In honor of national Bike to Work Day, we post an article by Jason Severs looking at the ways in which the bicycle - "the next great technology platform" - is changing our physical environment and social interactions.
Severs looks at the diverse impacts of the "most commonly used mode of transportation around the world," including the bicycle's potential for self expression ("the most hackable simple machine on the planet"), its role in building social bonds and shared social spaces, and its use as a technological platform.
"Bikes not only get us from place to place, they are the focus of a number of conversations about how we organize communities and define and share social boundaries, and how we can harness human power to recycle energy back to the grid. Most importantly though, bicycles are an intrinsic part of how we imagine and design the city of the future. They will play a significant role in shaping identity and communities and influencing social dynamics in urban areas, because they are the next great technology platform."
FULL STORY: The Next Great Technology Platform: The Bicycle
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