Christiania Bikes - an Icon for a Bike-friendly City
by Treehugger Interns on 09.16.06
We have already looked this week at why the Dutch are so keen on bicycles here. Another nation that just can't seem to get enough of bikes is Denmark. This is particularly true of the country's capital, Copenhagen. The city already provides free bicycles in the city centre, and careful pro-bicycle planning has meant that 30% of residents cycle to work. Visitors will be amazed at the vast array of bicycles whizzing around the streets, but one in particular seems to have become an icon for the city's cyclists. The Christiania Bike is actually not a bike at all, but a load carrying tricycle that can be, and is, used for anything from transporting kids to getting the shopping home. Even the city’s postal service runs a 100-strong fleet of these pollution-free trikes.
Originally built in 1978 as a transport alternative for the car-free autonomous zone of Christiania, the bike soon became common on Copenhagen’s streets. The popularity of the trike is not limited to Denmark. Dealerships can now be found in numerous German cities, including Hannover, Berlin, Frankfurt and Köln. Switzerland is also getting in on the act, and over 100 Londoners have already bought this congestion-charge busting vehicle from the UK dealership. [Written by: Sami Grover]
I found a 20 minute video presenting planning and cycling environment in copenhagen. looks like a cyclists paradise, note lack of helmets- safety in numbers i guess.
view video:(WMV format)
http://tinyurl.com/fknpg
more info:
http://tinyurl.com/pfeas
Christiania the actual co-op/semiautonmous self-governing community is an amazing place. If you haven't been there its pretty much a city within a city. It was a military barracks taken over by hippies in the 70s.
Highly recommend that you go check it out if you are ever in Kobenhavn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania
looks like copenhagen video is down. http://www.vejpark.kk.dk/byenstrafik/cyklernesby/uk/index.htm
in the meantime
heres an interview with the Christiania Bike designer
http://www.archive.org/download/bikeshow_190606/bikeshow_190606_64kb.m3u
Bicycle: the original SUV!
Diversity really is the key to sustainability - use the right tool for the job, as I learned in elementary school. And those Danish and Dutch seem to have learned this too. Regular bikes are great, but there are so many other great ways to build a human powered vehicle (HPV) so that everyone can use one for all kinds of purposes. I have a sticker on my bike that says "Open Source Vehicle" and I dream of having an easily customizable HPV that the average person could easily build to suit his or her needs. Sort of like a Lego bike.
Imagine being able to quickly convert your two-wheeled commuter vehicle into a side-by-side two person cargo trike (or quad) to take on a weekend trip to the country with your honey.
I first had this idea for furniture. (I made cd shelves out of K'NEX, that I can easily change and take apart when I move, or just want a different configuration.) And then I saw a photo of a pvc piping quad vehicle from Burning Man, and I said to myself, "That's what I want! I want a totally configurable vehicle!"