CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.

CYCLEHACK

(82 posts)

123

  1. chdot
    Admin

    Anyone involved??

    "

    CYCLEHACK IS A 48 HOUR EVENT AIMED AT MAKING CITIES MORE CYCLE FRIENDLY

    OUR MISSION
    WHAT IF SERVICES WERE JUST AS GOOD AS THEY WERE ADVERTISED TO BE?

    We are on a mission to crowd source ideas and innovations on improving the experience of cycling in Scotland. We want to involve you. We want Cyclehack to be the unheard voice of cyclists and space for you to act on what you think is important.

    We want to get cycling into the psyche of Scottish cities. Right now, it’s the bottom of the food chain. Whilst we can continue to work on infrastructure and what cycle routes should go where, there are lots of small things that identified, made real and prototyped to make a big difference.

    We believe in actionable ideas that will improve cycling in Scotland, not just marketing to promote it

    We are taking a systems-based approach to improve cycling in Scotland. This isn’t just about brand, this is about looking holistically at the eco-system of communities and the actors that make up the system. Our mission is to get the perspective of drivers, planners, cyclists, the public and what is possible in terms of designing and creating a bikeable city. It’s important to us that this is not a programme seen as cyclists versus everyone else, but as an exercise focusing on the benefits of cycling and how to integrate this better into our spaces and places.

    So join us in our mission to make 50 hacks in under 48 hours and share these with the rest of the world

    20th – 22nd JUNE 2014

    "

    http://www.cyclehack.com

    http://bikeablejo.com/2014/03/29/beers-and-cyclehack-chat

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. sallyhinch
    Member

    I think Kim has been liaising with them.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. Instography
    Member

    "We are taking a systems-based approach to improve cycling in Scotland. This isn’t just about brand, this is about looking holistically at the eco-system of communities and the actors that make up the system."

    Come and see the violence inherent in the system.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Morningsider
    Member

    "We want cyclehack to be the unheard voice of cyclists" - I suspect they have got that bit right.

    I'm not aware of any real lack of understanding as to what needs to be done to improve the lot of cyclists. It's implementation that's the problem and I think adding yet another "cyclists voice" to the already confusing mix won't do much to help in that regard.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    As we are all actors in an Eco-system I offer a very short clocks forward quiz, which could be in the clocks forward thread, but I have acted to put it in here, possibly incurring the wrath of the god who controls the larger Eco-system :-)

    1. "I am a serious actor" is a quote from an LP spin-off from a 1979 movie. Name that movie.

    2. which is the only lake in the Lake District that is actually called a lake?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. tk
    Member

    This type of event is usually a bunch of programmers being given access to some sort of data with a goal to create new services and uses for it. There have been some very successful ones for flooding, the NHS and various government data sources.

    I'm not sure what the intention of this event is though - will they be producing online interactive cycling maps or alternatively do they plan to take angle grinders round town and remove all the narrow gates on cycle paths ("barriers to cycling"). It would be nice to understand the type of outputs and their resources for the two days.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. sallyhinch
    Member

    A couple of years ago we did a 'policy bash' for the Cycling Embassy which sounds like it would be a bit similar - get some clever/knowledgeable people into a room and work in a concentrated way on a few thorny issues. The concrete outputs were quite limited at the time but in the longer term it helped clarify a lot of issues that were quite vague at the time (like how Dutch roundabouts could be made to work in the UK and what the barriers were) as well as making some good connections.

    As there are a lot of clever/knowledgeable people here, I'm sure you'd all be an adornment to any cycle hack and I see nothing on the site that says it has to be an IT solution - it could equally come up with something concrete like roll-out instant segregated bike lanes for instance.

    That said I know nothing about it other than what I've read on the internet. If it wasn't being held on my Mum's birthday, I'd be signing up myself.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. wee folding bike
    Member

    This isn’t just about brand, this is about looking holistically at the eco-system of communities and the actors that make up the system.

    I'm reminded of W1A and 2012. At least there are Bromptons in both shows but he made a pig's ear of folding it in the first episode of W1A.

    Pigs ears on special at Aldi.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    "As there are a lot of clever/knowledgeable people here, I'm sure you'd all be an adornment to any cycle hack"

    Without wishing to sound defensive or cliquist, it's odd that no-one on 'here' seem to know about this!

    "and I see nothing on the site that says it has to be an IT solution"

    No - though there are a lot of IT people here!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. sallyhinch
    Member

    @chdot - I had heard about it a while back, I think via Kim. Sometimes things just slip through the cracks (I'm amazed that I could hear about anything bicycle related before you though)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "I'm amazed that I could hear about anything bicycle related before you though"

    I'm not!!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. wingpig
    Member

    BikeableJo's Twitter feed had lots of mention of being in Glasgow for the filming of it but then there was a long delay before the result appeared.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. SRD
    Moderator

    I'm left feeling very very old, and like I don't speak the language anymore.

    That said, I'm pretty sure it's a good thing, and if it brings in new/diff people, then that's got to be good. Even better if it has an effect.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "I'm left feeling very very old, and like I don't speak the language anymore."

    I'm sure that if I could make my brain work faster, I'd manage to come up with a witty repost.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. fimm
    Member

    I'm sorry, but the site tells me nothing. It reads like marketing gibberish to me.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. dg145
    Member

    @fimm ... glad it's not just me!

    I can't help but feel that Cyclehack and Simon Parker may be made for one another. There's an introduction just waiting to be made.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. Claire
    Member

    I've heard quite a bit about the Cyclehack. It's being led by @Rufflemuffin and @BikeableJo and I think they are only now starting to get a venue sorted. @Rufflemuffin works for Snook, a service design agency, so I'm not sure if they'll be taking a service design approach for the hack?

    The cyclehack is definitely not meant to be an option for programmers only. I think they are looking for a cross-section of people - cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, policy makers, technical people etc etc... All to come together and create solutions (or "hacks") to make cycling better for everyone. I'm not sure what the hacks will be or how they would look.

    I'd probably attend myself but I am already booked up for that weekend. I'd quite like to see what happens.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. SRD
    Moderator

    Beers & #cyclehack chat. 25 Apr- Edin, 4 May- Glas. http://wp.me/p3k8TA-iV

    Perhaps the solution for those of us not quite sure what a 'cyclehack' is supposed to be?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "Perhaps the solution for those of us not quite sure what a 'cyclehack' is supposed to be?"

    That you offering to go and report back?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    "
    Edinburgh - Friday, 25 April from 7pm in the Royal Dick Pub, Summerhall. Register for your free ticket here.

    "

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. Morningsider
    Member

    SRD - the problem is with the author, not the reader. If the purpose of language is to communicate ideas clearly then the quote above (and the website) hardly qualify as language at all.

    My experience of people who write and speak like this is not good - there is no good reason why someone who knows what they are talking about should use such opaque language.

    Also, I'm inherently suspicious of events where the tee shirts, you tube videos and kickstarter pages are arranged before the venue for the event - just seems like the wrong way round.

    I do hope the participants have a good time though and, who knows, prove me wrong by coming up with something that the Danish and Dutch haven't thought of already.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "prove me wrong by coming up with something that the Danish and Dutch haven't thought of already"

    That's easy.

    The problem (as you said earlier) is implementation...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. Claire
    Member

    @morningsider Agreed, language is baffling :(

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. gembo
    Member

    Is the event aimed at younger folk?hence the name Cyclehack? Happy for anyone of any age to come up with implement able ideas Fo'Shu'

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. fimm
    Member

    @Morningsider exactly.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  26. Arellcat
    Moderator

    "We’re bringing together a diverse range of people who move around the city to identify the barriers to cycling and generate ideas that will solve these issues."

    It starts out sounding positive and then I came across the misplaced modifier, which raised my hackles. The strange writing style continues:

    …and implementing them into the city."

    which doesn't quite help sell the idea to me, in my Sunday-evening-pedant frame of mind. I'm familiar with the idea of a hack day though in terms of playing with data (Big or otherwise) and the physical computing side, and I suppose it's a good title and better than "Cycle Infrastructure Idea Workshop Day" or something.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  27. Tulyar
    Member

    Seems that CCE forum does much the same thing on a continuous basis with the occasional rogue thread that goes totally OT - although if you really want that you should join BromptonTalk list .....

    Posted 10 years ago #

  28. PS
    Member

    I read this as being a bit of guerilla infrastructure improvement, but I suspect that is a misinterpretation.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  29. bikeablejo
    Member

    Hello from Cyclehack!

    It's Sarah Drummond (@rufflemuffin) from Snook and myself (@bikeablejo) running Cyclehack. Your questions and initial thoughts are really helpful and I'm glad to see there is a bit of buzz about it - we have been receiving lots of positive responses from Scotland and cycling groups all over the world.

    As people have already said, this IS NOT just for developers (I'm far far from that) but open to folks from all perspectives, skills sets, and ages! We want to make the event and lead up accessible and open to all - if the language doesn't reflect that (or is baffling, comes off as marketing gibberish), we will certainly look into it. That's really useful to know.

    I realise that some people might not be aware of the hack method - I certainly wasn't before Cyclehack. But it's a really effective way of getting folks together (not just cyclists, not just developers) around a particular topic and generating some actionable ideas.

    While we have spent the last few months speaking with cycling organisations and relevant transport folks from Glasgow and Edinburgh - we are two women who are working full time and doing this on the side for the love of it. As we just confirmed funding - the venue will shortly follow. I appreciate that t-shirts shouldn't come before these kind of details (helps for raising funds on Kickstarter though!) and that there has been a lag in filming/putting up films - but as is the beauty with a community project that started out with little funding (OK, no funding), as I'm sure you guys understand.

    One of the main outcomes is to create an online open source catalogue with all the hacks generated over the weekend (and leading up to it). Also, Sarah is doing a presentation in Glasgow this evening and has just put up her slides. You can see them here for some info on what actual hacks might be- http://issuu.com/cyclehack/docs/cyclehack_slidedeck This might explain how we 'implement' - which is a bit more like prototyping.

    But I take on your point about being clearer about what in the world a cyclehack is to get people thinking - regardless of how tiny. Sarah and I spent yesterday on the Meadows filming and got some great ideas from folks - will put together a short film and be sure to incorporate this.

    I'm more than happy to field any questions and would very much recommend folks come to our Cyclehack Social on Friday, 25 April at 7pm at the Royal Dick Pub in Summerhall. Sarah and I will be there and are happy to field any questions. You can register for a ticket (not necessary but helps us with numbers) here - http://www.eventbrite.com/e/cyclehack-social-edinburgh-tickets-11063472143.

    If you can't make it - please offer up any questions here, tweet @bikeablejo, email me at johanna at cyclehack.com, or I'm always happy to meet for a coffee/pint. We always welcome folks lending a hand and with the amount of experience and ideas among this membership - it would be great to have you involved.

    Thanks and I hope that provides a bit more insights - I look forward to hearing from you!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    @bikeablejo

    Very helpful.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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