January 21st, 2009

Bike Business

Geoff DiMasi
Founder


Today I looked out our window and saw someone delivering Grid, a new magazine about sustainablity in Philadelphia. It spurred me to write about some ideas that I care about.

If you know me, you know I am pretty passionate about solving urban problems, and that I am constantly cooking up schemes to this end.

One of these is to create neighborhood compost spots. I hypothesize that people can join the neighborhood compost co-op, get a key and drop off rotting vegetables in a centrally located, locked compost bin. Co-op members would take turns aerating the compost. Possible locations could include a small area in a city park or community garden. Locked. Community-run. Feel-good fun.

Needless to say, I have not gotten around to this initiative. Fortunately, it looks like the Pedal Co-op in Philadelphia is taking on the problem of urban composting. For $2.50, they will pick up a 3 gallon bag and delivery it to compost bins in a community garden. Currently they give the compost away to community gardens.

As an urban pedestrian, bike rider, and mostly mass-transit user, I have often dreamed of a car-less city. When people say I am crazy, I have always said, "If you remove the cars, other businesses and solutions will spring up to replace what the car does." The Pedal Co-op is an example of the type of business that I mean. Human-powered delivery and transport would certainly flourish. Subways and trolleys would benefit. Cities would become more livable, and asthma rates would drop.

What else?

Geoff DiMasi
Founder