The thirtieth:
Time to remember
Article published in November 2014
In 1817, actually two centuries ago, a kind of wooden horse on wheels was created in Europe. It would move by pushing feet against the ground, like a toy.
During the industrial revolution, it was found out how to transmit human force to a wheel by means of a chain and pedals. It was then, by the end of that century, that the bicycle as we know it today was created.
Until 1885, roughly 68 years of attempts, sweat and creativity went by. The golden age of bicycles in Europe were the 1890’s, when the novelty started to appear in the streets and to become part of people’s daily life. Along with its spread, cities grew and a new way of life emerged.
In the first half of the twentieth century, it became an effective mean of transportation in Europe. The automobile, another novelty, was at that time the privilege of a few ones. During the 1950’s it started to occupy spaces in the middle class of some european countries.
In the current days, there is a lot of talk about accepting bikes as an effective mean of transportation in brazilian cities. It will be necessary to create a culture of peaceful coexistence among bicycles, pedestrians, automobiles, trucks and buses…
Unlike to what happened in european countries, in Brazil cars and buses have been adopted before bicycles were utilized as mass transportation. Namely, a stage was skipped. Now is time to rethink an urban brazilian culture so the bicycle can be included with all respect that it deserves.
Natura Futura 