Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: Copenhagenize's Christmas Wish List 2009

Last year my son Felix began preparing his Wish List for christmas. He started thinking big from the word go. The list featured Xbox, Wii, Playstation and various games for these three consoles. He continued with a flatscreen tv, a mobile telephone, the complete Lego City series and so on.I explained to him that it was probably a good idea to add some more modest wishes that were accessible to the people who would be buying him presents. Out of curiosity, I added up the cost of all the wishes on the original list. 17,000 Danish kroner. [€2660]. A tad over the top for a six year old. He ended up pleased with what he got, of course, but I admire him for thinking big.So here’s my Christmas wish list for 2009. There’s really only one item on it.A 30 km/h zone for cars in the entire City of Copenhagen and 20 km/h in school zones.Period.

I will bet that if this landed under our tree this yuletime, there would be an increase of 10% of the amount of cyclists within one year, as well as a serious increase in the number of train, bus and metro passengers.

Any takers in Copenhagen for that bet? Any visionaries present at City Hall? There is enough research from cities elsewhere in Europe that have already implemented this simple idea that it would be a smashingly brilliant thing to do. Less pollution, less traffic, fewer accidents and fewer serious accidents.At time of writing there are 70 days and 7.5 hours until I open my presents on December 24th in the evening.

Get busy.

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