Eugene V. Debs Hall is partnering with the Campaign for Greater Buffalo and Preservation Buffalo Niagara on the first of a series of presentations called Urban Revival Buffalo that we hope will inspire fresh thinking on ways to revitalize the city while making it more equitable, sustainable, and attractive. The full slate of events is free and open to the public, with donations appreciated.

The series kicks off this Wednesday, August 30, 6 pm at Eugene V. Debs Hall, with “Bikeopolis,” a look at European bicycle cultures in Dutch, Belgian, and German cities by Campaign Executive Director Tim Tielman. Ffesh off a working holiday in Holland and Germany, Tielman will show what it takes to embed “bikethinking” into everyday life and how that creates an ever-improving local bikeway standards and networks, 11,000-space underground bike garages, an international network of intercity bikeways, vital cities, and happy citizens.

It wasn’t always that way, even in The Netherlands. It took riots and bike “die-ins” by citizens to turn the tide of car culture and restore lost freedom of movement for those on bikes and to protect the historic architecture and land uses of Dutch cities that made walking and biking possible. Buffalo bicyclists once had the freedom to safely roam, too. The local bike network stretched to Lake Ontario and included a 23-mile path around Grand Island, built by the Erie County Sidepath Commission. How can Buffalo start rebuilding the ecosystem that makes a bikecity possible?

Bernice Radle, Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara and bike enthusiast, will provide an introductory talk relating her experiences biking in The Netherlands. The event is a “Jane’s Talk,” a series of lectures held at Debs Hall.