World Carfree News #93 - March 2012 - English Version
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
"The Netherlands is widely
recognized for having
the highest cycling rates in the world. What's not so well
known is that the
Dutch don't bike so much because cycling is in their DNA.
They do it because
after the country started down the path toward car
dependence, they made a
conscious decision to change course.".
-Elizabeth Press, videographer at Street Films. See the
associated video in
the Media section.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
KEEP ON SENDING US YOUR NEWS!
Thanks to all who have submitted to the Bulletin! We are
receiving an ever
larger number of submissions, including images. Picture
credits (in order of
appearance) go to Marianne (BK Vienna), shtig.net, Andy
Singer.
If you enjoy reading the bulletin, please forward it to your
contacts and
encourage others to subscribe as well!
Keep us informed with your news at bulletin@worldcarfree.net
WORLD CARFREE MONTHLY NEWS WANTS YOUR HELP!
We currently need new translators for the Italian and Portuguese editions. We are also hoping to launch a Polish version. If you would like to help spread the news in Poland, let us know.
We are also looking for someone skilled with web programming who could help with the improvements to the bulletin section of the World Carfree Network website. If you are a programmer and would like to devote some of your time to the carfree cause, you'll be hired on the spot! Write to bulletin@worldcarfree.net
JOIN THE CARFREE MEDIA TEAM
Are you passionate about the carfree solution to our urban gridlock? Would you like to help make a difference by getting the word out? Please consider joining the media team. This group will keep an eye out for news in the media that need our attention (and a response) as well as making a bit of media noise ourselves. Drop an email to "WCN Media" <media@worldcarfree.net>, and help this onetime WCN work group to get reactivated.
CONFERENCE IN MEXICO
The 2012 International Conference on Walking and Sustainable
Cities will
take place on September 30 to October 4, 2012 in Mexico City.
Read
more.
20mph PLACES CONFERENCE
"20s Plenty for Us" will be a part of the Places
conference at London's
Transport Museum on 1 May, along with representatives of
Police, Campaigners,
Councillors and charities. See last years conference video.
Note also the new
url of 20's Plenty.
Read more
INTBAU WORKSHOPS
For those interested in traditional building methods,
architecture and
urbanism, the INTBAU network is hosting a number of seminars
and programmes.
Romania: Building Skills Programmes, June,
August-September
London: Architecture in the Age of Austerity, April 30
Barcelona: Object lessons in heritage, April 21-28
Read
more
WEBSITE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN USA
The following website is devoted to public transport
resources throughout
the United States. Visitors to the site can find practical
information of all
sorts about getting around without the car.
www.pubtrantravel.com.
NEWS
Edinburgh, Scotland has taken the step to earmark 5% of its
transport budget
for cycling infrastructure. This is seen as an important step
in the right
direction, one that could be emulated in other Scottish
councils.
Read
more
The city of Madrid may have to remove a motorway as the
regional government
breached the EU environmental impact assessment and habitats
directives in
building it.
Read
more
Canada has made use of a secret lobbying strategy to
undermine European
efforts to regulate or clean up oil extracted from tar sands
to be exported to
the EU. Recently revealed information has shown that
indigenous people and
Environmental campaigners were referred to as "adversaries."
Read
more
A new district in Beijing is slated for development. The
Beijing Bohai
Innovation City will be a car-lite neighborhood with public
transport nodes and
non-motorised transport receiving preference. The district
will also bear other
environmental considerations.
Read
more
In some districts in China, governmental attempts have been
put in place to
encourage a return to cycling. Electric bikes in particular
have been popular,
although the overall efforts have produced only mixed results.
Read
more
Us taxpayers woke up on February 29th with the news that they
are part
owners of a struggling French car company. This is due to the
unusual move of
General Motors (which was a part of the auto bail-out) in
buying a 7 percent
stake in Peugeot, which is facing serious financial problems.
Read
more
ACTION AND NETWORKING
WORLD BIKE FORUM
The
World Bike
Forum just took place in Porte Alegre, Brazil. Read a blog
report by Chris
Carlsson and see pictures from the event. The event was
covered in 375 news
items in the Brazilian press.
Read more
SEE ME SAVE ME
Road Peace has launched a new campaign that intends to reduce
the danger of
lorries and save lives. Included is a call for special
technology to eliminate
the blind spot.
Read more
LANCASTER HOUSING
An Eco-housing initiative is springing up in Lancaster, UK.
This is a
carfree community development based on ecological principles.
Interested
potential residents may signal interest by March 26. Photos,
video and blog
available.
Read more
REPORTS
GETTING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Sustainable transportation advocate and researcher Preston
Schiller has
published "Getting outside the box of the automobile", a
critique of Business
As Usual (BAU) traffic and transportation engineering in the
special
“Thinking Outside the Transportation Box" issue, Winter
2011-2012, of the
Canadian Civil Engineer journal.
Read
more
MEDIA
FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO
AMERICA
... translating the world's
best bikeway
designs. This new video by streetfilms shows some of the top
Dutch bikeway
designs, bringing them to North America and the world.
Watch
more
THE BICIMAQUINAS
Meet the Maya Pedal
Association and their
pedal-powered machine Bicimaquinas. This is 100% inspiring
creativity from
Guatemala. A must see!
Watch
more
HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO WALK
The BBC took a stroll in
Raleigh, NC, USA
and found a local initiative to get people to walk more. One
resident launched
his own solo street sign campaign, showing people where they
can travel on
their own two feet.
Watch
more
World Carfree News is published once a month
by World Carfree
Network.
Bulletin #93 by Justin Hyatt
To unsubscribe, send an email to: world-carfree-news_eng-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net
Available in six languages. Visit www.worldcarfree.net/bulletin