I finally put my money were my mouth is (literally almost all of it) and moved to New York. Two years after the completion of the project for which this blog was created I graduated from Temple University with my bachelors in Strategic and Organizational Communications & Geography and Urban Studies. Titled Redefining Sustainability: A Case Study of Cycling in New York City, my work was was presented at a number of conferences including one in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda [depicted right]: a real pleasure considering that the entire project was about New York… I’ll admit that some didn’t understand my point about using NYC as a model. Many of my findings came from the adventures detailed in this blog. Most notably, the bicycle allows riders a much more candid and holistic experience of the city than other modes of transportation. In automobiles, sights, smells, tactile stimulations and other senses are controlled by knobs; replaced by windows, radios and air ducts. On foot pedestrians are exposed to concentrated stimuli of all five senses and only limited by distance. Bikes allow for a full experience of the city and allow riders to have a complete sense of relative geography. Thanks to investigations of different organizations, I discovered three distinct methods of bicycle facilitation. First is the NYCDOT approach which is primarily infrastructure focused (though they have delved into more and more safety education initiatives since I completed the project). They put in bike lanes and publish the map every year. The second approach, is a little more militaristic demanding signatures for petitions and lobbying politicos for more infrastructure. Third and most effective approach is advocacy via education (I’ll talk more about this later). I ended the project more resolved than ever that if sustainable change could occur it would need to start in New York City.
So I’m here now… Currently I’m gearing up (no pun intended) for Graduate School at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service for a Masters in Urban Planning. In the mean time, I’ve spent the month of July working for Bike New York as a Youth Cycling Instructor… I don’t think there could have been a more perfect fit for me. Thus far I have not planned to many exploratory rides, mainly the result of my commute, but I’ll talk more about this later. I’m living in Brooklyn, right around the corner from Grand Army Plaza (ironic considering the amount of time I spent in The Brooklyn Public Library conducting research for an independent study on Brooklyn).
Not long after the move, I took a ride to Brooklyn Bridge Park, an old favorite. I’ve gazed on this awesome sight hundreds of times, but this time just felt different. Though familiar, the diverging Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges still elucidated the same titanic awe. This time, however, there was no time frame; no bus departure; no need to leave. The waves gently rolled up the small sandy beach as I sat amongst the rocks. The bustling sounds of the surrounding archetypical cosmopolitanism seemed dulled and distant. In that moment I realized that I was truly home.
I decided to rename this blog in the spirit of my new perspective. The previous title, A Sustainable Urban Adventure, implied a sole occurrence with a definite beginning and end. Living here offers a new point of view, one that will help me understand what biking in Gotham really means.
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