Setting the wheels in motion | Around Town | Article | Istanbul's Guide to Life | timeoutistanbul.com/en/
A new project, titled BikeLab Istanbul, seeks to change public perceptions of the bicycle and set the wheels in motion to create a sustainable transport system in Istanbul. ‘Cycling is a transportation mode. It is not just recreational,’ says Arzu Tekir, the director of EMBARQ Türkiye – Sustainable Transport Association, an organisation partnering with Dutch design firm Yard 9 on the BikeLab project.
In December, the arts and research centre SALT Galata hosted the project’s first phase: the BikeLab Istanbul Workshop. With the support of the Dutch Consulate, the workshop brought together more than 60 government agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders. Turkish and Dutch cycling experts shared their knowledge, and the discussion tackled such topics as safe cycling, integrating bicycles into the public transport network and ways of developing cycling culture in Istanbul. A report prepared by EMBARQ Türkiye with input from workshop participants will be passed on to local authorities.
