How Did We Create the Housing Crisis?
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They Tore Down a Highway and Made it a River
The Absolute Best Transportation for Cities
Karaban
Kibera is a large suburb in Kenya in which a million people live under difficult conditions as it comes to scarcity and high mortality rate. Here, a lot of children do not choice in living on streets. Thus, whatever option to progress is rather limited.
Karaban was a project developed by at least Elena Milà and David Vilanova with the aim of pedaling from Andorra, a small country in Europe, to Kibera to bring opportunities to 22 children. This 12,000 km trip proposed being sponsored with €50,000 to allow the children being accepted in important student residences, with personalized following, until university or microcredits if they want to become entrepreneurs. However Karaban brought a little bit of hope to Kibera, most of the hope is provided by the NGO Kings and Queens of Kibera which works on the field since 2011 to help Kibera inhabitants develop a better future.
Regarding the bike trip, Elena and David experienced some tough moments such as crossing Namibia (a country with the second lower population density), the Namib dessert (up to 45ºC and few water and food sources), a cub came across in a forest, a scorpion appeared inside a saddlebag, howls of jackals at sunset, etc. However, it is important to appreciate the good moments as when sleeping in farms, haystacks or schools at night. And above all optimism and positivism are the two most important ways of living when facing serious drawbacks, from feeling your mind and body tired to not having a source of water in kilometers ahead.
Density vs Sprawl
Rating Seattle Bicycle Racks
Urban planning ideas
How do countries with traditional high use of bikes deal with associated problems? The answer is simple and clear: Urban designers think under the bicycle perspective. It means creating and adapting infrastructures for cycling. For example, instead of a normal bike line consisting of two parallel lines if seen from the sky, they have implemented conic bike lines. This is due to the facts that bikers ride at different speeds usually and to diminish time in covering the same length. So, when there is the need of speed bicycle traffic, some bikers can pass others as there is enough space to do it.
Other well-established infrastructure is to create specific-bike bridges to overpass rivers, houses, highways you name it. This way bikers avoid major tours. Going a step further, such bridges can be suitable for pedestrians with a dedicated longitudinal line of half of the total space.
Changes of the traffic light sequence is another good idea. Such countries prioritize bikes over cars in some very busy streets. Moreover, some traffic lights have a cyclist counter and when it reaches a previously determined number, the green light for bikes appears out of a sudden. When designing bike parking, it is necessary to take into account dedicated areas for cargo bikes and electric charges for ebikes. And of course, please do not design narrow bike lines.
Bike highways allow connecting cities with industrial areas and villages. If this is the case, they should show enough wide as to allow easy and secure overtaking.
These Ugly Big Box Stores are Literally Bankrupting Cities
New York Declares War On Traffic
Maddy Novich
The use of cargo bikes has been increasing over the last years. Even in countries so pro-car as the USA, this kind of bicycles remains a clear alternative to cars. Maddy Novich, Criminal Law teacher at Manhattan University, knows it in deep. This mother of three has five cargo bikes and uses them to carry couches or big wardrobe, and also her three children. The children enjoy the rides while playing, eating, or chatting in the box. Moreover, she is always open to answer questions in relation to bikes and particularly cargo bikes to others moms who want to gain independence and take care of their health and environment. Maddy advises about issues like what cargo bike model to choose or how to drive a cargo bike.
She has also visited several European countries and appreciates specially those who offer good, physically separated bike lines from car lines. Indeed, Maddy started using cargo bikes in Amsterdam back in 2019. Moreover, she highlights the difference mentality of European and American car drivers. She affirms that in general European car drives respect bikers more in the sense that they reduce speed and keep more safety distance when they see a bicycle.
