Shimano selects Bilbao for Future Cities campaign, follows London and Berlin

Shimano has launched the second year of its Future Cities campaign, following transformations for London and Berlin last year.

It will take a clear vision for people to recognise the impact that the widespread uptake of urban cycling could have, like those captured in Future Cities.

Shimano have begun re-imagining what cities could look like through innovative computer-generated animations.

With international focus on the city after it played host to the start of the Tour de France this year, Bilbao was next up – with four locations potentially up for transformation and decided via social media polls.

Puente de La Salve, the bridge that connects the suburbs to the heart of the city, was chosen as the winner to be transformed.

Built in the early 1970s, the bridge connects the heart of the city with the suburbs – and links up with the Guggenheim Museum.

Currently, the bridge has five lanes of traffic, with no provision for safe cycling – and a limited area for those walking or wheeling.

In Shimano’s vision, three lanes of traffic are removed, replaced by a segregated cycle lane, wider pavement, trees, benches, a kiosk and a cycle hire dock.

Safe and continuous infrastructure, as found in the future vision, has been proven to increase levels of cycling – with people feeling safer and more confident to make journeys by bike.

With a mission to promote health and happiness, Shimano believes it is well-placed to share their vision of how different cities could be.

Seeking to start a conversation with urban mobility experts, residents, politicians, planners and other interested parties, Shimano hopes that the visions will encourage people to be more ambitious and reconsider what is possible when it comes to changing cities and making them fit for people.

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Jonathan Davis, PR and communications for Shimano Europe, said: ‘’We are very proud to be unveiling the next stage of our Future Cities project, in line with our mission to promote health and happiness through the enjoyment of nature and the world around us.

‘’It’s clear that cities such as Bilbao currently have too many streets and roads which are dominated by and designed around cars and not people. After consulting with local people through social media polls, we wanted to create a bold and innovative vision of what the city could look like.

‘’Through our ongoing campaign, we have created an alternative vision of the future – one where our cities our healthier, safer, and ultimately more enjoyable places to live.’’