ID/Lab is working with Parks Victoria (as part of the Taylor Cullity Lethlean team) on the development of a wayshowing system for the Point Nepean National Park site.

Point Nepean National Park is a popular tourist destination. Besides spectacular ocean scenery, the park is home to Fort Nepean, established in 1882, and the historic Quarantine Station first established in 1852, which was closed to the public for almost 150 years. It is located about 100km South of Melbourne.

Point Nepean NP presents a fabulous opportunity for ‘story-telling’. The wayshowing system should not only be a functional navigation tool, but enhance the visitors’ planning & experience by divulging the myriad of stories the site has to offer – historical, ecological, recreational. Online, hand-held and real-world experiences will all be considered and integrated to provide for a wayshowing system that invites the user to explore the park physically and educationally.

This video from the blog “Amsterdamize” (It’s 100% lycra free-guaranteed!) features a cold, wintry day in Amsterdam, but despite this there are plenty of cycle commuters on the streets. I’ve chosen this video because it shows what is possible for cyclists in a big, busy, cramped city as long as your council is prepared to put money in infrastructure. Imagine if all those people were sitting in their car, or were using public transport. Both roads and public transport providers wouldn’t be able to cope!

You can see the cyclists move around on the bike lanes that are separated from the pedestrians (if you look at the sheer amount of cyclists you understand why!) but also separated from the cars. Cycling is popular because a reasonably safe environment has been created for them. One can easily commute from A to B, for work, school, shopping, visiting friends… Cycling is cheap, The Netherlands is flat and there are 400km of dedicated cycle lanes in and around the entire city. No helmet is required, (wish it was the same here..) and it keeps you fit.

This video also gives you a good insight in bicycle parking facilities for a city that big. There is the famous multi-story bicycle parking (Fietsflat): built a few years ago as a temporary facility to hold 2500 bikes while work progresses on a permanent garage to hold 10,000 bikes. In fact, its estimated that there are often 4000 bikes crammed in to the “fietsflat”. Parking your bike here is free and its usually filled by mid-morning.

And finally look for the special bicycle crossing light: it counts down the seconds to a green light….

As I was born in Amsterdam myself and lived there a few years ago happily riding my bike, I can see the possibilities for Melbourne (or any other city for that matter!). It will never become a second Amsterdam (doesn’t have to) but wouldn’t it be great to get around from A to B on a bicycle in beautiful Melbourne on dedicated bike lanes away from cars and pedestrians?

(You can click through to some more videos by the same author negotiating Amsterdam on his push-bike)

We all know that Melbourne needs rapid trams, trains and buses, which are interconnected, user friendly and safe, and that we need a network of safe bike paths and walkways that connect to public transport, workplaces, shopping and recreational areas.

In Victoria, Vic Roads is upgrading its Principal Bicycle Network, however the problem is that the links between the networks are often missing and local bike routes suddenly stop at the council border. The Victorian Cycling Strategy and the bicycle strategies of local councils are trying to address this.

Hopefully Robert Doyle, the Mayor of Melbourne will soon be able to follow what the Mayor of London has announced:

£155m for local transport improvements including £1.49m to “support” Cycle Superhighways.

The funding is designed to improve local town centres and public spaces, create more shared space and simplify street-scapes and improving cycling and walking facilities and making them safer to do so. At the same time cutting red tape to make it all happen.

It’s a great initiative especially the focus on cycling as research has shown that when you are able to make a city move by bicycle, it will be a more humane and equal city. While cars separate people, bicycles can bring us together and build up a much more integrated and friendly society.

ID/Lab is working on an exciting initiative to assist councils making the urban environment more attractive to be in – watch this space!!

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