Bigger is better: that was the 50s’ and 60s’ meta-theme. Cars were massive, boat-like juggernauts capable of carrying around a family of seven all propelled by a fuel inefficient 427 big-block engine. Gas economy? Not so much.
Big car? Check. Big house? Check. Big hair? Check. Dead city centres? Check.
Hard to believe that was fifty years ago. The second decade of the 21st C, however, has a new mantra. Doing more with less. People are downsizing and suddenly the idea of doing more with less is no longer the mission statement of Germanic architects. It makes sense for a whole host of reasons. After all, do you really need a twenty two foot Cadillac to drive to the supermarket anymore? Just going there and back will cost $10 in gas—and don’t get us on to the subject of auto insurance!
So we’re making a list of the small things that make living in a MESH City such a great experience. Rather than looking at the things with embedded “smarts,” today’s list reflects solutions that were smartly designed to begin with. Of course there are many, many more, but we’ll start here. Let us know if you have any favourites.
Small apartments
Example: Lego Style Apartment in Barcelona (applicable anywhere)
When Christian Schallert isn’t cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 24 square meter (258 square feet) apartment it looks like an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to unpack it.
Located in Barcelona’s hip Born district, the tiny apartment is a remodeled pigeon loft. Christian says its design was inspired by the space-saving furniture aboard boats, as well as the clean lines of a small Japanese home.
Small cars
Example: Norway’s Kewet Buddy Electric (with free power and parking in Oslo)
What they say about their cars
The large well established automobile manufacturers, aware that today’s cars are no longer ideal in today’s city traffic, are also searching for new concepts, which are more suited to these needs. Buddy however is already there! We have a head start and we are going to use it!
Buddy Electric intends to keep its unique position as a flagship of electric vehicles for city use – no emission, a minimum of space, energy efficient, easy to manoeuvre and particularly easy to park. It’s noticeable in the traffic, it’s obviously an electric vehicle and it inspires a friendly smile or two.
What others are saying
The new electric car from Norway — Small, funny and reliable Kewet Buddy aims to be one of the least expensive electric cars on the commercial market – with a satisfying performance for city use. The design is based on easily available materials and practical solutions, with little emphasis on additional equipment and fancy extras. Less parts – less can break down.
Small bikes
Example: Dahon—What they say about their bikes
Make a change for the better. Economic pressures, environmental pressures, life pressures. What’s a person to do? Dahon makes bikes that fit into your life and help you take charge of your weekly gas bill, of your workouts, and of your carbon foot print.
With over 25 years of experience in making folding bikes, Dahon has a proven record of bringing the best in folding bike technology to the market. Go ahead, check us out and see how our bikes can help you make a change for the better.
What other people say
“Wonderful. All great companies like Google, Ikea, Apple, Pixar and so on provide bikes for their employees. They understand that a healthy and energized team member is much more creative and happier.”
