An interview with Mikael Colville-Andersen

Mikael Colville-Andersen has been dubbed the ‘rock star of urbanism’, 'the modern day Jane Jacobs' and the man who 'launched a million bicycles’. Simply, he’s a dude who loves moving around his city by foot and by bike, and he wants people across the globe to share that same enjoyment.

I recently chatted with Mikael about Copenhagenize Design Company, how neighbourhoods can become more people-oriented, and the current progress towards - what he calls - 'life-sized cities', across both the northern and southern hemispheres.

A few insights from his work around the globe include:

• "Cities in China... they embraced the automobile over the past 15 years and now they're paying the price for that. Now Shanghai is putting in Copenhagen-style cycle-tracks. The Chinese can do that."
• "India... they still don't know what they're doing."
• "When you have Paris just in the course of 12 years... putting in infrastructure, bike share, traffic calming, taking out some expressways along the river. There's people who are doing it and as soon as you have a big city doing it - other cities will follow."
• "Australian cities are farther behind than any other city in the industrialised world... When there are American cities ahead of you in terms of bicycle infrastructure - you suck. You suck really bad!"

Giving us some idea about what's in store for the future, Mikael tells us that he will soon be heading back into the world of film making. This time however, he has a message to spread. And this time, he will be on the other side of the lens.

Check out the full interview below.

Cycling Superhighways Take Off

​LA's 1892 private Cycling Superhighway. Source: Motherboard

Cycling superhighways are nothing new. Even LA, one of the most congested, car-dominated cities in the world had schemes to implement this idea all the way back in the 1890s. The idea is simple. A Cycling Superhighway is a cycle path wide enough and safe enough for everyone, regardless of age, gender, physical ability or cycling skills, to be able wherever they want and whenever they want. Different to the Dutch-style segregated lanes that are popping up in inner areas of NYC, London and Sydney, Superhighways act to transport high capacities of people moving at different speeds, into the inner city. Much like an arterial road serves a collector road, a Cycling Superhighway serves a lower capacity traditional bike path.

One of ​London's new Barclays Superhighways. Source: London24

The Netherlands and Denmark have adopted Superhighways in a big way, and now the trend seems to be spreading global. London has been hard at work installing the first of 12 Barclays Superhighways, and has recently just unveiled its 15 miles (24 km) “Bicycle Crossrail”. Similarly, Bogota in Colombia has created the CicloRuta, a 300 km network of 3-4 metre wide bi-directional protected cycles highways across the city, linking with pedestrian boulevards. 

Resistance to Cycle Superhighways has been fierce in London, but its benefits are unquestionable. Not only do they improve the health of commuters and provide relief in congestion on roads, but they also provide relief to high-capacity rail networks. London's first Superhighway was installed to relive congestion on the Tube's Northern Line. In addition to all of this, research has demonstrated that cycle paths not only increase the value of adjacent houses, but also local business trade. It’s no wonder local authorities are trying to see how they can adopt this model as quickly as possible.

One of the many Cycling Superhighways in Copenhagen. Source: Creative Commons: Flickr/grapfapan

Multi-purpose design: Oslo Opera House

​The entrance to Oslo Opera House

She Lies​ - Monica Bonvicini

Winning several contemporary architecture awards, the Oslo Opera House is a fantastic piece of modern urban design. It combines style and functionality to perfection and is one of the most interesting and enjoyable buildings I've visited anywhere in the world.

Not only the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, the building itself is a city attraction in it's own right. Aesthetically it mimics the icy Norwegian landscape wonderfully, but what I found most appealing was the interactivity it offers. The design is such that the public can freely walk all over it's surface, all the way up to the top of the roof, giving marvellous panoramic views of Oslo. There is actually a real sense of 'fun' when you climb all over a building such as this, and the views are stunning. It's also a very relaxing and peaceful place by the water away from much of the city noise. The roof has also been designed with angles and paving materials conducive to skateboarding. That's right, skateboarding is encouraged on top of the Opera House! The interior comprises exquisite shapes and acoustics, and exhibits a number of contemporary artworks. The most famous piece of artwork at the site, She Lies, is a glass sculpture which floats permanently in the adjacent fjord.

Combining style, functionality, interactivity, atmosphere, and panoramic views like no other, Tarald Lundevall's Oslo Opera House is a fine example of modern urban architecture. Perhaps this kind of multi-purpose design is something we will see more of in cities of the future.

Images courtesy of Billy Haworth.