Planning a real investment: a sneak peek at the June issue of cyclingmobility

PRLog (Press Release) - May 30, 2011 - Once again, the bankers are in the news. It’s not for us to comment on the specifics of the situation, but the fact that it’s the head of the International Monetary Fund - in effect, the chap who decides whether to bail out entire governments or not – at the epicentre of an international incident is not going to do any favours for the already-clouded image many have developed of banks and their leading lights.

Fresh on the heels of the global recession, outrage over huge bonuses for the head honchos at various banking organisations, austerity budgets in many countries, deficit and national debt regularly all making front page news, is it any wonder that this group of professionals is much-derided in the world’s media? Lest anyone has forgotten - sub-prime mortgages, anyone?

This is not meant to be a cheap shot at the banking fraternity. My point is simply that good reputations are easily undone; bad ones, not so.

But cultural perceptions are very often difficult to change, once set in stone or binary code. “Banker” can very much be a dirty word now, as “tax collector” once was (or has that ever changed?).

And that leads me to our June issue. I’m currently sat in the Munich office, working with the art department putting together the second issue of cyclingmobility (http://www.cyclingmobility.com/). Legacy is a key theme for the issue. We’ll be looking back at the effects of the Olympic games on cycling in Sydney and forwards to the possible effects of the 2012 Olympics on cycling in London. We try and work out what the FIFA World Cup has done for cycling in South Africa in the past year.

There are a whole host of other great articles too. We introduce the world’s bike-sharing vendors with a useful guide to the technology; we ask what lasting effects the 2001 Velo-City (http://www.cyclingmobility.com/news/velo-city-2011-sevill...) conference has had on Scottish cycling; cycle storage facilities, homes come under the magnifying glass; and we get medical with a close look at the evidence behind recent headlines linking cycling with heart attacks and concerns about air pollution.

And that’s besides the cover story, charting Taiwan’s efforts to become the “bicycling kingdom” for reasons other than simply manufacturing, and more great comments from industry-leading figures.

Our real question, to you, city town planners, transport engineers and policy makers, is: what reputation are you making for your town or city?

In the third issue, on sale in September, we take a look at how cycling can be integrated with public transport. We’ll highlight specific case-studies to offer you the best working examples from around the world. As ever, thought-provoking debate will be on the agenda, too, and we’ll be welcoming more heavyweight columnists.

Phew. Have you subscribed yet, or has your department? You’ll miss out if you haven’t.
Join the very active discussions being sparked almost daily on Twitter (@cyclingmobility) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cyclingmobility), and of course, here, on cyclingmobility.com. And please don’t hesitate to email me (ross.ringham@cyclingmobility.com) about the exciting developments occurring where you are.

SPECIAL OFFER: From May 30 - June 3, 2011, you can sign up for an annual subscription of cyclingmobility magazine with a 20% discount! Simply subscribe from the cyclingmobility.com website and enter the promotional code 'Twitter'! Don't delay!