The Life-Sized City Blog

My son brought this home from school the other day. He showed it to be with a smile and said "Daddy... I think you better put this on your website..." Clever boy. By and large I have faith in the Danish education system. My boy goes to a good school and has brilliant teachers. Once in a while, however, they let people from the wrong side of the rationality tracks into the classroom. Without me, the parent, knowing about it or allowing me to choose if I want my children to particpate. Denmark is largely a secular nation. Only 7% attend church in Copenhagen. When my son started going to school, however, I was rather amazed to hear that they were led down the street to church on occasion. So much for separating church and state. Now, he let's me know when it will happen and I take him to the Zoological Museum or the Science Museum to talk about Darwin and/or science instead - when work allows me to. It's the same thing with this ridiculous reflective vest that was handed...

Here's a poster promoting cycling in New York for www.bikemonthnyc.com . My friend Kelly sent it to me and I think I'll let him do all the talking: Thought you might like this poster - if only for the socio-political landmine it tiptoes through. We have: - bikes prominently featured (Ride a bike message: check) - the older gent, middle-age woman, younger woman (Target age groups: check) - race/gender diversity (Diversity advocates: check) - gent with his helmet (Helmet advocates: check) - ladies not wearing helmets (anti-helmet advocates: check) - all walking their bikes on sidewalks (ride safely advocates: check; bonus points for appeasing both helmet and anti-helmet camp at the same time) - speed of bike transport highlighted (urban transportation advocates: check) - outer borough (Brooklyn) featured (hipsters: check) The only thing missing is someone actually riding a bike. But I suppose that's to be inferred. It's for Bike Month NYC, but if you're planning on...

Here at Copenhagenize we've learned that a new campaign about right-turn collisions is underway from the Road Directorate and friends. You can bet that the communications people from the Road Safety Council have their car-centric fingers in the soup, too. A group of people were called in to a feedback session for Megafon where they were presented with the new campaign and were asked to give their impressions about it. By all accounts, the Danish population can look forward to more classic Ignoring the Bull messaging from people who seem to lack basic marketing skills. We only have a verbal and written account of the upcoming campaign from a couple of the participants but it is clear that little has changed in the field of behavourial campaigns. Nobody has woken up and smelled the emotional propaganda. The campaign is primarily posters for busstops and the sides of busses. There were different proposals that the group were asked to comment on. Different texts and images....

Enrique Penalosa, former Mayor of Bogota, spoke at the International Transport Forum in Leipzig today and he brought an interesting observation to the discussion. Millions of dollars are spent protecting frogs and lizards but pedestrians and cyclists often suffer from lack of infrastructure. It's a great comment. Ranking frogs higher than humans in our spending. What he is referring to is the many wildlife crossings that are built to protect wildlife and prevent wildlife/car conflicts. The most well-known examples are in Canada, providing safe passage for wildlife that wish to migrate across the Trans-Canada Highway: What an impressive, expensive structure. I'm pleased that the wildlife doesn't have to suffer the destructive capability of the automobile. Hell, they don't even have to suffer SEEING the cars because of the foliage. 30,000 cars a day pass this point in Banff National Park in the summer. Which, however, is a number similar to the number of cars ...

Copenhagenize is proud to launch an exciting new intiative today! With all of these Bike to Work Days/Weeks/Months proliferating on the internet we thought we'd take it to the next level. In a classic case of oneupmanship, we're proud to be the official sponsor of the launch of: Bike Century! For obvious reasons Copenhagenize was unable to sponsor the first Bike Century - one of the most successful events of any kind in human history. Launched in the 1880's it was scheduled to run until 1999. Unfortunately, the rise of the automobile rained on the parade and the event petered out all over the world in the 1950's, despite a fantastic start over the first 60-70 years. There was a brief revival in the early 1970's but people just didn't seem to be involved in the event anymore. Now we're launching the second Bike Century which encompasses a family of events including Bike to Work Century / Bike to the Cinema Century / Bike to the Supermarket Century / Bike to t...

It's no secret that bicycles possess magnetic properties. I often play a little game like in these three photos from last weekend. Parking my bicycle in an unorthodox spot and watching it attract other bicycles. Small bicycle anthropology field studies. Last Friday I was out with a friend and we ended up - as we usually do - at a cool, tiny bar called Riesen. It was still early... about 1 AM. By chance there was a gap in the car parking on this side street and with a lack of space along the buildings, I happily parked my bicycle right there. Twenty minutes later, another bicycle appeared. After 2 AM the bars start getting busy. An hour later, when we left to go to another bar, this is how it looked. Five bicycles taking up the same space as one car. With space left over for more. The concept is, of course, well known. Copenhagen's parking zones are a prime example, as is this art project in the Netherlands .

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I recieved a text message from Christian (at left, above) saying that he had spotted my red stolen Bullitt in his backyard in the Nørrebro neighbourhood. I called him instantly. (I mean INSTANTLY) and we went over the details on the bike. There was no question it was The Missing Bullitt. My friend Andreas and I hopped onto our bikes and flew off from Copenhagenize Consulting's offices in the centre of Copenhagen to meet up with Christian. Sure enough, there it was. My primary means of transport. Not locked to anything, with just a cheap wire lock through the wheel and frame. Christian had locked it with his own lock to the railing, just in case. The guy who nicked it peeled a few of the stickers off - the Bike Portland ones, the Cycle Chic one, but left the main stickers on the sides intact. DUH! The little seat where my daughter sits on the crossbar was gone, as was the wheel lock, but that's about it. Almost completely as I last saw ...

Robert Doisneau. Paris. Fear the automobile. You are incapable of defeating it. Fear it.

Photo by Diego Franssens - from interview in Belgian magazine Knack. Saturday morning, 11:30. Came out of the flat with the kids, heading for a toy store to buy a present that Felix would then take to a birthday party. Lulu-Sophia and I would then run some errands and hang out in the backyard. All of this would happen with my red Bullitt cargo bike. Which, I discovered, wasn't where I parked it. First thought... "Hmm, I thought I parked it there..." Second thought... "Maybe I parked it in the other spot..." Third thought, gradual realisation... "It's been nicked..." Not a foreign line of thought. Hell, I've had loads of bikes stolen before. But the fourth thought really says all about the role of the bicycle in Copenhagen - and in my life: "Shit... how I am going to get around today?!" Standing there with two kids - Felix was on his own bike - with things to do, places to go and stuff to buy and the cargo bike rug was pulled out from...

Cargo bike culture starts early in Copenhagen. With 25% of families with two or more kids using a cargo bike to get around, it's a part of life for children in so many ways to be well-acquainted with cargo bikes. The municipality of Copenhagen estimatest that there are around 30,000 cargo bikes in Copenhagen. Copenhagenize Design Company has reached a number of 40,000, based on sales numbers and including vintage cargo bikes, in Greater Copenhagen. That number, however, doesn't count the armadas of mini cargo bikes found at schools and kindergartens and in the backyards of flats around the region. I've just moved to a new place and we found the cargo bike, above, in the backyard. For communal use. Lulu-Sophia has taken a liking to it and gravitates to it like magnet whenever we're out playing. Here's an even mini'er version at her kindergarten for the two to four year olds. Here's another version in our new backyard. Perfect for pint-sized, sociable ...

Photo: Jens Dresling from Politiken. Spring cleaning in Copenhagen. Yet another harvest of bicycles are brought to the surface in Frederiksholm's Canal. Check out the photo series on Politiken's website .

As we've mentioned before here on the blog the City of Copenhagen decided a number of years ago to quietly remove 2-3% of city space designated for cars and return it to people. A little added initiative to accompany the regular developments of bicycle infrastructure and pedestrian space. It is often done so quietly that it even sneaks up on those of us who know to look for it. I've been down this street a billion times. Then, looking out of my friend's flat window down at the street I noticed a little spot of reclaimed land. A single car parking space taken over by a subtle sidewalk extension. It's a side street with little through-traffic so it is hardly an in-your-face affront to car parkers everywhere. But it's nice. It serves absolutely no function whatsoever in its current state. To the right is the entrance to a back courtyard where people come in an out on bicycles or not. I would bet that bike racks are planned for it, as there are none right outside...