You are hereRSVP For David Byrne's Panel Discussion: "Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around"
RSVP For David Byrne's Panel Discussion: "Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around"
Unless you're living in a cave or don't have the internet (you luddite), if you're an Austin cyclist you've probably heard that David Byrne (yes, THAT David Byrne) is coming to town in about a week and a half to give a panel discussion entitled "Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around" to herald the release of his new book, Bicycle Diaries. Here's the ad copy from the event's website if you want to know more:
Presented by the Friends of the Austin Public Library
Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around
A panel discussion moderated by David ByrneSunday, September 27
Doors/Bar @ 6pm / Show @ 7pm
The Paramount TheatreThis event is free and open to the public with RSVP.
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The best seats go to donors. Make a donation today for access to great seats. Call (512) 692-0530 for details.Join bicycle enthusiast David Byrne for a panel discussion addressing the intersection between bicycle advocacy, urban planning, civic responsibility, and the pleasure of seeing the world from the vantage point of a bicycle. Special guest panelists include:
Annick Beaudet, City of Austin Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Project Manager
Jana McCann, Urban Planner with ROMA Design Group's Austin office
Rob D'amico, President of the League of Bicycling VotersDavid Byrne might be best known for his extraordinary music career, but he's also an artist, an author, and an avid cycling advocate. Since the early 1980s, David has been riding a bike as his principal means of transportation in New York City. Two decades ago, he discovered folding bikes and started taking them with him when travelling around the world. While his choice was initially made out of convenience rather than political motivation, the more cities he saw from his bicycle, the more David became hooked on this mode of transport and the sense of liberation, exhilaration, and connection it provided. This point of view, from his bike seat, became his panoramic window on urban life, a magical way of opening one’s eyes to the inner workings and rhythms of a city's geography and population.
The big new news is that you can now RSVP online to guarantee yourself a seat. Admission is free, but I expect the Paramount's limited seating to fill up rather quickly so if you want to be in the audience for this excellent sounding panel discussion, you'd better get on it.
So I just thought you'd like to daydream about this as well, but there was some strange documentary I was watching about traffic or driving or some weird shit that came on after cash cab...and they were showing this town in Europe (sorry to be so vague) where in the whole town they only have one stoplight. Everyone their either rides their bike or walks everywhere and there are so few cars that they don't need stoplights. That and people are actually patient and observant, not the ignorant impatient assholes we deal with everyday. It just looked so peaceful and nice on TV I thought I'd share...
How's his book?
Its... okay. Just everything you already think and feel and know about riding around in cities... how easy it is, better it is, what his experiences were - in different cities. I read 2 chapters at a bookstore and since I have used my bicycle as my main transportation for years, its not really worth shelling out the 32.50 for a hard cover of my identical thoughts. Bryne is great for mass marketing this, and hes kind of a renaissance man so I can't complain. His genius is better displayed in his music, and this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_the_Building !
tp
from the Bicycle Diaries.
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The best substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.