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Post tags: community planning, detroit, Detroit rehabilitation, eco design, green design, Midtown Detroit, Sasaki Associates, sustainable design, Techtown District Plan

The pathway along London’s Regent’s Canal can be treacherous, as pedestrians and bicyclists struggle to move along without bumping into each other and falling into the waters below. To alleviate the congestion, Anthony Nelson of Design International has proposed building an elevated bike pathway that would life cyclists up and out of the way of foot traffic. The dramatic solution would rise 13 feet in the air, giving cyclists an elevated highway that’s separate from pedestrian and automobile traffic.

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Post tags: Anthony Nelson, Design International, eco design, green design, London bike path, Regents' Canal. elevated bike path, sustainable design

Pianos aren’t generally thought of as the most portable of musical instruments, which makes tickling the ivories almost always an indoor activity — but staying cooped up inside to play wasn’t what musician Gary Skaggs had in mind. A few years back, the San Francisco native had the idea to combine two of his favorite pastimes, cycling and music, by creating what may be the world’s first Piano Bike and offering free on-the-go performances for passing pedestrians.

Read the rest of Pedaling Pianist Strikes a Chord With His Homemade Piano Bike

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Post tags: bicycles, bike design, bike piano, bikes, creative repurposing, garry skaggs, invention, music, musical instruments, piano, San Francisco, sustainable transportation

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Post tags: bike commuters, bike safety, cyclist fatalities, London, London Cycling Campaign, lorry, lorry design, truck, urban cycling, visibility

Read the rest of Soundscraper Transforms Vibrations from City Noise Pollution into Green Energy

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", Cedric Dounval, Design, eco design, evolo skyscraper competition, green energy, Julien Bourgeois, kinetic energy, Olivier Colliez, Romain Grouselle, Savinien de Pizzol, Soundscraper, sustainable design

Turn on your smartphone or tablet, pick a destination on the map and ROPITS self-driving vehicle will do the rest! Hitachi’s new single-seat transport robot was designed to maneuver its way through city streets and sidewalks to pick you up and get you to your desired location. Equipped with GPS and 2D and 3D laser distance sensors, ROPITS can detect obstacles, bumps, and pedestrians and adjust its speed—up to 3.7mph—to arrive safely at any given destination.

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Post tags: automobile industry, Battery powered vehicle, car GPS technology, car lithium ion batteries, car sensors, green technology, green transportation, Hitachi Ropits, Hitachi smart car, japan car technology, Ropits robotic vehicle, Ropits self-driven car, Ropits smart car, Ropits Tsukuba city, vehicle navigation

London is about to get a Holland-style bike-ability makeover, as Mayor Boris Johnson just announced a $1.51 billion master plan to improve the city’s bicycle network. The safer bicycle network is designed to relieve pressure on inner-London’s roads and public transportation systems. The plan also includes an ambitious “Crossrail for Bike” – a 15-mile bicycle highway segregated from road traffic that will connect the suburbs of East and West London.

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Post tags: bicycle safety in London, bike-ability, bike-ability in London, central london grid, connecting London's East and West ends by bike, crossrail for bike, improving bicycle network in outer london, improving bicycle paths, improving safety of london's worst intersections, london bicycle network, london public transportation, London's $1.51 billion bicycle master plan, quietways

Volvo is positioning itself at the head of the class when it comes to developing high-tech safety features that will protect not only car drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists. The Swedish automaker recently unveiled external airbags meant to protect pedestrians, and the company is also developing accident-avoiding self-driving cars. At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the company unveiled a new collision avoidance system that automatically senses when cyclists and pedestrians are in a car’s path and brakes for them.

Read the rest of Volvo Unveils New Safety System that Automatically Brakes for Cyclists and Pedestrians

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Post tags: 2013 Geneva Auto Show, 2013 Geneva Motor Show, car safety, cars, cyclist detection system, geneva auto show, Geneva Motor Show, pedestrian friendly cars, volvo, volvo pedestrian safety, volvo safety features

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Post tags: bikes, citroen, Citroen van, Cycle Club San Francisco, cycling, micro park, mini park, Parklet, parklet program, parklets, public space, Rapha Cycle Club, rebar, rebar studio, San Francisco, San Francisco Marina

Swedish carmaker Volvo has unveiled the world’s first car with external airbags to ensure the safety of pedestrians and protect them from serious head and neck injuries. The airbag is located under the hood and inflates at the base of the windshield while enabling the driver to see ahead. The new Volvo V40 hatchback goes on sale in Australia today.

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Post tags: automobile industry, car pedestrian detection, Geneva Motor Show, pedestrian safety, safe cars, traffic safety, Volvo pedestrian airbag, Volvo V40, Volvo V40 hatchback

Iceland’s Vigdis Foundation is devoted to the preservation of Icelandic culture and values, and for the foundation’s new headquarters OOIIO Architecture has proposed a dynamic building that will host exhibitions, a theater, a cafe and a library. The architects describe their design as a “rational building,” that will be energy-efficient and eye-catching enough to draw the attention of passing pedestrians.

Read the rest of OOIIO Architecture Proposes Efficient New Headquarters for Iceland’s Vigdis Foundation

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Post tags: Belén Gómez Mendiguchía, Iceland, Icelandic architecture, Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, museums, OOIIO Architecture, recycled ropes, Reykjavik, sustainable wood, theaters, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Vigdis Foundation

Read the rest of IPV Delft’s Floating LED-Lit Hovenring Bridge Keeps Cyclists Out Of Traffic in Eindhoven

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Post tags: Architecture, bike bridge, bike safety, cable bridge, cyclists, Eindhoven, Hovenring, ipv Delft, LED lighting, Netherlands, pedestrians, steel, traffic, walkability

A helmet is a bicyclist’s only line of defense in the event of a collision, but what if they had the protection of airbags? Dutch car manufacturer TNO has developed the world’s first exterior automobile airbag, and the safety measure could help save the lives of both bicyclists and pedestrians, which account for a third of all traffic fatalities in the Netherlands.

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Post tags: bicycle airbags, bicycle safety, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, eco design, exterior airbags, green design, pedestrian airbags, sustainable design, the netherlands, TNO, Volvo V40

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Post tags: Barcelona city planning, Batlle i Roig, eco design, green design, self irrigating complex, sustainable design, urban planning spain, Vilamarina Building

Read the rest of NAIAS 2013: Cadillac Unveils 2014 ELR Extended Range EV at Detroit Auto Show

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Post tags: 2013 Detroit Auto Show, cadeillac elr, cadillac, Cadillac ELR, cadillac ev, chevy volt, Detroit Car, electric car, elr car, ev, extended-range EV, general motors, green transportation, hybrid car, international auto show, NAIAS, plug-in hybrid

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Post tags: 2013 Detroit Auto Show, 2013 NAIAS, detroit auto show, E Class, green cars, green transportation, hybrid car, hybrid sedan, hybrid vehicle, hybrid wagon, Laura K. Cowan, Mercedes-Benz, NAIAS, north american international auto show

Most hybrid and electric cars don’t combust fuel at slow speeds, which makes them virtually silent. It’s a peaceful way to travel, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fears that these vehicles may be too quiet for pedestrians and cyclists to detect. The U.S. government safety agency has proposed a new rule that would make it mandatory for eco-friendly cars to make a noise at speeds under 18 miles per hour, as a way to warn foot traffic.

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Post tags: eco design, eco-friendly car, electric vehicles, green design, hybrid vehicle, national highway Traffic Safety Administration, sustainable design

Today Toyota and Lexus unveiled a high-tech autonomous vehicle at CES 2013 that could pave the way towards self-driving cars in the near future. Although it isn’t fully driverless, the Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle features a set of automated technologies designed to enhance drivers’ skills and reduce global traffic fatalities and injuries. The research vehicle is based on a Lexus LS and it incorporates next-gen sensors and systems to detect traffic light changes, warn drivers about dangerous obstacles, and monitor the vehicle’s position in traffic lanes to prevent swerving.

Read the rest of Lexus Unveils Autonomous Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle at CES 2013 – But it Isn’t Fully Driverless

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Post tags: 2013 CES, autonomous cars, autonomous vehicle, car safety, driverless cars, energy efficient transportation, green cars, green transportation, green vehicles, lexus, Lexus active safety research vehicle, lexus advanced active safety research vehicle, lexus autonomous driving vehicle, Lexus LS, lexus self driving car, sustainable transportation, Toyota, toyota self-driving car

As cities all over the world begin to reinvent their sustainable means of transportation, Sydney, Australia is getting on the bandwagon with the help of HASSELL, Arup and Aurecon. The New South Wales Government has dedicated a light rail system from Randwick and Kingsford through the CBD to Circular Quay. This $1.6 billion, 12 kilometer project will help reduce urban congestion and will reclaim a number of streets for pedestrians within these populated neighborhoods.

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Post tags: arup, australia, green, hassell, light rail, new south wales, NSW Government, pedestrian, public transportation, Sustainable, sydney

Google may have captured all the headlines with its driverless cars, but it’s not the only one experimenting with autonomous vehicles. Induct, a mobility solutions firm based in France, has developed a driverless electric shuttle designed for use in pedestrian-heavy areas such as airport parking lots, shopping malls, business parks and universities. Called “Navia“, the shuttle can provide an on-demand, planet-friendly transportation in areas that existing vehicles cannot reach.

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Post tags: driverless vehicle, electric vehicle, green transportation, Induct, mobility, Navia, urban areas, wireless charging