Monday, September 10, 2007

Another Bicycling Heaven: Amsterdam

Since the enlightened US city of Portland was featured here last week, Chaos stumbled onto this photo essay on bicycling in Amsterdam. Multiple pleasures here: the everyday nature of the activity is reflected in the dress and mannerisms of the people photographed using their incredibly ordinary and functional vehicles. The US-centric tourist/photographer's somewhat ignorant comments contrast with those who've had actual experience in the country and are entertaining as well. One need not stretch the imagination much to envision a lower energy future, for that exists today in places elsewhere. Unfortunately, this series of photos is as much a reflection of the values of the populace as the mass transit and bike lanes of Portland. Without changing the culture, the infrastructure will not magically appear...

1 comment:

alvinwriter said...

Ah, bicycling heaven... It's music to the ears, and I suppose, to the nose as well, as bicycles are free of carbon dioxide emissions and soot that come with exhaust fumes from combustion vehicles. It's good to see a comeback of the bicycle. Wouldn't it be good to have other designs of human powered vehicles, perhaps even car-sized ones?

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