Interesting Reading: 11/11
Bicycle-sharing mania takes hold in Europe
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/09/europe/pedal.php
BARCELONA: In increasingly green-conscious Europe, there are said to be
only two kinds of mayors: those who have a bicycle-sharing program and
those who want one.
Over the past several years, the programs have sprung up and taken off in
dozens of cities, on a scale no one had thought possible and in places
where bicycling had never been popular.
The sharing plans include not just Paris's Vélib', with its 20,000
bicycles, but also wildly popular programs with thousands of bicycles in
major cities like Barcelona and Lyon. Programs operate in Pamplona, Spain;
Rennes, France; and Düsseldorf. Even Rome, whose narrow, cobbled streets
and chaotic traffic would seem unsuited to pedaling, recently started a
small trial program, Roma-n-Bici, which it plans to expand soon.
For mayors looking to ease congestion and prove their environmental bona
fides, bike-sharing has provided a simple solution: For the price of a
bus, they get a fleet of bicycles, and they can avoid years of
construction and the approvals required for a subway. For riders, joining
means cut-rate transportation - as well as a chance to contribute to the
planet's well-being.
The new systems are successful in part because they blanket cities with
huge numbers of available bikes, but the real linchpin is technology.
Aided by electronic smart cards and computerized bike stands, riders can
pick up and drop off bicycles in seconds at hundreds of locations, their
payments deducted from bank accounts
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The Tin Shed
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/tinshed/index.jsp?ln=241
The Tin Shed was the first home of what would eventually become Patagonia,
the outdoor clothing manufacture. Check out this multimedia environment
celebrating Patagonia's history and the outdoor culture they embrace (and
market).
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Jim Carroll - 10 fundamental trends that don't change with the meltdown
http://www.jimcarroll.com/blog/2008/11/10-fundamental-trends-that-don.html
So what are the trends that will drive future growth? Off the top of my
head, there are several...
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The Abraham Path Initiative
http://www.abrahampath.org/about.php?lang=en
The Abraham Path is a route of cultural tourism that retraces the journey
made by Abraham (Ibrahim) through the heart of the Middle East some four
thousand years ago. Three and a half billion people - over half the human
family - trace their history or faith back to Abraham, considered the
father of monotheism. The Abraham Path honors this shared cultural
heritage by linking together into a single itinerary of outstanding
interest and beauty the ancient sites associated with Abraham and his
family.
The centerpiece of the Abraham Path is a long-distance walking trail,
beginning in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where many believe Abraham to
have been born, and in the nearby ruins of Harran, where Abraham is said
to have heard the call of God to 'go forth.' Initially covering a distance
of 1,200 kilometers, the Abraham Path will pass through some of the finest
landscapes, historic sites, and holy places of the Middle East before
culminating at Abraham's tomb just south of Jerusalem in the city of
Hebron/Al-Khalil. Eventually the route will extend to encompass Abrahams
travels to and from Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
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