Interesting Initiatives for Better Cities

Gabe Klein is the transportation chief in Washington, D.C. and has had a background in bicycles as well as car sharing. He has established the first bike-sharing network in the United States and has put started to incorporate electric hybrid buses into the city. Check out more in the video below…

Boston was voted not only the worst city for biking in the United States but also in the world. I am excited to hear that Nicole Freedman is trying to change this so that more people can safely enjoy such a beautiful city by bike. Check out the article and interviews with Nicole Freedman here.

With passenger vehicles being one of the major sources of greenhouse gases in the United States, California passed senate bill 375. This makes it mandatory for urban planners to follow certain criteria to help slow and eventually stop sprawl. More states should follow. Link below with information and a video.

http://gov.ca.gov/fact-sheet/10707/

RIDE BIKES NOT CARS....

Research from NASA shows that the major contributors to climate change are on-road transportation, burning biomass for cooking, and raising animals for food. The article goes on to say that in order to deal with the transportation issues we face today we need to build better cities. Pretty obvious, mixed-use development! Read more about this topic.

Happy Birthday Blaire!

It's my roommate Blaire's birthday and I decided to make her a rainbow cake. This involves making different layers different colors, sounds pretty simple. It would have been simple if I had the patience to let them cool before trying to ice and move them. As layer after layer crumbled away in my hands I realized I am going to be the mom who buys her children's birthday cakes at the grocery store. Photoshop can bake better than me....

Adobe Photoshop Cook from Lait Noir on Vimeo.

Color

Paul Smith and blooming flowers have color on my mind.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith does it all, showing how a true designer is interdisciplinary with his bike gloves and saddle that came out at the end of 2009 and now venturing into the world of furniture design. He was the guest of honor at the Stockholm Furniture Fair this month showing off some of his designs. I love his use of color and stripes but not a big fan of the large floral prints. Below are the some of his designs and a short video in which he connects furniture and bicycles. He is also Kevin’s favorite.

Leather...

Leather is one of my favorite materials because of the various types, colors, and ability to get even more beautiful with age. That’s why I am not fazed by my obsession of it on bikes and furniture lately…

This Jens Risom lounge chair on the bottom left is an iconic piece but I have never seen it with these leather straps. I love the chair even more now as the mixture of wood and leather seem to go together flawlessly.

I can’t help but fall in love with vintage bicycles lately, especially ones with leather everywhere!

Here is a U-lock holster by Death and Texas, their handmade leather pieces are pretty neat.

Also Billy Kirk’s leather bike bags….

And last but not least, the bike I fell in love with today (even though it is a fixed gear and a bianchi), the Pista Via Brera 2010. I just love the leather saddle and cork grips especially how they’ll look with wear and tear. The thing I love most about this are the handlebars, antique Dutch look is awesome. The font on the bike and colorway rubs me the right way.