Feedback-Tech

This video is part of a Brazilian project called “Cities for People” or “Cidades Para Pessoas”. The video is narrated in Portuguese but has interviews in English and shots of the excellent urban design in Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, 55% of working people bike to work every day. 

It is a compelling case for expansion of urban cycling programs and policies, particularly in large cities with excessive traffic. The narrator aims to make the case for better urban planning in Sao Paolo, around the need for safer and more convenient ways to choose cycling over driving. Here, the average speed of cyclists is 20km/hr, while the average speed of a car is 13km/hr. 

In the U.S., a widespread transition from motorized vehicles as the main form of transportation has been politically difficult to push through. This piece shows an example of a city that through strong policies and built-in incentives for riders, was able to clear up traffic and encouraged a more active lifestyle for its residents. Strong shifts in behavior are difficult to implement, but when designs better integrate people’s needs and desires, coupled with external factors like high gas prices, seemingly difficult widespread shifts become quite possible.