BIKING IN PRACTICE. Ideas and acts to promote walking and cycling MAURI MYLLYLÄ POLITICS TACIT KNOWLEDGE GOOD CITY INFLUENCING OULU S CYCLING NETWORK

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1 MAURI MYLLYLÄ BIKING IN PRACTICE Ideas and acts to promote walking and cycling POLITICS TACIT KNOWLEDGE GOOD CITY INFLUENCING OULU S CYCLING NETWORK

2 MAURI MYLLYLÄ Contents PREFACE POLITICS Philosophy of cycling Thoughts of Finnish Government Finnish transport policy Road and city are one TACIT KNOWLEDGE Do we need tacit knowledge? Attend to children's knowledge! GOOD CITY Signs of good city INFLUENCING Creating possibilities for walking and cycling Importance of key people Views and visions in promoting walking and cycling Emergence of one's own view Creating a view in others Obstacles in forming a view and preserving it The author of the books, worked as Director of Dtreet and Green Space Services for City of Oulu, finland Aftervhaving retired he served as Expert Advisor and Mentor for the State Highway and Navigo Consulting. He also acted as an Assistant Teacher at the Univercity of Oulu Born 1935, holding an M.Sc. in Technology (1959) from Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Helsinki, Finland as well as an M.Sc. in Civil Engineering (1968) Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.) OULU`S CYCLING NETWORK Design principles The world s first Winter Cycling Congress 2013 in Oulu Best in all modesty

3 PART ONE THE PHILOSOPHY AND THOUGHTS OF BIKING IN PRACTICE

4 My feet have been on the ground or on the pedals The biker of the year, 2015

5 POLITICS Philosophy of biking The somewhat spiritual concepts of wisdom and intelligence are now used in the discussion regarding physical movement and traffic. Even the achievements of human wisdom and intelligence such as roads and cities can be described as intelligent. In the presentation Walking as a thinking method (10/28/2015) I wrote: "walking is more than just a marginal mode of transport. Describing walking and cycling as wise forms of mobility is strongly justified. Walking can be raised high on a pedestal as a mode of thinking and spiritual life." There is a phrase in my previous book in favour of walking and cycling: "the most important new ideas and decisions forwarding the agenda have been born in my "free time" as a resident or a tourist. My feet have been on the ground or on the pedals." According to the definition in the Finnish Highway Code, intelligent transport systems refer to systems that apply information and communication technologies in the field of road transport, traffic management, and mobility management, as well as road transport and other modes of transport interfaces. Use of the word 'intelligence' has almost been limited to car traffic and related gadgets. The result has been debate on the intelligent vehicle, which no longer needs a driver. Such are, of course, already being tested. On the other hand, spiritually developed cars still in running order increasingly end up being scrapped according to Finnish Public Broadcasting Company YLE (11/7/2015). In my experience, driving on a city motorway makes thinking impossible. One can only drive to keep pace with and avoid the wiser drivers turning from the bypass lane to the exit ramp. According to my wife, I am unable to say anything until the end of the ramp. When we stop, we can start a conversation. Immobility has traditionally been described as an end to thought. That is false.

6 POLITICS Philosophy of biking Wise mobility is not defined in legislation. Motiva, a company owned by the State of Finland, Motiva recommends wise choices in traffic: "the movement patterns and mobility needs can be designed to make transportation more energy efficient - especially if one is willing to let go a bit of one's deep-rooted habits." A good starting point is to choose the mode of transport according to needs instead of habit. Energy efficient movement save not only the environment but also time and money. Public transport users do not have to stress about traffic jams or worry about finding a parking space. Walking and cycling uphold health. "Wise choices create a smoother traffic and benefit economy, environment, health, and the society as a whole." Now we are discussing how the choice of transportation method can help us think. Does cycling make sense? Tommi Lehtonen, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Vaasa, was of the following opinion (23/10/2013): "Walking helps thinking and eases us to get out of a thinking deadlock. In slow-paced walk, the heart rate remains low enough and one can focus. For the same reason peaceful cycling is suitable for the pursuit of thinking. Running and other physical activities that trigger breathlessness cause more difficulties for thinking clear. No matter how hard you try to concentrate during running, your thoughts escape from one thing to another. Walking and cycling are more like "thinking exercises" also for the following reasons. First, the rhythm of both the paces and the breaths as well as the fresh air pushes ideas forward in our brains and help in organizing our thoughts. Second, the gradual change of the landscape nurtures thinking with new observations and perspectives." The author of the blog Kevyempi liikenne [Lighter traffic] writes (5/2/2012): "I would like that all people used ten or even twenty minutes more for transportation if it were at all possible and tried a slower cycling philosophy. It requires concentration and a speedometer to make sure that velocity does not exceed 20 km/h except when going downhill, for cruising allows one to see and enjoy the surroundings quite differently. In the cities cycling is not a sport, it does not have to be an aerobic exercise, it can also just be a way to move from point A to point B. Leave the sports gear home, discover a new way to ride a bicycle. " Thinking pedestrians on the Aura river bridge in Turku 2015 Turo Vuorenpuro writes (5/6/2013): "Cycling is an activity that has inspired many people to engage in deep philosophical reflection. In fact, I am most fond of Albert Einstein's words: "Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance, you must keep moving." I have thought about these words and I believe he basically meant that it is important to learn to be present in this moment, to be curious and interested in exploring and learning new things in life, and through those things change our own thinking in relation to ourselves, other people, and the world around us.

7 PART THREE ELEMENTS AND VIEWS OF A GOOD CITY

8 Biking network in city of Oulu Community and its transport system have a dependency ratio in our minds as well as in reality

9 GOOD CITY Signs of good city The Professor of Urban Planning Helka-Liisa Hentilä from the Oulu University told in newspaper , that preferable features of a good cycling environment are as follows: 1. The place has a historical perspective 2. The nature is present 3. The wider view is there possible 4. The buildings varies uniformly 5. The maintenance is well arranged The Oulu region is one of the most successful areas in Finland. The traffic system is involved when making evaluations and has been part of lifting Oulu s rating. In a financial study comparing the image of the biggest cities in 2006 the traffic circumstances boosted Oulu s stocks. That same year Oulu s university succeeded in a comparison between schools because of the walking and cycling possibilities. The city s traffic system has been developed far and it has good qualities. Cyclists in Paris 2006 Success based on vision is in itself something worth aiming for. Based on this we can seek the title of world s smartest city. The hype behind a vision is called the brand. It used to be called premature boasting. The things behind success may be left unsolved and unknown. The foundation for the recent success of the city of Oulu is - depending on the situation - said to be linked to the establishment of the University of Oulu and its influence or to the technological know-how and the key organizations' co-operation to achieve it. A healthy population and sensible employees have also been given a status they deserve. Fusce ac leo Purus, in consectetuer Proin in sapien. Fusce urna magna,neque eget lacus. Maecenas felis nunc, aliquam ac, consequat vitae, feugiat at, blandit vitae, euismod vel.

10 STREET, SCHOOL AND CITY Book by Mauri Myllylä, Thoughts of tra"c planning during the author s professional time INFLUENCING ON WALKING AND CYCLING - TACIT KNOWLEDGE INTO USE The second book by Mauri Myllylä, published in The implemented structure are speaking best on behalf of continuing the work. MAURI MYLLYLÄ The author of the books, worked as Director of Tra"c Planning both Director of Street and Green Space Services for City of Oulu, Finland ( ). After having retired he served as the Expert Advisor and Mentor for the State Highway Enterprise and Navico Consulting. He also worked as an Assistant Teacher at the Univercity Of Oulu ( ) LAYOUT / MARKETING & MANAGEMENT CONCEPT, OSSI LUOMA