The Life-Sized City Blog

Brilliantly simple and effective video about the societal costs of automobile use. Filled with nuggets of wisdom, effectively communicated. Love the bit about how cars are like gasses - it doesn't matter how large the container grows, the molecules will still occupy the whole space. Build more roads, more cars come. Welcome to Square One. Amazing how after 75 years of traffic engineers and planners failing constantly and consistently at solving traffic problems, we still give them outrageous amounts of funding to keep... failing. Seriously, what other vocation in the world gets so much money to play with without having produced ANY results for three quarters of a century? The Mexican office of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) produced this film - in Spanish with English subtitles. Thanks to Ludwig from UITP for the link .

When it rains, it pours. A little while ago I blogged about how there appears to be a growing resistance against bike helmet laws around the world. Then I got word from my network of a couple more developments. Mexico City repealed their bike helmet law back in February 2010. Let's face it, it wasn't much of a law since there was little enforcement and it was, essentially, unenforceable. Back in 2008 there was a bicycle count including over 26,000 cyclists and 93% of them didn't feel the need to wear a helmet. The main reason for the push to repeal the helmet law was the upcoming implementation of the city's bike share system, Ecobici . The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy [ITDP] were instrumental in getting the law repealed but there was also support from within the city government. Back in December I blogged about how the helmet law in Israel was up for repeal , as well. From what I've heard the lobbying was successful and adults are no longer...

We're used to selling stuff from cargo bikes in Copenhagen but this is such a lovely shot from Mexico City. A man selling wares from the back of a bicycle.