The Life-Sized City Blog

The area surrounding the nation's busiest train station, Nørreport, is a labyrinth of construction as the City is renovating the on-street facilities and making it a nicer place. The result is that there is less space available so the City of Copenhagen has these signs up on Købmagergade, near the station. We are always thrilled to Copenhagenize Consulting's "Hej Cyklist" behavourial communication template in use. This campaign was developed for the City by the consultancy Atkins Danmark . It reads: Hej Cyclist! Can't you find your bicycle? It's now parked in Rosenborggade. In order to create space for everyone, we've drawn a bicycle parking zone here on Købmagergade. Bicycles parked outside the zone may be moved to the bicycle parking zone in Rosenborggade. They include a little map so you can find your bicycle. How lovely. Around the corner, here are the bicycles that have been moved. A cool design of the photo that combines the bicycles on th...

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...

You may recall the article we did last year about the railings and footrests for cyclists here in Copenhagen . The pilot project has proved so successful that the City of Copenhagen's Bicycle Office is now placing 20 more around the city to add to the existing five. For no reason other than spoiling our cyclists and to thank them for cycling in the city. The footrests all feature the "Hej Cyklist" campaign that Copenhagenize Consulting developed for the Bicycle Office . Simple, friendly and encouraging texts like "Hi, cyclist! Rest your foot here and thanks for cycling in the city". I spotted one of the new ones the other day, pictured above. It reads, "Win a cargo bike. Send in a photo of a lovely bicycle moment". The railings make it easy to rest or lean at red lights. Which is something we do at every given opportunity. Lightposts are rubbed smooth from hands and feet seek out anything to lean up against. As you can see in this set on Flickr...

Pling. All of sudden this little bicycle-friendly detail showed up on the urban landscape in Copenhagen one day. I'm quite sure that very few people have noticed it, except for the people who roll up next to it. Which is the point, really. I'm talking about the railings that the man is holding onto and resting his foot on. It's located on a little traffic island on which cyclists who are heading straight on wait. The City of Copenhagen has implemented this double railing simply as a convenience for the cyclists who stop here. A high railing to grasp with your hand and a foot railing for putting your foot up, if that's what you fancy doing. Either way you can also use the railing to push off when the light changes. The foot rest reads: " Hi, cyclist! Rest your foot here... and thank you for cycling in the city. " Another example of the city using the 'Hi, cyclist!' behavourial campaign/communications template that I developed for them. It's a tiny ...

The City of Copenhagen's Bicycle Office rigged up this truck and parked it on City Hall Square in association with a conference about heavy traffic. It reads: Hi Cyclist! Try out a truck and see yourself from a new angle! Nice simple message. No need for fearmongering texts. We all understand the dangers of what the Americans call "right hooks". Even though cyclists heading straight on have the right of way over turning vehicles, it really is important to understand what it looks like from the cab of such a big truck. With the hysterical and unscientific helmet promotion currently insulting the intelligence of the nation, it's extra important to underline that helmets won't help when you're hit by a vehicle. Therefore, highlighting vigilance and awareness while cycling is not a bad idea. Getting the trucks out of the city is a better idea and the Copenhagen government has proposed just this but the national government refuses. The use of the "Hej Cyklist...

I've been spending a great deal of time thinking about how we can promote cycling positively instead of attempting to scare people. I was extremely pleased to see these posters all over Copenhagen a couple of weeks ago. This "Hej Cyklist" campaign [Hi, cyclist!] was an idea we came up with at Copenhagenize Consulting a couple of months ago. Hej Cyklist features on the city's bicycle railings/footrests. The idea was quite simple. A behavioural campaign and a communications template with which Copenhagen's Bicycle Office coulc communicate with the cycling citizens. The average Copenhagener who rides to work or school each day doesn't really pay much attention to bicycle infrastructure or even bicycles. They just ride. We all have a sense of pride about the city in which we live. Here in Copenhagen we love to hear that we've been voted the world's most liveable city and things like that. I figured that our cycling citizens should be made aware ...