Bicycles and Future Cities

By Donnalynn Polito

When you imagine a future city, do you think of a historic machine like the bicycle? Perhaps not, but others have. In fact, Bicycle City, the first of its kind in North America is in the planning stages and to be located in South Carolina.

Imagine that! A city without roads! Without roads for cars, that is. Bicycles are shaping the way we transport ourselves into the future of cities without cars. Of course, the 140 acres of Bicycle City will have green homes to go along with it.

It is no surprise that Germany has already built a bicycle city where over 5,000 residents currently live mostly without cars and that is a tram's ride away from the town, Freiburg. The cars that are used are parked on the outskirts of town which are, you guessed it, biked to.

The inspiration for such a project comes from none other than golf. Communities are built up around the golf course so why not around cleaner air, less noise, less pollution, doubling up on activities like getting exercise while going to the shop? None other than the bicycle fits that bill.

Of course, tons of questions start to pop into mind. One of the first questions that I had was how would you get food into the city. For the South Carolina site, rail and water will be the transportation modes used to haul all the goods that we use and rely on for daily life.

As I rushed to tell my friend about this concept, more questions came up. What if you have a family to transport around, or what if the weather doesn't cooperate with your plans?

Being a problem solver, my friend and I came up with lots of ideas to answer these questions. After some thoughtful discussions, we realized that these concerns were opportunities for fun and creativity and maybe even a spark for that entrepreneurial spirit.

Now, what about all that pedaling? That may sound like torture to some and exhilarating to others. At some point or another, we have all wished to get to that easy-breezy status. It's just the in-between parts that seem to bring our good intentions to a crashing halt. The key is to start. After a couple of weeks, your aerobic capacity will build, and you'll be able to do things you never thought you could. Soon, says expert bike riders, you won't look back.

And, as I mentioned before, cycling may be the ultimate multi-tasking activity.

As far as the bicycle goes, nobody really knows when the bicycle was invented. One school of thought embraces the 1860s as the first bicycle invention by a guy named Ernest Michaux. Others refer to Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbroon as being the first to design a bike-like machine around 1818.

Regardless of the exact date, bicycles and the various models have always been a fascination and a fashion statement, from nostalgic to a throw-down that has no chance of getting stolen. As these bicycle cities grow, we just may have another chance to express ourselves.

Want to create your unique environment and have a real opportunity to improve the health and energy efficiency of your home or workplace? Visit Eco Living Design to pick your bicycle fashion model.

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