CicloIguaçu were founded in May 2011 in Curitiba with a clear purpose: To create an interface for constructive dialogue with the government in order to strengthen the development of bicycle mobility policies. They were key organizers of the incredible #FMB3 (3rd World Bicycle Forum) in February, have a city centre HQ; Bicicletaria Cultural, are leading a collaborative design process for a new urban park, have just created a “Bicimechanic office”, and are a major voice inside the government for the defence of the cyclists’ interests. Once a month they ride their streets on kick ass bike rides.
www.bicicletariacultural.wordpress.com
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All over Curitiba in the lead up to February you could see yellow pages with a big blue bear cycling a little bike on a tightrope over the city below the caption THE BALANCED CITY (a cidade em equilíbrio) stamped over him. This was the catchy graphic and theme for the 3rd World Bicycle Forum; an open, horizontally organised forum, made up by cyclists and bicycle enthusiasts, many of them from CicloIguaçu. Anyone could get involved and people came from many countries of the world. All were moved by the professionalism of the event, the depth and diversity of the topics, workshops, films and debates. The total cost of the forum was crowd funded, they asked the world to help pay for it, so that it could be free for anyone to participate. The mayor participated, normal men, women and kids participated, this went far deeper than just how to make better bike lanes in the city, it was a full on sharing of experiences and dreams of how the city and public space ought to be. Leading up to the event, street artists came and painted murals in the streets. In one little corner, Mona Caron climbed by crane to paint the now famous 4 story “Bike flower in Curitiba” mural. Later inside, after she outlined her views on a bottom up, participative, community inclusive, artistic system to bring about radical change to the city, she got a massive standing ovation. Truly inspiring! At night people cycled the streets together as a big giddy family, watched bike related films for free in the cinemateca, or hung out and shared dreams of a better world.
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The CicloIguaçu girls and guys talk about the “flowering of a culture of respect and sympathy for the bike”, but to get there they need to FORCE a dialogue with the government “That’s right – force – because we need to force a dialogue when someone does not listen to us”. Their horizontal structure allows anyone to get involved and for people to volunteer for whatever commissions pop up, with that there is a whole host of stuff going on all over the city and beyond. The purpose of this work is to encourage and support people to reclaim responsibility of public space for encounters, meetings and life. Slowly more Curitiba inhabitants are turning to the bike, thanks to the acts and works of CicloIguaçu and the attention they have got in the local media. Every September, since 2007, their members have been organising the “Month of the Bicycle”, a series of events and activities relating to art, bicycle and mobility. This soft yet firm attitude is paying off; in the last elections for mayor, the candidate who supported the bicycle movement got elected. In returning support, he had a 10 metre giant bike outside his office, city hall, for the duration of #FMB3.
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Currently CicloIguaçu are working on the “Cyclists’ Pocket Square”. The objective of this project is to transform a neglected space into a cultural, educational and recreational shared community space. The abandoned urban area is about 120m2, right in downtown Curitiba, in front of their Bicicletaria Cultural. The idea was to create a space of creativity, of meeting, a plaza for the children, a place of modest tranquility amidst the violence and coldness of traffic and cement. In order to improve the sense of belonging and ownership among community members, they proposed that the space be built through hands on collaborative work, rather than given to them from the City Hall. They pushed the suggestion and have found support in the Urban Planning Institute of the city (IPPUC). At present one of CicloIguaçu’s many commissions is busy on this project. Mona Caron’s started up this movement by painting that fantastic mural in the space.
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Another venture is their new “Bicimechanic office” in CIC, the industrial city of Curitiba, working with their Guatemalan friend Carlos Marroquín. Here locals, students, workers learn how to make practical machines, that run on human energy, for communitarian use. They also participate in fun monthly bike rides in the city, the last one had a Roman theme, followed by rocking parties in the HQ. Yes, they are indeed being the change they want to see in the world. Oh, and it was only later I got it, that blue bear, he’s the shape of their country, Brazil.
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Motive:
CicloIguaçu believe citizens should reclaim their streets, communities, cities as places for meeting and exchange. They are building a quickly growing toolkit and culture that is making that change.
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//Proposal by Duncan Crowley
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(This was a collectively worked proposal for the 2014 Barcelona FAD City to City award. View the accompanying PDF of related images here: Iguacu images )
An Irish eco dude in Brazil 
#FMB3 Restrospectiva…. WWWWOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Essa Restrospectiva são olhares para o futuro. Retrospectiva FMB3
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http://cicloiguacu.org.br/2014/02/oficina-de-bicimaquinas-com-carlos-marroquin/
Eduardo Visinoni Visinoni
Chuva e autofagia na Rua São Francisco.
Curitiba tem um jeito todo especial de se fazer. E depois, de se desfazer. Os intelectuais chamam isso de “autofagia curitibana” eu chamo simplesmente de babaquice otária curitiboca.
Uns fazem outros desfazem. Simples assim.
Por exemplo, tudo que o Jaime Lenner fez agora não é bom simplesmente por que não foi feito por seus sucessores. Fizeram aquele viaduto canhão milionário para ser cartão postal da Copa e o que apareceu em um vídeo promocional do evento em Curitiba foi o grafite feito na Praça do Ciclista. E essa mesma simpática praça de bolso, que foi feita com tanto trabalho e zelo por alguns cidadãos pro ativos, agora começa a ser alvo dos cidadãos destrutivos.
Eu pedalo ela Rua São Francisco desde que ela era boca de crack. Até escrevi pedindo por policiamento, ONG ou alguma igreja olhar o que rolava lá. Nada foi feito e nada havia de bom por lá então. Não tinha polícia, não tinha bares, não tinha Cinemateca (prometida em 2010 para ocupar o quartel do exército na esquina ao lado), não tinha biker, ….nada. Apenas traficantes de crack e um cast do Walking Dead vagando na chuva.
Daí o pessoal fez a praça, rolou o Galpão Thá e o Broklyn Café, num ato de coragem e visão, abriu suas portas por lá. Outros vieram no embalo. Agora é point do verão e pedem para fechar a rua ao tráfego de carros , ser espaço de uma galera muito da hype e uns poucos querem o tráfego de drogas livre.
Todo vez que passo por lá tem um cara muito do descolado achando que aquela rua é uma viela de Amsterdã, ou consulado do Uruguai. Esse mesmo sujeito, muito cheio das razões não admite que risquem seu Kia Soul ou roubem sua roda fixa . Mas quer fumar na boa seu baseado como se estivesse em casa ( véio, para isso tem a casa , sacou). Daí como é que fica? Sábado agora houve tentativa de roubo e a polícia apareceu na quebrada.
Daí rolou o confronto.
Uns deram cassetadas e outros jogaram garrafas.
ATENÇÃO AQUI!!!! Não vou entrar no mérito de quem estava certo ou errado. Só sei que a São Francisco perdeu e a cidade ficou um tico pior. A rua está animada, é funcional, oferece uma opção nova numa noite sempre meio capenga, gera renda, emprego e impostos. Mas tem os autofágicos com ou sem uniforme que trabalham firme para cidade seguir menor, mais xarope e as ruas escuras largadas aos vampiros.
“Cospem para cima e depois reclamam da chuva.” Disse o Ali Salame. Em Curitiba a chuva já nos prende em casa ou shopping, não precisamos de mais umas mastigada da autofagia.
*** Via: Goura Nataraj https://www.facebook.com/goura.nataraj/posts/310613969149041
leia mais em http://visi9.tumblr.com/
O que fazer em Curitiba: Vá para a rua!
Férias de verão e nem sempre dá ou é uma boa ideia ir para o litoral. As vezes você prefere ficar numa boa, viajar para um lugar mais calmo, conhecer outros cantos desse vasto Brasil e vem que você decide vir para Curitiba. Desde 2012 nós fazemos um post inaugurando o ano com dicas do que fazer na capital paranaense, Janeiro é um mês agradável na cidade e as ideias são válidas tanto para os que vem passear quanto para o curitibano que quer explorar um pouco mais a cidade. Pois bem, o post de 2015 tem o lema “Vá para a rua!”…
https://joaquimlivraria.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/o-que-fazer-em-curitiba-va-para-a-rua/
response to : O silêncio europeu sobre Fórum Mundial da Bicicleta
http://www.mobilize.org.br/blogs/mobilize-europa/sem-categoria/o-silencio-europeu-sobre-forum-mundial-da-bicicleta/
#FMB happened 3 times in brazil, once outside brazil (a few days ago in colombia) but still in latin america, the next one can and will be (with a small bit of adventure and effort on all our parts, along with time and being multi nodal n nations organising together…) a truly global affair.. dozens of little gatherings around the planet swarming together to their local node(s) and “tuning into” the chats from chile, also doing their own thing locally.. hundreds of nodes, thousands… wherever there are towns and cities there are people with bikes… we should celebrate what we have, build together and give the world the little gentle yet firm shove she needs and deserves…
im on for giving it a blast and I know there are a handful of others who also are on for it, in many corners of this planet…
ciao,
Dunk… Irish guy in Brazil, attendee at #FMB3 and “tuner inner” and “spreader of word to a few euro bike networks and people” during #FMB4…