well-understood
– New infrastructure requires public education
– Cycling bears the stigma of not being safe
– Participants suggested the following principles to guide the City of Victoria plans for a bikeable community:
1) Cycling needs to be irresistible, aesthetically pleasing, and connect with the environment
2) Cycling routes need to be well-connected and continuous
3) Cycling infrastructure needs to be safe and innovative
4) Cycling investments must be financially sound
5) Cycling decisions must be made based on evidence and case studies on international best practices
– In 20 years, the participants envision cycling in Victoria as being safe and economically sound. Cycling would be the norm, regardless of age or gender because it would be convenient
– Participants proposed the following three “Big Moves” that the City of Victoria should prioritize:
1) Design continuous, safe, protected routes
2) Conduct education campaigns for cyclists and drivers
3) Build political will and push for strong pro-cycling policies
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Quote: Iris Murdoch
“The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”
– Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999)
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