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External Airbags on Cars: Novel Idea? Or Band-Aid Solution? 11

External Airbags on Cars: Novel Idea? Or Band-Aid Solution?
External airbags photo courtesy of Fast Company There has been talk for several years now about putting airbags on the exterior of automobiles to protect pedestrians and bicyclists if they get hit. The idea originated in the Netherlands and was lauded by our friend Mikael at Copenhagenize back in 2010. Mikeal wrote in 2010: So, ...

Free Parking? At What Cost? 1

Free Parking? At What Cost?
Car parking lot – Photo courtesy of Zachary Korb In most suburban areas, and some urban areas, big box stores are surrounded by expansive parking lots where motorists can park their cars for free. But the significant costs to buy the land and pay to build and maintain these parking lots are built into the ...

Bicycling Through Rajasthan, India

Bicycling Through Rajasthan, India
Photo from India bike tour by Debbie Selley (Dec 2012) Our friend Debbie Selley recently returned to Canada after a two-week bicycling trip in Rajasthan, India. We asked Debbie a few questions about what it was like to tour India by bicycle and she was kind enough to share her story with The Urban Country. ...

Shanghai Cyclist Hit By Driver Caught On Video 4

Shanghai Cyclist Hit By Driver Caught On Video
Screenshot from a YouTube video of a Chinese cyclist being hit by a turning car A driver’s dash cam caught on video a cyclist in Shanghai getting hit by a driver who had suddenly turned from the centre lane. Despite the unfortunate and misleading title of the video given by Shanghaiist writer James Griffiths, the ...

The Urban Country Has Moved… 5

The Urban Country Has Moved…
Photo courtesy of Chris Jupin As you may have noticed, we are currently undergoing some changes here on The Urban Country. We have moved from our old blogging platform (Blogger) to a new platform (WordPress). While we are at it we are cleaning up and simplifying the website design to provide a better user experience. ...

Paying Employees To Bike To Work 8

Paying Employees To Bike To Work
An Amsterdam businessman – Photo by Dawn Paley  How financial incentives can re-shape our cities and our behaviour for a better future. In North America, there are endless incentives that encourage us to drive our cars everywhere. From 0% interest financing on new cars, to unlimited travel car insurance, to significant government tax-breaks for leased ...

Photos: Toronto Winter Bicycling 14

Photos: Toronto Winter Bicycling
Winter cargo bike – Jan 22, 2013 – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country On the ride in to daycare this morning with my 19-month-old daughter we encountered some snow and slippery streets. The cargo bike held up nicely on the slippery roads; the weight of it certainly helps to stabilize the bike, ...

What Would You Do For $100 Million Dollars? The Incentives Behind Lance Armstrong 17

What Would You Do For $100 Million Dollars? The Incentives Behind Lance Armstrong
Stack of cash photo by 401(K) 2012  In a recent article, I wrote that I care more about what Lance did with his fame than how he achieved it. I asked whether it is really cheating if everyone was doing it. I claimed that Lance had done more with his fame than most other professional ...

Lance Armstrong Confession Expected On Oprah

Lance Armstrong Confession Expected On Oprah
Lance Armstrong Photo Courtesy of Dan Farber Lance Armstrong will appear on Oprah Winfrey this Thursday in his first interview since the widespread doping allegations surfaced last fall. The interview will be taped today and Armstrong is widely expected to confess for not being honest about his doping over the years. It is expected to ...

Roundabouts Gone Wrong 2

Roundabouts Gone Wrong
Australia Roundabout Sign – Photo Courtesy of John Jack Rice We recently posted an article discussing the benefits of roundabouts. Roundabouts are an inexpensive and effective way to increase traffic flow, calm traffic, and improve safety while reducing the environmental impact of motor vehicles. We wrote: “When there is enough space to construct them, roundabouts ...