Building the Bicycle City. René Kural x TUS.

Tokyo - Upcoming City of Cyclists Japan is often hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis and heavy rain- and snowfall. Earthquakes often causes break downs in electricity and communication lines and makes public transportation come to a halt. Stations are shut down and passengers stranded. This was the case in many Japanese cities after the fatal earthquake hit the country on March 11th2011. But more and more people are choosing to cycle to work. Should an earthquake hit Japan again (it will) and thousands being unable to go home by car or public transportations, cyclists will most likely be able to ride home. After the March 11th earthquake The Japan Cycling Association (JCA) has said that the number of cyclist in Tokyo might be five times as high today as it was before March 2011. But the worry is the safety of the new cyclists. Government statistics in 2010, showed that cyclists made up 16 % of road fatalities in Japan, compared to 3.7 % in France and 5.8 in UK. But what is needed? At first the topic has to be prioritized by politicians & planners and developed through innovation. According to the municipality of Copenhagen attention has to be drawn to four areas: • Urban life: Attractive and eventful urban spaces make the trip feel shorter. • Comfort: Cyclists should feel that it is easy and attractive to bike in the city. • Speed: Travel time by bike must be competitive with other means of transportation. • Safety: A prerequisite to choose the bike is that the cyclists feel safe. A few years ago Suginami Ward of Tokyo developed what they named Shiruku Road. At first the name sounds like “The Silk Road” referring to the historical network between Asia and Europe/ North Africa, but a closer look at the kanjis reveals that it means “Know your ward road”. The idea was supplemented by an informative magazine and a map of the ward for pupils. At first you could think that it was just another gimmick to inform inhabitants about their municipality, but it was actually an intelligent way to make children and young people know their neighbourhood through physical activity. Shiruku Road was a simple yet brilliant tool to teach children about quality in architecture and art, beauty of the existing landscape, history of Suginami Ward, and good public space. Not in a class room but by foot or bike. Benefits Besides improving health and reducing pollution and traffic jams, the bike reduces distances, is a stress reducing tool, makes the cyclists experience the differences of the seasons - smells, sounds, wind, temperatures - see parts of the city that they never would normally not experience in the underground subway and gives you the opportunity to talk with your companion during the ride. Finally it gives the cyclists of the future - children and youngsters - a good opportunity to know their local neighbourhood, learn how to manage in the traffic, a fresh start of the day, and hopefully make them continue to prefer the bike, when they grow up for the benefit of both individual health and environment.