Applied Research: URBANBIKE
PUDD 4570; CRN 6901
Course Description:
We will consider the bicycle as an interface to the city, a system of transportation, and a method to support sustainable urban lifestyles. We will begin the semester observing, surveying and researching urban cycling culture using ethnographic, documentary, and urban research techniques within NYC, but also in other US, European and Asian cities. Throughout this process and investigation, students will explore the possibilities and opportunities for innovative design projects ranging from cargo & commuting frame design using traditional and alternative materials (steel & bamboo, electric), mobile/social media, urban sensing, infrastructure, and apparel and accessories addressing safety, security and improving comfort and accessibility. The bicycle will also be used as a platform to explore grassroots community activism using the creation of narrative and information design as a means of capturing the social and political dimensions of the urban cycling experience.