A group of American entrepreneurs has launched Bicycle City - the largest planned car-free communities project in the United States. Begun in 1992 and accelerated in 2006 after securing seed funding, their inspiration comes from luminaries such as Paolo Soleri, Jane Jacobs, John Naisbitt, Richard Register, Jane Goodall and Maria Montessori.

They've spent time exploring model cities and villages around the world and are now developing plans for the first Bicycle City - in what they hope will evolve into a coast-to-coast (perhaps even world-wide) network of car free, eco-friendly communities linked primarily by rail and bicycle greenways. 

Bicycle City has also been making the rounds of conferences and events throughout the United States, spreading the word about their vision of cities planned for "people, animals and the earth." They were a sponsor of Ecocity World Summit 2008 and are also a sponsor of Ecocities Emerging.


Another ecocity city concept by Richard Register

Their plan for compact, walkable cities built for people and not for cars is right in line with the ecocity approach. Their team is currently considering a number of potential locations for Bicycle City developments, and they are nearly ready to launch their first project.

Bicycle City's first planned community will be a model new ecocity located in the South Eastern United States. They've recently contracted with Richard Register and Ecocity Builders to help develop a conceptual Master Plan and Sustainability Plan for the community. Property negotiations are in final discussions and Bicycle City expects to announce the location in the next 1-3 months.

"Phase One" of Bicycle City is planned for approximately 750 - 1,000 people. A limited number of advance reservations are now being taken. If you are interested in reserving space in Bicycle City, the first true ecocity planned in the United States, here is your chance!

"link to find out more"

Stockholm is a natural beauty, the Old City's waterfront being one of the most famous views of Scandinavia. The city's architectural success, however, is matched by a less-known environmental success story.

 

 

Vancouver Canada Approves EcoDensity Charter
Initiative led by Ecocity World Summit speaker Brent Toderian, Director of Planning for the City of Vancouver

 

Foster + Partners has launched a masterplan for a carbon-neutral resort on the Black Sea coast in its first project in Bulgaria. A series of car free hill towns in a setting of oak forests, meadows and river gorges, the development will create a year-round community for up to 15,400 residents. The residential clusters are tightly packed and integrated into the contours of the landscape, preserving the majority of the site as virgin terrain. Anchored by a 220-berth marina and with a lakeside spa, activity centre, sports park, restaurants and shops, Black Sea Gardens will become a key leisure destination.

The five hill towns are characterized by the nature of their immediate surroundings - to create a 'Sky Village', a 'Wilderness Village', a 'Meadow Village', a 'Cape Village' and the 'Sea Village' by the marina.



Coastal traffic has been kept inland, far away from the seafront, to create a calm and pollution-free environment for the community. Residents are encouraged to leave their cars in the underground car park at the entrance of each village, and to take advantage of the electric shuttle buses, electric pool cars and cycles. The compact plan and pedestrian- friendly nature of each village, further promotes alternative means of getting around.

"link to black sea gardens' website"

 

 

I just can't believe it. Are we really where I think we are? Or rather more accurately, where and when we are. I'm just sitting here with our Methuselah seedling, gift from the Champion Tree International Project, courtesy of the US Forest Service three years ago.
This baby tree and I share a small apartment and home office in Oakland with two others. The Methuselah Baby is only about five inches high. It was only two inches when we got it ceremonially at our World Environment Day ecocity conference in Oakland, 2005. Only twenty were sprouted, we learned. Then the Forest Service had second thoughts and closed the project with Champion Tree. I don't know about the nineteen others, but our friend is perky if small. I look out the east window over the planter box with the small Bristlecone exuding such energy little specks of sap pop out randomly here and there on a scattering of needles, glistening like diamonds, smelling like mythological forests, the Black Forest, Green Mansions, Romania, Papua New Guinea the Taiga under cold stars filling your lungs with the north wind. It's this intense saturation of pitch that helps make its parent, the Methuselah Tree in the White Mountains of California, almost invulnerable to rot and the oldest known living citizen of this here planet.

"read on"