Beijing's pedal-based livelihoods as a muse for bicycle urbanism
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Beijing bicycles
Beijing’s pedal-based livelihoods
as a muse for bicycle urbanism
Pedal-powered vehicles and cycling as a form of mobility are significantly enriching urban life in cityscapes
worldwide. Organizing urban individual mobility by bicycle rather than car can alter the use of public space,
thereby raising the quality of urban life (GEHL 2010). Such strategic use of (bi)cycling to create livable and
healthier cities is increasingly common in cities across the globe (GARDNER 2010) and among forward-
thinking urban designers1, policy makers or political entities2 who often improve bicycle infrastructure and
install bicycle supporting policies to augment urban cycling (PUCHER & BUEHLER 2008).
BY FLORIAN LORENZ & SHANNON BUF TON
ne urban form along pedal-powe- makers and urban designers to
Yet, cycling can do more than red vehicles (STILGOE 2009) and structure more dynamic city-
improving urban mobility and create a city optimized for pedal- scapes in a culturally, socially and
health as pedal-powered vehicles based mobility and culture. environmentally sustainable way.
are also means for cultural and ar- For bicycle urbanism to rise in Tapping into such potentials we
tistic expression3, subcultural social popularity innovative strategies show examples of how open space
interaction (FINCHAM 2007), promoting bicycle culture will be in Chinese cities is used in relation
economic opportunity and urban vital to shape positive perceptions to pedal-based livelihoods and
servicing (LORENZ & BUFTON towards a wider use of pedal-based their importance for everyday life
2011) which is reflected in geogra- vehicles. Here it may be helpful in Chinese cities. We conclude
phically distinct bicycle cultures to learn from cultures where with strategies for a contemporary
(PELZER 2010). In addition pedal-powered vehicles are deeply bicycle urbanism approach inspi-
bicycles are complemented by integrated in (urban) culture and red by these examples.
tricycles and other pedal-powered used to organize a multitude of
vehicles which altogether offer a urban functions. We therefore
wide variety of mobility choices. suggest a bicycle cultural exchange
With such an array of meaning for a reciprocal learning in terms The Kingdom of the Bicycle emer-
and functionality pedal-powered of urban strategies related to ged after China’s first five year plan
vehicles deserve to allow for the pedal-based culture. To facilitate of 1953 set the target to grow the
development of an approach to such a bicycle cultural exchange Chinese bicycle industry by 60 %,
urbanism using pedal-powered ve- we are presenting research findings resulting in an annual production
hicles as means of understanding, about the pedal-based culture in of more than a million bicycles by
programming and developing the Chinese city Beijing (and other 1958 (MIKKOLAINEN 2007).
urban form. We conceive sustai- cities). We anticipate that learning From the 1950’s through the late
nably functioning and culturally from Beijing’s unique pedal-based 1980’s China was regarded as a
active urban landscapes animated culture can inspire strategies for global leader in non-motorized
by pedal-powered vehicles. For the bicycle urbanism in other geogra- transport (RAHMAN 2006).
process of creating such environ- phical settings. In Chinese cities cycling was the
ments we propose the term bicycle In this article we put forward predominant mode for individual
urbanism4. Bicycle urbanism may that bicycle urbanism bears yet mobility supported by a spatial
offer novel approaches to re-imagi- untapped potentials for policy mix of functions within walking
Nummer 19, Jänner 2012 zoll+ 59Beijing bicycles
and cycling distance. The situa- bicycle’s mode share dropped from 2011) and subsequently also in
tion for urban cycling in China 58 % to 19 % between 1986 and other Chinese cities. Pedal-based
changed with the introduction of 2010 (LIU et al. 2007, BEIJING livelihoods observed in Beijing
Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms TRANSPORTATION RE- were almost exclusively operations
of the 1980‘s which prioritized SEARCH CENTER 2010) and of individuals (98 %) and mostly
domestic car production and for the first time in 2006 Beijin- (83 %) organized with tricycles
private car ownership. At the same gers were more often using cars (Chinese ‘San Lun Che’7). The
time urban development of larger than bicycles for transportation pedal-powered service people’s
land parcels (mega blocks) started (CREUTZIG & HE 2009). age was found as skewed towards
which significantly changed urban Currently, the conflict of middle to older population with
form in China. These policy chan- tradition versus modernization 56 % between 40–60 years and
ges and urban transformations leaves Chinese bicycle culture at 11 % estimated to be older than
changed the (urban) landscape for the crossroads where cycling may 60 years. Most of the operators
cyclists (BUFTON & LORENZ further diminish, stagnate or grow of pedal-based livelihoods were
2011) and the decline of (public) again. With rapid urbanization, identified as male (82 %).
interest in cycling began. The shifting income levels and chan- We group the observed pedal-
bicycle’s mode share of individual ging societal values, Chinese urban based livelihoods into: mobile busi-
mobility has been shrinking ever bicycle culture will undoubtedly ness and pop-up retail, transport
since, for example in Beijing the change further. The bicycle is and delivery services, mobile crafts
already connoted by a majority and pop-up services, and, mobility
of Chinese as a vehicle for the for the less agile. Here we want to
poor, yet there is evidence for a describe certain aspects of those
new and flourishing leisure bicycle pedal-based livelihoods demonstra-
culture in China with the bicycle ting their potential for innovations
often connoted as new type of in a bicycle urbanism approach.
status symbol5. At such a historic
crossroad urban cycling culture
in China provides a potentially
valuable asset for conceptualizing Pedal-based businesses offered a
a contemporary bicycle urbanism wide array of retail items, most
approach. of them were of low value but
vital for everyday life, for example
fresh food, sweets, newspapers,
pets, or bicycle spare parts. We
In 2010 Smarter Than Car started found a low redundancy in retail
to investigate pedal-based liveli- items pointing towards a high
hoods6 in Beijing’s central Hutong specialization of pedal-based
Figure 1: Pop-up confectionary store in Beijing, China selling ‘tang hu
districts (LORENZ & BUFTON livelihoods.
lu’ (Chinese ‘sugar fruit’). Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton
Figure 2: Tricycle-based recycling services in Beijing, Figure 3: Bicycle-based pop-up hair salon offering haircuts
Dong Cheng district. Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton on the sidewalk in Beijing. Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton
60 zoll+ Nummer 19, Jänner 2012Beijing bicycles
based livelihoods affect the daily
Among the goods delivered and life in the Chinese city and what
transported we found a wide are interesting mechanisms if we
variety of items for daily domestic think about how to integrate such
use, goods to refill and recycled a culture in future cities?
materials. Operators of such de-
livery services may pursue several
economic strategies at the same
time such as vending and transport Pedal-based services and retail of-
services. ten group around existing busines-
ses or highly frequented transpor-
tation hubs and corridors. This
clustering of activities occurs over
Among pedal-based livelihoods we time as well. Groups of operators Figure 4: General repair man in Guangzhou walking his bicycle,
identified services of craftsmanship with pop-up retail stands create which is equipped to repair umbrellas, offer shoe repair and
(hairdressing, knife sharpening, temporary ‘urban markets’ with shine and make general repair of a wide array of household
cooking, key cutting, general re- a range of products, services and items. Photo: STC/Florian Lorenz
pair and bicycle repair) organized food sales (see figures 7 and 8).
in a mobile way. Such services The clustering of pedal-based mar-
were offered in public spaces where kets usually starts with one vendor
a critical mass of customers could in a lively urban open space, then,
be served. In search for customers if the vendor successfully attracts
operators would stroll or drive attention, other vendors may soon
through the city. We also obser- join in with their mobile pop-up
ved a diversification of economic stands and the market is growing
strategies as several services were organically. Markets can be very
offered by the same operator, for adaptive to urban spatial condi-
example bicycle repair people tions and we observed them next
also worked as key cutters or sold to subway stations (figure 7), in
bicycle related spare parts. narrow pedestrian thoroughfares
(figure 8), in front of schools,
restaurants, office buildings and
In Beijing we frequently observed at the fringes of large urban open
the use of modified bicycles and spaces. They can be linear in Figure 5: Mobility for the elderly with the tricycle in Beijing.
tricycles as means of transport nature or more circular, and big or The bicycles used are highly adapted to service the transport of
by elderly people or to transport small. The clustering also adapted elderly people. The vehicle is equipped with a comfortable
elderly people. The vehicles in to different urban conditions over backseat and a lockable container. Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton
operation were stable to drive (by time as vendors change location
virtue of having 3 wheels) and according to specific (supposed)
low-geared, thereby easy to propel, needs in an urban setting at a cer-
offering mobility and transpor- tain moment of day, week or year.
tation for elderly and less mobile An example for this is the vending
people. Some of those vehicles of winter gloves close to subway
were adapted to transport two peo- stations as soon as temperatures
ple, which may for example allow drop in autumn.
couples to go shopping together
and transport acquired goods
in a safe and comfortable way. !
In some cases we also observed The temporarily and spatially
that the younger generation was changing clusters of pedal-based
transporting the elder generation, economies and services create fluid
thereby providing intergeneratio- spatial conditions and meaning in
nal mobility. the cityscape. This dynamic and
From our research it is evident locally adapted group of services Figure 6: Street view of intergenerational transport in Beijing.
that there are several types of is reacting to the specific needs This image shows an adapted bicycle functioning as wheelchair
pedal-based livelihoods in Chinese of communities over time and in attached to a bicycle which also can be un-clipped from the
cities. But how do such pedal- space. This fluidity of function is bicycle. Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton
Nummer 19, Jänner 2012 zoll+ 61Beijing bicycles
Figure 7: Clustering of tricycle based pop-up retail stands at a busy subway Figure 8: Clustering of bicycle-based market situation in Guangzhou China. The
stop of Beijing’s subway line two. This image was taken at evening peak hour. market is located in a car-free side street and consisted of about ten different
Businesses were clustered around the fixed newspaper vending stand and tricycles which were mostly used to sell fresh produce such as vegetables and fruits.
consisted of three tricycles selling cooked food and two fruit sellers. The image was taken in late evening after the main work hours. The bicycle in the
Photo: STC/Shannon Bufton forefront is held by the operator with its stand in the released position – ready to
make an escape from security guards (Chinese ‘cheng guan’). This underlines the
semi-legal nature of some of the market situations. Photo: STC/Florian Lorenz
an antithesis to localized shops way of servicing urban communi- based livelihoods in a culturally
and services and leads to a sense of ties according to trends, economic adapted, yet innovative way to
spontaneity in the urban lands- situation and changing routines, create future cities? There are sever-
cape. Such a fluid urban activity all of which is difficult to achieve al examples of people actively enga-
zone is able to very effectively cater by a physically fixed service econo- ged in exploring a contemporary
to the needs of different people my Moreover, pedal-based service version of traditional Chinese
over time. The mobility of pedal- and retail facilitate a sort of pop- pedal-based urban culture. From
based pop-up services and retail up urbanity by creating constantly such a (sub)cultural engagement it
and the resulting fluid spaces allow changing urban conditions leading is possible to imagine an active ap-
for a greater sharing of space and to a lively urban landscape through proach for bicycle urbanism for the
a socially more welcoming urban new opportunities for interaction promotion of urban strategies and
experience. and exchange. In an economic events which are pedal-powered.
The above examples of pedal- sense pedal-based livelihoods offer In Beijing ‘Smarter Than Car’ is
based livelihoods go beyond a economic strategies for individuals following the work of a collective
mere utilization of cargo bikes for with a low threshold in terms of which is actively re-interpreting
transporting goods8. Factors like initial financial investment, there- traditional sanlunche culture
variety of applications, sponta- by providing small-scale economic staging public events in urban
neous constitution of functional opportunities for people. Pedal- space where tricycles function as
clusters, fluid activity zones and based livelihoods can be a means attractor for the public and com-
localized servicing demonstrate for a greater mobility and agility of munication-vehicle between artists
that pedal-based livelihoods can urban populations if pedal-based and public9 (figure 9). The creative
actively and successfully program vehicles are widely used in the positioning of tricycles in pub-
urban environments. The diversity city scape by people of various age lic space demonstrates to us the
within pedal-based livelihoods groups. And, nonetheless, pedal- potentials of a bicycle urbanism
shows that pedal-powered vehic- based livelihoods operate in a in a which provides social interaction,
les can be used successfully to very resource efficient and carbon flexible services and retail through
organize vital urban functions such extensive manner reducing emissi- the creation of fluid clusters of
as recycling services, maintenance ons and noise. activity and function in the urban
services and food delivery. Bicycle- landscape. Such an interpretation
based livelihoods are foremost of Chinese pedal-based urban
mobile, constantly moving across culture can be a starting point for
the cityscape and adapted to the From a planner’s and designer’s developing new applications and
needs of a local community and perspective one may ask how to strategies for pedal-powered vehic-
therefore represent an efficient utilize such advantages of pedal- les in the cityscape.
62 zoll+ Nummer 19, Jänner 2012Beijing bicycles
Nowadays as preferences for the to develop innovative strategies as be a graphic designer selling busi-
choice of personal mobility are prolific memes for bicycle urba- ness cards produced on the spot or
shifting on a global scale, pedal- nism strategies which have the an accountant offering services in
powered vehicles are increasingly potential to change life in urban public space.
appreciated as mode of individual space. We thereby want to inspire Anticipate pedal-based public
transport and individual expres- urban designers, planners and services. New types of public
sion which in turn is leading to a policy makers to re-think urban
rise in interest for a pedal-based development along a bicycle
culture in cities10. Such a shift in urbanism approach. In terms of
mindset and societal values will such innovative bicycle urbanism
allow for the development of a strategies we can imagine to:
bicycle urbanism to restructure the Introduce pedal-powered grants.
contemporary city. Institutions and city governments
Pedal-based livelihoods described can create innovations in bicycle
above can inspire innovative urban culture by providing a competitive
strategies for bicycle urbanism financial incentive for people to
in cities around the globe. This develop innovative concepts for
bicycle cultural exchange and lear- pedal-based applications. These
ning will be reciprocal and extract grants can also be geared towards
cultural phenomena of one place new types of pedal-based econo-
to develop innovative strategies for mies and services (some of which
another urban context. The main could be non-profit).
content of a bicycle cultural ex- Create new urban spaces for Figure 9: Tricycle collective during a happening in public space in
change will be ideas, or memes, as pedal-powered events. Specific Beijing, China. Photo: Crystal Ruth Bell/Chrystalbelldesigns.com
globally understandable concepts urban spaces can facilitate the
for pedal-based applications and occurrence of pedal-powered ser-
innovations. For example, adapta- vice, retail and cultural spectacles.
tions such as a tricycle as bakery or Such spaces may be created by soft
food stand, or specific socio-eco- measures such as legal frameworks
nomic uses of pedal-based vehicles or by hard measures such as pro-
can be such memes which are able vision of infrastructure like power
to be shared on a global scale and outlets, shading, rain protection,
adapted locally. public seating, toilets or waste
An example for such a prolific water facilities.
meme is a pedal-powered vehicle Allow a new pedal-based eco-
used as a mobile DJ-ing device to nomy to evolve. The provision of
create spontaneous urban musical licenses for pedal-based services
events. Such pedal-based sound and retail would allow a pedal
systems have been developed in ci- based economy to develop on
ties across the globe, always for the legal grounds. It is also possible
same reasons; to exploit the advan- to streamline such licenses along
tage of a mobile, autonomous inf- the public good created by such
rastructure for (subcultural) events new economies. For enriching the
in public space. Some examples for urban landscape it would be pos- Figure 10: ‘The DJ Trike‘ is a project by the Canadian designer
pedal-based sound systems can be sible to curate such licenses based and DJ Jonathan Ingharas who conceives the adapted Chinese
found in Vancouver (figure 10), on creativity of applications. The tricycle as a ‘a vehicle and platform for urban communication
Berlin11 or Vienna12. Such a global licenses should allow the intro- and interaction’. Photo: Jonathan Ingharas/www.thedjtrike.com
proliferation of bicycle cultural duction of pedal-based economies
memes can be imagined for a wide which can sustain themselves
spectrum across the above descri- economically. service could be introduced such
bed pedal-based livelihoods. Develop a pedal-based creative as mobile libraries as temporary
economy. New types of creative elements in public space or even
industrial practice could evolve as administrative services which are
being based in public urban space mobile and thus easier to reach for
As concluding remarks we will interacting in a mobile way with citizens.
use the above described pedal- the population. Possibilities here Create infrastructure for tricycles.
based services and pop-up retail are limitless but examples would A shift to a higher use of tricy-
Nummer 19, Jänner 2012 zoll+ 63Beijing bicycles
cles will demand infrastructural could help to realize the promi- will be very rich and complex
adaptations such as larger and ses of bicycle urbanism such as and allow the re-imagination of
safe tricycle or cargo bike parking, creation of sustainable neighbor- contemporary urban landscapes.
wider bike lanes or a change in hoods with the help of pedal-based If a city like Vienna is visionary
laws limiting the use of streets by economies for local value creation. enough to encourage this develop-
cyclists. This new urban landscape will be ment and facilitate its innovation,
Develop pedal-based economy significantly altered by fluidity and then a modern and lively pedal-
alongside existing infrastructure. spontaneous clustering of pedal based culture will become part
Think about and re-interpret how based services and retail which can of the urban landscape allowing
the existing urban infrastructure potentially re-define a significant a global positioning as source
such as subway or public squares part of urban functions as existing for bicycle cultural exchange and
can interact with a new culture of today. Pedal-powered vehicles can inspiration.
bicycle based economies. be utilized for an individualized The bicycle is only as old as the
Employ advanced pedal-powered creative approach to create new car and still bears a high potential
vehicles to lower the threshold meaning in the urban landscape. for innovation. We will continue
for mobility. The development Such vehicles are therefore ‘urban to develop the ideas and memes
of advanced pedal-based vehicles tools’ which allow for creativity of bicycle urbanity and bicycle
for the less agile can significantly and diversity to actively change urbanism as we strongly believe
lower the threshold for being able the urban landscape towards being that pedal-powered vehicles will be
to move around the cityscape and more alive and livable. very efficiently evolving alongside
raise the health specific segments Bicycle urbanism promises to be rapidly changing urban conditions
of society. a model for urban development in the upcoming decades.
Celebrate bicycle urbanism. which provides more equality in
Create and host festivals in public the urban landscape and a better
space which showcase and promo- livability by localized services and
te bicycle culture and pedal-based the creation of spontaneous urban
economies and public service. experiences. The culture arising
The above-mentioned strategies from a bicycle urbanism approach
Florian Lorenz is an ecological designer and researcher working in landscape, architecture
and urbanism. He studied ecology as well as landscape architecture and landscape planning
in Vienna and Copenhagen. Lorenz worked for architecture, urban design and landscape
architecture offices in Austria, China and the U.S. He lectured and taught at universities in
Austria, Hong Kong and the U.S. Since 2010 he is heading the research of ’Smarter Than
Car‘ (www.stcbj.com) and gave talks in Austria and China about bicycle culture. In 2011 he
co-founded ’Smarter Than Car – Lebendige Fahrradkultur aus und für Wien’ (www.stcvie.
com) and is currently in the process of building up ‘Smarter Than Car – International’ (www.
smarterthancar.com).
Shannon Bufton is an Australian with a background in architecture and urban planning.
He has worked on urban projects in China, the Middle East and Australia. He has been living
in China for 5 years observing China’s unique bicycle cultures. He is now concentrating his
efforts on helping to rebuild Beijing as a global bicycle city since 2009 through his work as
co-founder of China’s first bicycle NGO of ‘Smarter Than Car’ (www.stcbj.com) and the ent-
repreneurial activities of his company ‘Serk Cycling’ (www.serk.cc). He has lectured extensively
on bicycle culture in China and recently visited Japan to present STC‘s research at the UIA
World Congress of Architects. He is currently in the process of building up ‘Smarter Than Car
– International’ (www.smarterthancar.com).
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