Designing a New Bicycle Culture in Richmond, One Rack at a Time

I wrote about David Byrne's nutty bike rack designs in New York City back in August, and quietly wondered why Richmond has been so passive about building a bicycle culture -- especially in the relatively compact stretch of the city from Church Hill to Carytown. No matter, local grocer Ellwood-Thompson's is taking matters into its own hands.

From the store's new weblog:

So we thought it would be a good idea to get some more bike racks in our parking lot since a lot more people are finally catching on to what might be the best invention in the world, bicycling. Thus were going to have a competition between local designers, architects, sculptors, and creators in Richmond. Individuals, students and firms can register, it’s absolutely FREE. And then it’s pretty simple. If we like your idea and concept, then you move on to stage 2. If we like your drawings and renderings, then we will build the bike rack that you designed. There are some regulations and rules, so make sure you read and download the guidelines pack. Chop Suey Tuey, Richmond Recycles, and Book’s on Wheels are helping us out, so all in all, its a big benefit for our community. Think about it, you’re going to be helping secure bicycle culture in Richmond, literally.