Inhabitat

COBE Wins First Prize for Bike-Friendly Norreport Station in Copenhagen

COBE Architects blasted away its competitors with a sexy and bike-friendly new design in the recent competition to redesign Copenhagen’s Norreport train station. Almost retro in its lines, the architects’ vision of the new station is composed of a series of rounded, floating roofs set upon striking glass pavilions. Since bicycles are a preferred means of transportation in Copenhagen, ample bike parking was a main feature of the new structure, and other green features will include energy-efficient lighting and natural ventilation.

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SOM Wins Competition to Create Beijing’s Sustainable City Center

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) was recently awarded the contract to create a stunning new Central Business District in Beijing. The project will integrate into the existing downtown urban district and will improve transportation infrastructure while introducing energy-efficient buildings green public space. The plan also provides a framework for new sustainable growth that would result in eliminating 215,000 tons of CO2 per year, which is the equivalent of planting 14 million adult trees.

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Don’t Miss Our Live Webinar with Boston Bike Czar Nicole Freedman TODAY at 3:30pm EST!

Do you like the green / health benefits of cycling, but are concerned about the safety of biking in your city? Would you like to see your city made more safe and convenient for cycling? If you care about bicycles and the urban landscape (and we hope most of you do!), then be sure to JOIN US today at 3:30pm est to talk to …

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Join Our Live Webinar with Boston Bike Czar Nicole Freedman TOMORROW at 3:30pm EST!

Our Green Talks series of interviews with green thought-leaders has been a smash success so far – garnering hundreds of registrants and viewers from all over the globe, and we’re super excited about the next one, which is happening TOMORROW at 3:30pm est! with Boston’s Bike “Czar” Nicole Freedman. We’re beyond thrilled to announce this interview with Nicole, as she is the driving force behind the first citywide bike-sharing system in the United States! …

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Mud Stencils Create Environmentally-Conscious Graffiti

DIY graffiti doesn’t have to be ugly– it can be thought-provoking, challenging, and perhaps most importantly, temporary. Jesse Graves, an artist based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, has harnessed mud as an artistic medium to take his green graffiti to the streets, and he encourages others to do the same.

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Boedigheim Chapel Showcases Beauty of Local Materials

Hikers and bicyclists traveling through the foothills of Boedigheim, Germany now have a new place to stop, as construction was recently finished on this gorgeous Field Chapel. Designed and built by students at the Illinois Instiitute of Technology College of Architecture along with Ecker Architekten, the sunning open-air chapel was constructed entirely from recycled and renewable materials including locally-sourced and sustainably harvested woods.

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Join our Inhabitat Editors Roundtable Webinar TODAY at 1pm est!

CALLING ALL INHABITAT READERS – Don’t miss the Inhabitat Editors Roundtable Webinar (and your chance to win this awesome $1700 Biomega bike!) TODAY at 1pm est!

Last week we kicked off an exciting new project for Inhabitat called Green Talks. This series of live webinar discussions and presentations will engage with green thought leaders around the country to bring you the freshest ideas in emerging green design and innovation. Our very first ‘Green Talk‘ kicks off the series today as a roundtable discussion with four Inhabitat editors: Editor-in-Chief Jill Fehrenbacher, Managing Editor Mike Chino, New York Editor Yuka Yoneda and Technology Editor Ariel Schwartz.

We’re super excited about this opportunity to connect with our readers, so if you have a question about green design, about Inhabitat – or about anything at all, come join our conversation.

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Eco 7 Bicycle Folds to Fit Within a Suitcase

Although the idea of a folding bike isn’t new or novel, Mexican designer Victor Aleman has managed to spice things up a bit with his Eco 7 Folding bike. Aleman has designed a modern folding bike with wheels that compartmentalize and disassemble into a neat and tidy package – a perfect space saver for the urbanite.

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Human Powered Velomobile Bikes over Land or Sea

Now that it’s clear that the flying cars we were promised as youngsters are not going to appear anytime soon, we can perhaps take comfort in the arrival of the brilliant HEPAV 1.1, a human-electric powered amphibious vehicle from the creative mind of Czech designer and inventor David Buchwaldek. Like an eco-superhero’s signature ride, the HEPAV 1.1 can travel the streets in style and drive straight into the water without missing a beat. Sustainable, human-powered locomotion never looked so good.

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Top 5 Coolest Green Jobs That are NOT Desk Jobs

There has been a lot of talk about green jobs, but if becoming the next in line for the desk of the Green Czar in the Whitehouse is a bit too constraining for you, then maybe a hands-on eco career is a better option.  As a part of the recovery stimulus package, $60 billion dollars has been earmarked for creating green jobs. In addition, reports have also shown that future changes in federal regulations, such as the initiative to decrease our energy usage 25% by 2025, will create hundred of thousands of jobs. This all sounds great, but what if you are not the type who enjoys office work? If you dread the thought of jammed copiers, computer malfunctions, and wearing ironed slacks, you will want to take note of our Top 5 Coolest Green Jobs that are NOT Desk Jobs.

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Bay Line: A High Line Park for San Francisco’s Bay Bridge

San Francisco’s Bay Bridge is currently undergoing a massive renovation as an aging section of the East Bay span is replaced with a new one, and the old conduit has fired up architects’ imaginations for new ways to use the soon-to-be abandoned space. Inspired by the success of New York’s recently opened High Line Park, Rael San Fratello Architects haver proposed a hanging neighborhood and sky park complete with 1.92 miles of bicycle paths, climbing walls, gardens, and meadows.

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Hopworksfiets Bike Bar is a Pedal-Powered Party

Pedal power is clearly on the rise. Bike sharing programs are spreading throughout the world, David Byrne’s new book Bicycle Diaries is flying off the shelves, and brilliant new designs like this, this and this, are appearing all over the globe. A wonderfully quirky addition to the scene is the Hopworksfiets party bike, a brilliant mash-up of human-powered pizza delivery, brew pub, and portable entertainment system. Created by Portland, OR-based bike builders Metrofiets, the Hopworksfiets is designed to deliver everything you need to get your pedal-powered party rolling.

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GREEN TALKS: Meet the Inhabitat Editors and Win A $1700 Folding Bike!

Hey Inhabitat Readers from around the globe! Want to meet the editors of Inhabitat and win this awesome folding bike – valued at $1700?
As we head into October we’re thrilled to announce a fabulous new initiative at Inhabitat: GREEN TALKS! We’re going to be harnessing the power of the internet to bring you LIVE presentations about future-forward green initiatives from public officials and renowned innovators – thanks to Adobe Connect Pro meeting software. We’ll be kicking off INHABITAT GREEN TALKS this month with our first ever Meet the Inhabitat Editors webcast!

We’re inviting you to share your questions and comments about our website and get to know the editors — and to encourage active conversation and participation from our readers, we’ll be giving away a super sleek Biomega Boston folding bike valued at over $1,700 to one lucky participant! So if you have something to say to the Inhabitat editors, and you want to win a sweet bike while you are at it, please JOIN US IN THIS CONVERSATION NEXT WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14th at 1PM EST!

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Public Bike Sharing: Progress and Challenges Ahead

On the chic streets of Paris, a woman wearing a purple cardigan zooms by on a chunky, mocha-grey bicycle. The woman fades from mind, but the retro bike lingers on as a memory with its decidedly unique styling. Strangely, an older gentleman with a bouquet of flowers tucked into his bag now rides by on a bike that looks just like the last one. And now, yet another man is walking the exact same bike down the street too. Coincidence, or something more?

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WEST COAST GREEN 2009: Day 1 Roundup

Each year, West Coast Green brings together the largest conference on green innovation for the built environment with leading sustainable businesses and an eclectic group of green technology and exciting design exhibitors. This year’s batch of booths focused mainly on natural building materials and alternative energy, with a few futuristic electric vehicles thrown in. Many of the products are already available, but some, including Armageddon Energy’s solar panels and the Stak Block, are still in the testing stages. Check out all of our fantastic finds after the jump.

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Biomega’s Boston Folding Bike: World’s First Theft-Proof Bicycle?

Any big city resident can attest to the issue of rampant bike thefts — most of us have have experience with at least a wheel being stolen. The only solution up until now been to ride around on a cheap bike, but the Biomega Boston folding bicycle changes all that with a virtually theft-proof design.

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BOOK REVIEW: $20 per Gallon

I have to admit that when I saw the title of Christopher Steiner’s new book, I scoffed a bit. Twenty Dollars per Gallon of gas seems like an outrageous, unfathomable price, even when you’re a believer in peak oil. But part of the beauty of Steiners’ book is its ability to track the effects of ever-more-scarce oil in believable detail. Whether the author’s predictions of local food, high-speed trains and alternative plastics are correct, they are excellent illustrations of the pervasiveness of petroleum.

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Ancient Church Renovated into Modern Bookstore

Whether you’re religious or not, this old Dominican church will certainly bring you the enlightenment you’ve been seeking. After months of renovation this magnificent structure originally constructed in 1294 has opened its doors to the public as a “brand new” bookstore in the heart of Maastricht. A superb example of adaptive re-use, the Selexyz Dominicanen infuses rich and historic architecture with plentiful shelves ripe with information.

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Bicycle Diaries: David Byrne Bikes the World’s Cities

For most people, bicycles represent a means of transportation, a fun activity, or even objects of affection. For David Byrne they’re much more – they offer a unique opportunity to experience the culture, history, and vitality contained within our built environment. Due for release today, Bicycle Diaries is a freewheeling travelogue that finds Byrne pedaling through the cities of the world as he expounds upon architecture, infrastructure, and life within the world’s great cities.

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Teenager Builds Pedal-Powered Airplane Out of Balsa Wood

Lots of kids wish they could build an airplane and fly away, but Dutch teenager Jesse van Kuijk has become one of the rare few to make it happen with his pedal-powered plane made out of balsa wood, polyurethane, and rip-resistant foil. The most impressive part? Van Kuijk built his plane without ever having flown in one before!

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Bike Capsule Shields Cyclists From Stormy Weather

Bicycles are our favorite form of transportation during the breezy summer months, but the stormy season is right around the corner and everyone knows that riding a bike through the rain is the quickest route to getting soaked. Enter the Bite Bike, a sleek aerodynamic shell that snaps onto any bicycle to provide protection from the elements once the weather turns for the worse. Bike commuters rejoice!

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Boston Gears Up to Launch America’s Biggest Bike Sharing Program

We all know how wonderful bikes are for the environment, but if you’ve been reluctant to make the switch because of the hassle that storing a bike presents, we’ve got exciting news for you! …If you’re in Boston, that is. Lucky Bostonians will soon have no excuse when it comes to choosing biking over cars. The city has announced plans to implement a brand new urban bike sharing system as early as next summer which, when complete, will be the largest in America.

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Gorgeous Wooden Bicycles by Renovo

Two grand for a bicycle? Just reading Renovo’s quietly beautiful narrative of how they handcraft wooden bikes is worth every penny. Based in Portland, Ore., this family-owned business takes wood seriously. Their unique line of custom-built bike frames are studiously forged from two halves of wood that have been hollowed out and bonded together. The result is a super strong, fast and attractive set of wheels that’ll make your eyes pop and mouth water.

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Contortionist Folding Bike Rolls Up Smaller Than a Wheel

There’s a reason you don’t see too many people toting around folding bikes; many have small wheels that make for an uncomfortable ride, and the ones that don’t tend to be too clunky when folded up. Enter the Contortionist, a sleek folding bike that uses full-size 26 inch wheels. Designed by Dominic Hargreaves, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, the bike contains pivots in its frame and a lockable universal joint in the front fork that let it roll up to an ultra-compact size that fits within the width of its wheels!

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Bicycle Rack-Inspired Modular Home

This curvaceous modular home by Palo Alto architect, Joseph Bellomo, is joining the ranks of affordable, modular housing. Dubbed the House Arc, Bellomo was inspired to create the home after the success of his modular bicycle rack design, the Bike Arc — designed to provide efficient storage space for bicycles. The House Arc prototype will make its debut sometime this year on the big island of Hawaii.

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Top 5 Sexy Cycles

We’ve made no secret of our never-ending love for bikes here at Inhabitat – as one of the world’s most efficient modes of transportation they’re also an emission free, healthy, and enjoyable way to get around. There’s no better season to ride a bike than in the summer, so we figured the time is right to bring you a collection of our favorite pedal-powered rides. Without further delay we present to you our picks for the sexiest cycles around!

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Schweeb: Human-Powered Monorail Flies Through the Skies

What could be more fun than gliding along on an eco-chic bicycle? How about shooting through the skies in a pedal-powered monorail capsule! A bunch of entrepreneuring New Zealanders has created just such a human-powered monorail system, known as the Shweeb. Their creation does double duty, acting not just as an innovative transportation system, but also an amusement ride. Are our cities the next step?

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Bernie Madoff Serves Sentence at U.S.’s Only LEED-Certified Prison

You might not be the biggest fan of swindler Bernie Madoff, but at least he is supporting the green building movement by serving out his prison sentence in the U.S.’s only LEED-certified correctional facility. Not that he has a choice. In fact, word on the street is that Madoff didn’t actually want to go all the way to Butner, North Carolina where the green jail is located, requesting a stay at Otisville which is only 70 miles away from his hometown in Queens instead. While we don’t have much sympathy for him, we are pretty interested in what his daily life will be like.

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Hybrid Squared: Ingenious Energy-Generating Bike Rental System

Designer Chiyu Chen has conceived of an ingenious transit system that encourages the use of sustainable transportation by crediting people for renting and riding bicycles. His Hybrid2 system consists of a fleet of rentable bicycles that are capable of generating and storing kinetic energy, which is then used to power the city’s hybrid electric buses. Simply rent a bike, charge it up with kinetic energy from pedal power, and then return it to a kiosk – the station feeds energy into the city’s smart grid, and you receive a credit towards your next bus pass!

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Largest Eco-Village in the UK Will Boast Zero Carbon Homes

The United Kingdom’s Hanham Hall Development is the largest eco-village aspiration to date. Designed by HTA and funded by Barratt Developments and the Homes & Communities Agency, there are a rumored 188-195 zero carbon homes in the overall housing scheme. The development will include an onsite biomass CHP plant, strategically placed reed beds, shops for farmers to sell their goods, bicycle storage throughout, and a carefully crafted drainage system. Hanham Hall is the first major eco city underway that is part of the government’s Carbon Challenge Programme. The government has set a goal for all new builds to be zero carbon by 2016. It looks as though they are six years ahead of the curve.

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ANNOUNCING: Our Pimp My Eco-Ride Winner!

DRUMROLL PLEASE…AND NOW THE ANNOUNCEMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR..ERIKA has been selected as the winner of our Pimp my Eco Ride Contest

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LAST CALL: Pimp my Eco-Ride Contest Closes Tonight!

PIMP MY ECO-RIDE CONTEST CLOSES TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!

Heads-up all eco-enthusiasts looking for a slick new summer ride! Our Pimp my Eco-Ride Contest is closing tonight at midnight, which makes this your LAST CHANCE to convince us why you should win this limited edition Strida 5.0 SX folding bicycle! To enter, simply click on the link below and submit a photo and comment explaining why …

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Inhabitat’s Pimp My Eco-Ride Contest Closes Tomorrow!

CONTEST CLOSES TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT!

Our Pimp my Eco-Ride Contest ends tomorrow, June 24th at midnight, which means there’s only a day left to enter and win this slick limited edition Strida 5.0 SX folding bicycle! All you have to do to enter is click the link below and submit a photo and comment convincing us why it should be yours, so don’t miss …

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TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Madsen ‘Bucket’ Bike

If you’re an eco-minded cyclist looking to tote your tots alongside groceries or library books on your next jaunt, a ride aboard Madsen’s kg271 Bucket bike may be just the ticket. Ideal transportation for parents, this cargo bike enables bicyclists to make errand running with small kids in tow a green undertaking. Or, on solo ventures …

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Pimp My Eco-Ride Contest DEADLINE EXTENDED!

THERE IS STILL TIME TO WIN A FREE BIKE WORTH $950!

We’ve extended the deadline for our Pimp My Eco Ride contest to Wednesday, June 24th at midnight, which means that there’s still time to score this beautiful Strida 5.0 SX Limited folding bike provided by our great friends at …

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