The Life-Sized City Blog

A couple of years ago the national government announced a economic package for promoting cycling and building infrastructure. We posted about it in "94 Billion for Bikes" in early 2009 . In the latest round of project funding, we at Copenhagenize Consulting received funding for two different projects. One is Bicycle Innovation Laboratory - Denmark's first Cultural Centre for cycling (more on that in the coming days) and the second project is a research project regarding marketing bicycle ridership. We have teamed up with Thomas Krag Mobility Advice in the application and the project. Tomorrow we have a focus group seminar with various professionals to gain feedback moving forward. It's a very exciting project and we're looking forward to the continued work. We have had interest from a number of large cycling organisations about a further development, as well. On this blog we often highlight positive campaigns for promoting cycling - as well as the negative ...

We always have a bunch of ideas kicking around at Copenhagenize Consulting . We are always working on individual, tailor-made solutions when we work with other cities - every city is unique - but last month we decided to try out some ideas right here in Copenhagen. In our own backyard. Earlier this year we blogged about how Copenhagen tries to keep Holding On To Cyclists by placing railings and footrests around the city to let bicycle users rest against them whilst waiting at red lights. Brilliant idea and we love it. The text on the footrest is a communications template we developed for the Bicycle Office . These railings, are, however, limited in that these railings can only be implemented in certain locations where they don't interfere with pedestrian mobility. There are eight of them around the city now. Copenhageners, however, will lean up against anything they can at red lights. We have a whole photo series dedicated to it . Have a look around the city. The metal pol...

In stark contrast til General Motors' "Stop pedalling, start driving" campaign, here's a film from what appears to be the 1970s that was produced by General Motors. "I Like Bikes". It's a weird film and with its 13+ minutes, it's a bit of a snore, although strangely appealing in a zen-like way on a Saturday morning with a hangover. Like watching snooker on Eurosport. I used to teach storytelling and screenwriting and in that talk I highlighted the evolution of the length of storytelling and the journey from the dawn of the television age to brevity in our dramaturgy. In the 70's you could spend almost 14 minutes explaining what we would, today, compress into 3 minutes or less. Watching the film is like listening to a looong story told by an inebriated, aging member of the family at a dinner party. No clear beginning, middle or end. Getting to the point, if there is one, is like pulling teeth. But hey. I have absolutely no idea what it's...

Two days in a row we get to add new installments to Copenhagenize's The Car Industry Strikes Back series , showing how the bicycle is increasingly regarded as a threat to the market share. General Motors sailed into The Perfect Twitter Storm yesterday and today.... There is a car share company in the States called Zipcar . Car sharing is good. I use a car share programme here in Copenhagen - okay... only about 3 times a year, but hey. It's there when I need it. Once again, it's interesting to note and track the rising resistance of the car industry and related auto-centric industries to the rise of the bicycle in our cities. It comes as a bit of a surprise that Zipcar would go after bicycle culture in a campaign, but here they are, doing it. Zipcar is, of course, on Twitter , if anyone is interested. It was Jym Dyer on Twitter who pointed us in the direction of Zipcar's "Sometimes you just need a Zipcar" campaign, pictured above in situ, from his phot...

The bicycle was normal everywhere for decades. Including in Singapore. 1953. "Cyclists during the 'Safety First Week'".  1939. "Street scene at Battery Road, Singapore, featuring pedestrians and various modes of transport at the time: motor cars, trishaws, rickshaws and bicycles". 1971. "About 200 cyclists from various schools took part in a safe cycling rally by the National Safety First Council. Six girls from Changkat Changi Secondary School were among them". 1960. "The bicycle - an important transport form in the villages". 1946. "Different modes of transport in Singapore Town". 1977. "Gang of boys pose with bicycle in Johore Road side lane". Hairdo is fantastic. At left: 1980. "A mask maker named Buankok sold his masks and artefacts all over Singapore on his three-wheeler".  At right: 1976. "Telecoms worker cycling through the flood to send a telegram". At left: 1946. ...

Photo by Diego Franssens - from interview in Belgian magazine Knack. Here we go again. Some of you may remember the fairytale ending the last time my Bullitt cargo bike got stolen, back in May 2011. What started with this blogpost ended happily with this one . Last night, it happened all over again. I have just moved flats - last Saturday - and this real estate agency have not yet given me keys to the backyard, where there is a bike shed. It's a secure backyard, requiring a key to get in or out. (nor have they given me a key to the postbox, so if you've sent me a postcard, I haven't read it yet...) In lieu of being able to park the Bullitt in the backyard, I parked it on the sidewalk outside the flat. It is a busy street, right next to a busy intersection and a bus stop. I bought an extra lock - super thick Amsterdam style - and both locks secured the bike to a metal railing. Not optimal, but hey. This morning, the locks lay curled on the sidewalk like sleepin...