Can the Dutch model of a cycling city be exported?

Human powered transport, walking and cycling, will be a critical ingredient in helping the world address climate change. A story from the ABC’s “Blueprint for Living” discuses what’s happening in Holland and how we can learn from that.

The Netherlands has much to teach us about creating cycling cities.

Wooden clogs and windmills are stereotypical icons of The Netherlands, but a longer lasting and helpful export may be the idea of a purpose-built city with bicycles as part of the design.

This ‘Dutch model’ is the envy of many city councils who want to make their urban areas more cycle-friendly. But how realistic is it to adapt a city to this eco-friendly way of life?

Is it a question of infrastructure, citizen engagement, or both?

Listen to the Blueprint for Living from ABC Radio National - “Can the Dutch model of a cycling city be exported?”

Starting young to change the mindset on the idea of walking

Any worthwhile response to climate change involves a new outlook on the idea of walking.

We must start using our feet to get about as opposed to the fossil fuels presently at the root of human movement.

And the help alter that mindset, it is important to start young and so the Walk Safely to School Day needs our support and endorsement.

Should you be eager to know more about walking to school, check out the Walk Safely to School Day website.

Sydney to ditch cars by 2056: report.

Planners envisage that by the middle of this century most Sydneysiders will be able to reach their place of work within 30 minutes using public transport or ‘‘active’’ options, such as walking or riding.

Sights such as this will be substantually lessened by
mid-this century if Sydney's plans come to fruition.

The NSW Government has released its Future Transport Strategy 2056 report, which suggests investment will increasingly be focused on ‘‘three cities’’ built around Western Sydney Airport, Greater Parramatta and the existing CBD.

‘‘Customers will be able to travel to one of these cities or to their nearest centre within 30 minutes of where they live by public or active transport,’’ the report states.

‘‘This will give people better access to access jobs, eduction and essential services.’’

The report suggests getting people out of their cars and using sustainable transport will reduce congestion and emissions and improve air quality and wellbeing.

‘‘Well-planned centres and cities will enable a shift from private cars to public transport and active transport modes, such as walking and cycling,’’ the strategy says.

‘‘In Sydney, the key to this will be the delivery of three 30-minute cities, supported by reliable ‘turn up and go’ mass transit services.’’

Active transport for short trips will be encouraged by providing safe and accessible footpaths with seating and shade.

There’ll also be better pedestrian crossings, lower traffic speeds, separated cycling paths and secure bicycle storage.

The report notes that by 2056 NSW will have more than 12 million residents.

Sydney will be a global city similar in size to London or New York.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian released the transport strategy yesterday alongside the State Infrastructure Strategy and the Greater Sydney Region Plan.

‘‘Now for the first time we have a co-ordinated vision for our state for the next 10, 20, 30 and 40 years,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.

‘‘It’s a plan that makes sure communities can expect to have jobs in their local area, shorter travel times and a better environment, which ensures lots of open and green spaces.’’

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said: ‘‘We want to improve public transport and roads so, that by 2056, 70 per cent of people live within 30 minutes of where they work or study.’’

Story from today’s Shepparton News - “Sydney to ditch cars by 2056: report.”

Transport disadvantage

Shepparton’s reliance on driving may be hurting the city.

A Greater Shepparton City Council survey has found significant demand for more walking and cycling options, and more regular local and regional public transport.

Shepparton is a car-bound city.

‘‘Transport disadvantage’’ was identified as a concern in the city.

Councillors will tonight vote to note the contents of the Movement and Place Strategy Consultation Report and endorse the MAPS Vision and Direction Paper as the basis for the draft strategy.

About half of the 45 respondents to the Council’s MAPS survey identified walking as a primary mode of transport, while just 11 per cent identified cycling and only seven per cent identified using public transport.

Read Thomas Moir’s story on the Shepparton News - “Transport disadvantage.”

Building a sustainable world depends on our cities

Sophie Hill - writing about
building sustainable cities.

Walking through inner-city Melbourne, scenes of sleeping rough, makeshift cardboard shelters and begging are not uncommon.

All of this, in the city deemed the world’s most liveable for six consecutive years, demonstrates the universal nature of the challenge cities face.

The issue of urban inequality and the rights of marginalised citizen will be a key point at the upcoming Habitat III Conference in Quito in October, 2016. Held every 20 years, the conference will set out priorities and frameworks for addressing global sustainability concerns over the next two decades.

The University of Melbourne’s delegation includes several urban planning researchers from the Melbourne School of Design. They will actively engage in discussion that will help to shape Australia’s urban priorities and policy for years to come.

The UN Habitat’s New Urban Agenda and the relatively new Sustainable Development Goals are two specific global frameworks that will be under consideration at the conference. These global frameworks essentially provide governments with a model on which to base their policy, and an incentive to promote more equitable urban processes and outcomes.

Read the Pursuit story by Sophie Hill from the University of Melbourne - “Building a sustainable world depends on our cities.”

If a city were designed for walking, you could leave your home and stroll down the block to the enticing aroma of fresh pastries. Then, after a quick stop at the corner bakery, you might walk past a community park and into the office where you work.

A neighbourhood like this would make it easier to live without cars, help break our dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce global warming pollution. But many modern U.S. cities are not designed for walking.
Read the Yale Climate Connections story - “Cities Weigh Re-designs to Encourage Walking.”

Will 'Olli' of his/her like be a part of our future?

-      Robert McLean

Is "Olli", or something like it, what we will be
using in an energy-restrained future.

Today, in Shepparton at least, was an example of why we need to shift intellectually and practically from fossil fuel powered, privately owned vehicles.

The morning was overcast, showery and the roads were quite wet as it had rained during the night, making the use of bicycles or walking quite challenging.

Driving my wife to work, I sat at a busy intersection wondering about how a shift to a different method of human movement, in a modern city embedded in the existing economic superstructure, could ever come about?

The idea that we each own our transport is so entrenched that any suggestion that we might do it differently is quickly dumped in the “ludicrous” basket and the lid slammed shut with accusations of it being utopian dreaming.

Climate change, however, is changing all that and so within decades, despite a perverse and misplaced dislike many have for “public” anything, we will have no option but to embrace something like what is proposed with this self-driving minibus.

Read the Phys.org story - “Olli, a 3D printed, self-driving minibus, to hit the road in US.”

Planning a carbon-rich world strikingly different from what's needed now

City planning in a carbon-rich world is strikingly different from what will be needed, and essential, if we are to endure in a carbon-constrained world.

A new book released just this week by Melbourne’s Grattan Institute examines the planning that it claims is “broken”, particularly Melbourne and Sydney.

The book: “City Limits: Why Australia's Cities are Broken and How We Can Fix Them” had been published by Melbourne University Press.

A story in today’s Melbourne Age headed: “Melbourne's planning disaster: jobs boom in CBD while affordable housing grows everoutwards in suburbs” discusses the disconnect between where the jobs are and where people can afford to live.

What wasn’t alluded to, but is a clear implication, is the wider cost to society in the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the constant commuting forced upon people when jobs are in one place and their homes are in another, frequently an hour or more way.

Any reasonable response to climate change demands that we live with easy walking or cycling distance of where it is we work – some people have advocated that we live in a “10-minute world”, meaning that most everything needed for day-to-day survival is within 10 minutes of where we live.

Walking is an underrated solution to climate change.

Walking is an underrated solution to climate change.

The movement of people by machines, machines powered by fossil-fuels is one of the root causes of climate change, and so the switch simple human-powered movement would help ease the dilemma.

Walking, as opposed to using machines, is not only good for helping maintain the human-habitable state of the world, it is wonderful for an individual’s health and is helps save our communities money.

The benefit of ditching our cars and walking is explained today in the Melbourne Age in a story by Louise Almeida headed: “Health study: Melbourne walking commute could save lives and $30m”.

Should we walk more our health will improve, society will save money and the world’s environment will benefit.