Tuesday 4 November 2014

Cycling, Made in Lambeth

I've nicked the text below directly from the Made in Lambeth website, where you can sign up to say you're coming on the day. Please come along if you can.

What's going on? We're teaming up with the Lambeth Sustainable Transport team to build a website that pulls together all the great initiatives and various information on all things cycling in the borough.
When and where? 9.30am (breakfast, 10am start) to 5pm, Saturday 29 November, Impact Hub BrixtonLambeth Town Hall, SW2 1RW. There'll be food and drink provided throughout to keep everyone energetic - we promise it won't just be gels and flapjack.
Who are we looking to get involved? The full project briefing is below, and you will see that there is an obvious need for skilled web developers to help us build a functioning website, and graphic designers to create a visual identity for cycling in Lambeth. However we also hope to have everyday cyclists who can be on hand to tell us what they want and expect from this website. If you're not sure how to get involved or have any questions, you can contact us directly or join the conversation below.
How do I get involved? The event is free to attend but as space is limited we ask you to register via eventbrite below. That gives us an idea of how many people to expect, and of course how much food and drink to prepare!
 BRIEFING: An online cycling solution for Lambeth
 The Background
Cycling has exploded as a pastime, sporting activity, and practical transport option across London over the last few years. Lambeth is no exception; the 2011 census showed 5.7% of commuter trips in the borough were by bike  – the third highest in the city. And why stop there? We all know the variety of benefits brought about by cycling.
That’s why by 2020 Lambeth is aiming for 20% of all commuter journeys to be by bike, enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds and physical ability. There are already lots of initiatives in Lambeth to promote cycling, as well as groups and individuals who campaign, fix, design, etc. However this work is often done in isolation, and sometimes in duplication. For cyclists themselves, navigating their way through everything to ensure an easy and friendly cycling experience can be a challenge. Our answer is to create a central online location to host this information. From the pop-up repair shops to the cycle training sessions and group cycles, the bike rental schemes to the street parking facilities, all this information will be available in one place. In addition there will be the ability to post cycling-related messages, map potholes, rat-runs and provide intelligence on how cycling in the borough can be improved.
The Challenge
 We need Made In Lambeth’s help to create a unique visual identity for cycling in Lambeth, and an online social space with functionality for this to be really useful for all groups and/or cyclists in the borough. Specifically, we want you to:
1. Design a Lambeth Cycling brand: We want a brand that can be used by all groups to form a common and easily recognisable identity for cycling in Lambeth, one that appeals to cyclists old and new.
2. Build an online space that acts as a one-stop shop for cycling in Lambeth:  We need an easily accessible website, with consideration for the various users who will visit it, what they will get out of it, and what information it should contain.
3. Develop new useful ways to share cycling information online -  A website opens up new opportunities - a bike buddy database? A map for potholes/dangerous junctions/missing signage/rat-runs?
 Your impact
 By bringing together all the good cycle-related parts of the borough together, and giving cyclists a platform to co-ordinate their own activities, we can accelerate the role that the bike is playing in creating a less congested, cleaner, healthier and more sociable borough.