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Cycle Space: Architecture and Urban Design in the Age of the Bicycle
"Cycle Space" is the first book to view the city through the lens--or rearview mirror--of the bicycle. It features portraits of eight major cities and their respective cycling cultures: New York, Chicago, Portland, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Budapest, Sao Paolo, Singapore and Sydney. Each of these cities has seen a groundswell of cyclists taking to its streets in recent years. From death-defying bike messengers to hipsters with a taste for cycle chic to commuters simply riding to work, cycling is now being viewed as more than just an alternative: it's practical; it's cool; it's green. In "Cycle Space," architecture professor and cycling enthusiast Steven Fleming (or Dr. Behooving, as he is known to those who follow his blog, Behooving Moving) suggests new ways of designing better cities, thereby reducing emissions, commute times, ill health and sprawl in the process. Not only can architecture and urban design begin to optimize conditions for cycling; they can also take inspiration from the aesthetics and ethics of cycling as well. Fleming argues that understanding why more and more people are choosing bikes is key for discovering the full potential of the bicycle as a transformative force in the design of our cities. "Cycle Space" is a must-read for anyone interested in the nexus of architecture, cycling and urban design.
176 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2013
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About the author
Steven Fleming
3 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This is Steven^^Fleming, where^=space.
About Steven Fleming
Dr. Steven Fleming is a leading theorist of architecture and urban design as these relate to bicycle transport, developing architectural and planning responses to the problem of large scale bicycle oriented urban redevelopment.
This is Steven^^Fleming, where^=space.
About Steven Fleming
Dr. Steven Fleming is a leading theorist of architecture and urban design as these relate to bicycle transport, developing architectural and planning responses to the problem of large scale bicycle oriented urban redevelopment.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 7, 2016
saya adalah salah satu orang yang menikmati kota tempat tinggal saya ini dengan bersepeda.
sebagai orang yang bukan asli yogya, dan ketika dikasih teman sebuah sepeda kuna, maka itu berkah luar biasa bagi saya. saya manfaatkan benar-benar.
semula, hanya jarak pendek saja saya susuri bersama sepeda tua saya ini. sekitar kampung, persawahan dan perdesaan di daerah bantul yang landskapnya membentang nyaman untuk mata dan pernafasan. setelah yakin dengan kekuatan sepeda itu, maka saya pun membawanya ke kota yogya. seminggu 2-3 kali ke kantor yang berjarak 10km dari rumah saya jalani dengan sepeda itu. melewati berbagai jenis ruang yang berbeda, berbagai kualitas permukaan jalan dan polusi udara.
lain dari itu, kota yogya juga berbeda bila diamati dari sepeda.
sama seperti kesaksian buku ini, ruang-ruang kota jadi kontinu bila disusuri dengan sepeda, katimbang jalan kaki. berjalan kaki cenderung memilih tempat yang berada dalam keteduhan, keluar masuk emperan toko dan bangunan, sedangkan bersepeda itu berkendaraan seperti kendaraan lain: di luar, di jalanan, sehingga fasad bangunan dan skala serta proporsinya lebih terlihat obyektif karena berjarak.
buku ini ingin membaca ruang kota, lewat sarana mobilitas penduduknya: sepeda.
penulisnya mengulas dan menandai identitas kota-kota itu secara subyektif: amsterdam dibicarakan di dalam bingkai "practical", kota portland dalam bingkai "cool", new york dalam bab tentang "political", sydney dalam tajuk "prestigious", chicago dengan "green" dst.
subyektifitas penulisnya justru berharga. dan cocok dengan sepeda yang menjadi wahana pergerakannya. karena sepeda itu masih seperti kepanjangan kaki orang berjalan. bukan tunggangan yang punya otonomi sendiri seperti mobil sedan.
biasanya, buku-buku terbitan 010 dari NAi itu bagus-bagus disainnya. tapi yang ini jelek. typografinya saya gak sukak blas... banyak halaman berwarna yang dicetak di kertas "biasa". tapi ya gak apa-apa.
masih enak dilihat dan dibaca.
secara garis besar, buku ini menempatkan bersepeda sebagai pilihan yang harus diperjuangkan. di banyak kota tidak semuanya seragam dalam mengapresiasi sepeda. bahkan di amsterdam yang datar dan induk bagi para pesepeda, pun di sana orang akan lebih memilih yang gak capek-capek. hanya karena mahalnya ongkos parkir kendaraan sajalah maka mereka memilih bersepeda.
setahu saya, di jepang pun demikian. seorang penduduk saya tanyai mengenai ini, menjawab: "kalau peraturannya gak ribet, saya pilih naik mobil saja." naik sepeda motor dan mobil memang [dibikin] ribet oleh polisi dan pemerintah: entah ijin SIMnya susah, entah parkirnya amat dibatasi. wahana yang paling mudah dan praktis ternyata sepeda.
dan itu berlangsung karena kekuatan PEMDA yang bisa memaksa penduduknya untuk tidak bermotor/mobil di jalanannya.
bersepeda, adalah tindakan politis yang harus diperjuangkan!
sebagai orang yang bukan asli yogya, dan ketika dikasih teman sebuah sepeda kuna, maka itu berkah luar biasa bagi saya. saya manfaatkan benar-benar.
semula, hanya jarak pendek saja saya susuri bersama sepeda tua saya ini. sekitar kampung, persawahan dan perdesaan di daerah bantul yang landskapnya membentang nyaman untuk mata dan pernafasan. setelah yakin dengan kekuatan sepeda itu, maka saya pun membawanya ke kota yogya. seminggu 2-3 kali ke kantor yang berjarak 10km dari rumah saya jalani dengan sepeda itu. melewati berbagai jenis ruang yang berbeda, berbagai kualitas permukaan jalan dan polusi udara.
lain dari itu, kota yogya juga berbeda bila diamati dari sepeda.
sama seperti kesaksian buku ini, ruang-ruang kota jadi kontinu bila disusuri dengan sepeda, katimbang jalan kaki. berjalan kaki cenderung memilih tempat yang berada dalam keteduhan, keluar masuk emperan toko dan bangunan, sedangkan bersepeda itu berkendaraan seperti kendaraan lain: di luar, di jalanan, sehingga fasad bangunan dan skala serta proporsinya lebih terlihat obyektif karena berjarak.
buku ini ingin membaca ruang kota, lewat sarana mobilitas penduduknya: sepeda.
penulisnya mengulas dan menandai identitas kota-kota itu secara subyektif: amsterdam dibicarakan di dalam bingkai "practical", kota portland dalam bingkai "cool", new york dalam bab tentang "political", sydney dalam tajuk "prestigious", chicago dengan "green" dst.
subyektifitas penulisnya justru berharga. dan cocok dengan sepeda yang menjadi wahana pergerakannya. karena sepeda itu masih seperti kepanjangan kaki orang berjalan. bukan tunggangan yang punya otonomi sendiri seperti mobil sedan.
biasanya, buku-buku terbitan 010 dari NAi itu bagus-bagus disainnya. tapi yang ini jelek. typografinya saya gak sukak blas... banyak halaman berwarna yang dicetak di kertas "biasa". tapi ya gak apa-apa.
masih enak dilihat dan dibaca.
secara garis besar, buku ini menempatkan bersepeda sebagai pilihan yang harus diperjuangkan. di banyak kota tidak semuanya seragam dalam mengapresiasi sepeda. bahkan di amsterdam yang datar dan induk bagi para pesepeda, pun di sana orang akan lebih memilih yang gak capek-capek. hanya karena mahalnya ongkos parkir kendaraan sajalah maka mereka memilih bersepeda.
setahu saya, di jepang pun demikian. seorang penduduk saya tanyai mengenai ini, menjawab: "kalau peraturannya gak ribet, saya pilih naik mobil saja." naik sepeda motor dan mobil memang [dibikin] ribet oleh polisi dan pemerintah: entah ijin SIMnya susah, entah parkirnya amat dibatasi. wahana yang paling mudah dan praktis ternyata sepeda.
dan itu berlangsung karena kekuatan PEMDA yang bisa memaksa penduduknya untuk tidak bermotor/mobil di jalanannya.
bersepeda, adalah tindakan politis yang harus diperjuangkan!
May 29, 2017
Wonderfully personable and eccentric questioning of the current car-centric design paradigm of cities, and ultimately, LIFE!
Some interesting and pragmatic proposals on how to subvert car-hegemony, including:
- utilising rivers, canals, railway lines, old industrial sites, i.e. brownfield sites to create cycle centric areas
- emphasising the need for separation of bikes and cars in cycling infrastructure to develop a viable network across a city. Expecting novice cyclists to act as human shields and as a traffic buffer is asking a lot. If you can retrofit existing infrastructure with viable commuting routes, or even fun routes, then it creates momentum among the community for cycle friendly neighbourhoods.
- the dutch cycling miracle that occurred in the 70s took place when the community had experience of widespread use of bicycles. Introducing specialist cycling infrastructure was in effect reintroducing a mode of transport that was still part of the living memory of most people. But most communities around the world do not have this experience of cycling as forming part of a normal way of life, as opposed to a specialised 'sports' activity. So introducing cycle specific infrastructure needs to account for not only the aggressive reflexive anti-cyclist attitudes prevalent today, but also the fact that most people cannot conceive of a bicycle as anything other than a specialised sporting machine, or a very occasional recreational past time.
So some unexpected insights into cycling and community from a design and architectural perspective.
Some interesting and pragmatic proposals on how to subvert car-hegemony, including:
- utilising rivers, canals, railway lines, old industrial sites, i.e. brownfield sites to create cycle centric areas
- emphasising the need for separation of bikes and cars in cycling infrastructure to develop a viable network across a city. Expecting novice cyclists to act as human shields and as a traffic buffer is asking a lot. If you can retrofit existing infrastructure with viable commuting routes, or even fun routes, then it creates momentum among the community for cycle friendly neighbourhoods.
- the dutch cycling miracle that occurred in the 70s took place when the community had experience of widespread use of bicycles. Introducing specialist cycling infrastructure was in effect reintroducing a mode of transport that was still part of the living memory of most people. But most communities around the world do not have this experience of cycling as forming part of a normal way of life, as opposed to a specialised 'sports' activity. So introducing cycle specific infrastructure needs to account for not only the aggressive reflexive anti-cyclist attitudes prevalent today, but also the fact that most people cannot conceive of a bicycle as anything other than a specialised sporting machine, or a very occasional recreational past time.
So some unexpected insights into cycling and community from a design and architectural perspective.
November 6, 2015
Fact and vision combine in this book by an author whose subtitle calling announces his passion for urban cycling.
We learn the ups and downs of bicycle-oriented urban design in places famous for their progress--Amsterdam, Portland, Paris, Copenhagen--and not so famous--Singapore, Chicago, among others.
What's great about an architect tackling this subject is that Fleming thinks of everything. Most of what's written about reconfiguring our cities for safer, easier cycling is pretty matter-of-fact. Fleming is a visionary. He's not afraid to suggest crazy ideas, and a concern for making cycling practical is matched by a desire to make it fun!
The prose is almost lyrical. For example, he says of motorists "Inside their machines they become their machines." Copenhagen's 8-House is described as "a giant perimeter block, pinched at the waist to make a figure-eight form."
I wish that the book had an index and that the many, many color pictures were printed better, but what's there is really exciting to read.
We learn the ups and downs of bicycle-oriented urban design in places famous for their progress--Amsterdam, Portland, Paris, Copenhagen--and not so famous--Singapore, Chicago, among others.
What's great about an architect tackling this subject is that Fleming thinks of everything. Most of what's written about reconfiguring our cities for safer, easier cycling is pretty matter-of-fact. Fleming is a visionary. He's not afraid to suggest crazy ideas, and a concern for making cycling practical is matched by a desire to make it fun!
The prose is almost lyrical. For example, he says of motorists "Inside their machines they become their machines." Copenhagen's 8-House is described as "a giant perimeter block, pinched at the waist to make a figure-eight form."
I wish that the book had an index and that the many, many color pictures were printed better, but what's there is really exciting to read.
March 28, 2014
A very good study on the way to look at urban design from the viewpoint of a cyclist, theoretically and practically.
I would have loved to have given it 5 stars, given the subject's importance, given the book looking at it in the way that it did. However, somehow it just did not seem to do enough of everything.
I would have loved to have given it 5 stars, given the subject's importance, given the book looking at it in the way that it did. However, somehow it just did not seem to do enough of everything.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews