How Did We Create the Housing Crisis?
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The path
How would our cities be if car did not dominate them?
Today, most of cites are mastered by cars which product pollution, noise, dead cashes and less surface for people. If the XX century had been different and vehicles such as bicycles, buses or trains would be opted for, I assure you that there would be far less car fatalities, people would have better health and psychology, climate change could be no problem today, children would still play on streets, adults would enjoy streets and neighbor relationships more, extracted energy from Earth would be less, wildlife would be higher and perhaps more diverse, local stores would sell more as people cycling and walking have time to see the products they sold versus people in cars who does not have time enough to focus or even see products that stores sell. They told cars improve safety in cities, but this is not true. Some examples that demonstrate it are:
– Curitiba (Brazil): For its urban planning, not focused on cars
– Copenhagen (Denmark): For its urban infrastructure and cyclist planning
– Vancouver (Canada): For its example on shared mobility
– Singapore: For its accurate tax system for vehicles
– Zurich (Switzerland): For a good-thought, public transport system
This Might Just Be the World Best Metro System
NYC Meatpacking District Converts 14th Street to a Pleasant Promenade with Public Porches
Can AI help to promote urban biking?
Every day we read a piece of news related to advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI). A lot of fields are taking advantage of it in order to automate processes, show a more precise analysis or creating new materials, just to name a few. Can AI help to promote urban biking?
As you could imagine, the answer is yes. In a few words, AI plays a significant role in promoting biking by enhancing safety, convenience and awareness for cyclists. Some ways to reach them are:
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Smart route planning: AI algorithms analyze real-time traffic data, weather conditions and infrastructure to suggest the safest and most efficient biking routes. This makes more people to use cycling over other modes of transport
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Traffic management and optimization: When a biker is in charge of deciding which traffic systems are better for bike users and has in mind AI, she usually determines that AI-powered traffic systems are suitable to prioritize bike lanes, optimize traffic light timings and reduce congestion. When this point is used in urban biking, it becomes safer and more appealing
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Safety monitoring and alerts: AI can facilitate the development of wearable devices and bike sensors that detect hazards, monitor urban cyclist health and send alerts about approaching vehicles of unsafe street conditions
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Bike sharing optimization: Although bike sharing systems are common in many cities around the world, AI can analyze usage patterns to optimize the placement and availability of shared bikes, making bikes more accessible and convenient for users
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Public awareness campaigns: Apart from human thinking, AI-driven data analytics can identify barriers to cycling adoption and tailor targeted campaigns to address misconceptions, promote health benefits and inform citizens about cycling infrastructure
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Infrastructure planning: Urban planners can use AI as assistant by analyzing data on traffic flow, accident hotpots and commuter patterns to design better bike lanes, bike parking and facilities
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Personalized incentives: AI systems can offer personalized rewards or incentives for cycling to work or study. This way more city residents are encourage to incorporate biking into their daily routines
All these points are examples of how cities can create a safer, more efficient and more attractive environment for urban biking by using AI, leading to healthier populations and more sustainable urban development.
How NYC Is Banning Cars on Broadway
This Train Just Keeps Getting Worse
The cuentakilómetros
Some times politicians promise new bike lines in political campaigns and after they win the elections, they mysteriously forget what have announced thus cheating on their voters. Cities inhabitants have two options: Make as nothing happened or fight for the promised bike lines. Regarding the second point, there is un action, the Cuentakilómetros (in Spanish) originally created in Málaga (Spain) and replicated for other cities. It consisted in using an interactive map with a progress bar in Google Maps in which one could see the evolution of bike lines being built.
The urban bike group Ruedas Redondas was upset about the promise that the mayor proposed in the political campaign (to double the number of bike lines kilometers in Málaga, from 45 to 90) and the lack of pieces of news on media about the new projects and on the streets. So, they created the Cuentakilómetros (the technological tool that I have commented) for every person to see how the evolution was. For this gentle way of showing reality, Ruedas Redondas only had to check media and public trading platforms for newness and update it. This way, cyclist could see the evolution of bike lines creation and confirm that it is impossible to trust on politicians who promote motor vehicles instead of bicycles under a climate change challenge. Smart people will remember the lack of such bike lines when voting again.