Dear All,
We are planning to organize a great bicycle event in mid/late July in Tokyo called: Biketope.
Basically, we are Design Office and we usually plan events too.
Our NPO organization wants to promote design in everyday life to large audience.
We noticed that many bikes (like mamachari/ folding bikes...) are thrown away, abandonned in the street and this is a big problem as it cost a lot to the city.
We think it is really a pitty and we tryed to ask ourselves about the reasons.
Of course, there is a lack of regulation, bike paths and bike parkings in Tokyo.
Because of our over-consumption society, it becomes easier and cheaper to abandon a bike and buy a new cheap one than paying fees or repair it...
We do think that design can help to make a better life and nice objects that people will not throw away so easily.
In addition, bicycle is a sustainable and ecological object but nowadays considered as garbage by many people.
So we are now working with Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Wonder Site, some japanese associations to plan this event.
We will organize several activities like:
- cycling and teaching to children
- Workshops inviting designers to create new bikes, customize them (Shibuya-ku is providing some discarded bikes we can use as we want)/ professionnal staff to teach repairs on bicycles.
Public: children and parents.
- Lectures: we plan to organize some lectures introducing Japanese and foreign bike culture. We want to create exchanges with foreign countries, try to think about good solutions to create a better environment for bikes in the city.
- outdoor events: BMX demonstrations...
We don't have a big budget of course and we are looknig for any advice, any person who is willing to participate to this event.
- teaching cycling: do you know some organization who is already doing that in Tokyo. I heard about the Meiji Gaien cycle course for children but I have no contact with them.
- workshops: we are looking for technical professionals or skillful amateur who can teach repair to children (10/12 year-old) or people who are customizing bikes and can make something with children.
- lectures: we are already in contacts with some foreign Embassies who introduced some lecturers but we are looking for some Japanese specialist too who can talk about bike culture/ bike design
- BMX: if you can introduce some young BMX riders who are willing to show their ability, any contact is appreciated.
Well, I hope this event can find an echo in some of you. We want to involve as much people as possible and of course bike fans because we are talking about design, ecology, bike culture...
Any advice or any contact is useful for us,
Thanks for your interest,
Best
Anne-Sophie
(Biketope project):bike:
We are planning to organize a great bicycle event in mid/late July in Tokyo called: Biketope.
Basically, we are Design Office and we usually plan events too.
Our NPO organization wants to promote design in everyday life to large audience.
We noticed that many bikes (like mamachari/ folding bikes...) are thrown away, abandonned in the street and this is a big problem as it cost a lot to the city.
We think it is really a pitty and we tryed to ask ourselves about the reasons.
Of course, there is a lack of regulation, bike paths and bike parkings in Tokyo.
Because of our over-consumption society, it becomes easier and cheaper to abandon a bike and buy a new cheap one than paying fees or repair it...
We do think that design can help to make a better life and nice objects that people will not throw away so easily.
In addition, bicycle is a sustainable and ecological object but nowadays considered as garbage by many people.
So we are now working with Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Wonder Site, some japanese associations to plan this event.
We will organize several activities like:
- cycling and teaching to children
- Workshops inviting designers to create new bikes, customize them (Shibuya-ku is providing some discarded bikes we can use as we want)/ professionnal staff to teach repairs on bicycles.
Public: children and parents.
- Lectures: we plan to organize some lectures introducing Japanese and foreign bike culture. We want to create exchanges with foreign countries, try to think about good solutions to create a better environment for bikes in the city.
- outdoor events: BMX demonstrations...
We don't have a big budget of course and we are looknig for any advice, any person who is willing to participate to this event.
- teaching cycling: do you know some organization who is already doing that in Tokyo. I heard about the Meiji Gaien cycle course for children but I have no contact with them.
- workshops: we are looking for technical professionals or skillful amateur who can teach repair to children (10/12 year-old) or people who are customizing bikes and can make something with children.
- lectures: we are already in contacts with some foreign Embassies who introduced some lecturers but we are looking for some Japanese specialist too who can talk about bike culture/ bike design
- BMX: if you can introduce some young BMX riders who are willing to show their ability, any contact is appreciated.
Well, I hope this event can find an echo in some of you. We want to involve as much people as possible and of course bike fans because we are talking about design, ecology, bike culture...
Any advice or any contact is useful for us,
Thanks for your interest,
Best
Anne-Sophie
(Biketope project):bike:
