You can often identify a city by the everyday goods seen on the streets: the people themselves, clothing style, food stands, taxis, architecture, sidewalk materials, mailboxes, doorstops, etc. If we looked closely most of us could infer from these three photos, which came from Austin, Milan, or Copenhagen.

Can you identity a city by the bikes found on the streets?
We took photos of bikes in a city we visited recently. Each bike has a some clue to the city. Identify the city and send your response to contest@publicbikes.com. We’ll randomly pick from all the right answers and award a $100 merchandise credit.

Richard Risemberg won our Greenest City Contest because of his persuasive argument that NYC is the greenest city today. “There are various metrics that can be used to evaluate the greenesss of city. Because NYC has the lowest carbon emissions per capita, NYC deserves to be at the top of the ratings."

A friend sent me a photo of a bike with square wheels. It may sacrifice a little in the area of smoothness of ride, but its absurdity made me laugh. Just when you think you’ve seen the last art bike, another one comes along. We believe this bike hails from Marfa, Texas where Donald Judd reigns supreme and where right angles dot the landscape, walls, buildings, and psyche.

We take the wheel for granted, but it may be the most impressive invention humanity has ever created.

The wheel has been around a lot longer than the light bulb or wifi or the abacus or toaster waffles.  It dates back to about 4000 BC and all the while it has stayed true to its original form. Look at the wheels on ancient chariot carts – they are almost identical to those that move goods around in modern day Cartagena, Colombia. I spent a day photographing all kinds of wheels, stationary and in motion.  Life there essentially revolves around the wheel. Without them there would be no commerce or trade.  The basic human exchange of goods and communications is enabled by vehicles and their wheels. The same holds for most of the modern world.

Wheels of Cartagena from PUBLIC Bikes on Vimeo.

We acknowledge the ingenious internal combustion engine, but what would cars and trucks be without wheels? OK, airplanes don’t need wheels in flight, but many insist that a safe landing is an important part of their flight. The bike is really just two wheels made animate – though that doesn’t keep us from obsessing over elegant frame architecture or getting geeky about gears, weight, and all.  Wheels are everywhere – cranes, trains, pulleys, scooters, skateboards – even those gears we get geeky about.

In a place like Cartagena the diversity, character, and ubiquity of the wheel is extraordinary. You notice them more when they are not shrouded or incased by metal as they are often with cars.  It was easy to get carried away with an appreciation of the aesthetics as I walked around taking photos.  And the wheel as an object or symbol has been adored by artists as diverse as Marcel Duchamp and Ai WeiWei. And then someone rolled by in a wheelchair and I realized how dependent we are on the wheel for our basic needs of independence and survival.  The wheel is too cool to be square.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

Our local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, rarely elevates issues of design and architecture to the front page. But last week (December 29th), that’s where you could find Urban Design Critic John King’s Streetscapes column (photos above). Billed as “a mini tour of tiny parks” around the city, the article is more than just a guide – it even gives information on how to get your own parklet approved and built in San Francisco. Our friend Deep pioneered the first residential parklet on Valencia Street in the Mission District.

John King is probably best known for his book Cityscapes, a compact guide to 49 buildings in San Francisco, many of which are eclectic and unique and not to be found in standard tourist guides. King delights in the unexpected, which we think is a pretty good way to approach buildings, streets, people, food, and life in general.

You would expect to see coverage of this topic here in our newsletter, PUBLIC Opinion, where we have featured parklets in the past. But the fact that King is getting front-page attention is not only a tribute to his journalistic chops but also proof that the question of how to make our cities more livable and sustainable has become a mainstream issue. The Chronicle and the many activists, like Deep, that expose the broader public to these “pedestrian” issues deserve a thank you for educating us about issues relevant to a city’s modernity, civility, and sustainability. It got us thinking about this issue:

What is the greenest city in the US and what makes it so?
San Francisco, like many US cities, likes to toot its green horn and would love to be considered the most sustainable city in the US. We might be the recognized national leader in “parklets,” but parklets alone do not make a city green. What does make a city sustainable? How do we measure it? That’s a heated and somewhat elusive question, and there are lots of opinions. We’d like to hear yours.  A $100 merchandise credit will go to the best response.

P.S. Congratulations to Deep & Kimberly, who graced our catalog as a PUBLIC model, on their New Year’s Eve engagement. We wish them many years of happiness together on and off a bicycle.

P.P.S. John King has numerous excellent articles on urban design that are archived on SFGate.  He occasionally lectures around town and you can follow him on Twitter.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

2011 has been a fun and feisty year at PUBLIC, largely as a result of many great customers and staff. Thanks to all our supporters. We’re ending the year on a very optimistic note, and we have several new exciting ideas and directions for 2012. We’re growing at a fast pace, and this keeps us motivated.

We’re a small team of entrepreneurial people hell bent on changing the world in modest ways. We operate from our small office and store in South Park, and we have retail partners and dealers around the country. We have some major growth plans and initiatives for 2012 and beyond, and we need to recruit some other people and partners to work with us.

We have listed these opportunities below. We would appreciate if you passed this along to anyone interested, especially local Bay Area residents. We are looking for the following:

Director of Operations / Chief Operating Officer
We are a small company, and a business title like COO seems a tad formal to us. But we’re essentially looking for the person to head up the operations of our business and organization. This is a senior position for someone skilled and experienced in retail operations, process and disciplines. They do not need to have experience in the bicycle industry. They do need to be committed to our mission and lifestyle. Visit our PUBLIC Jobs page for more details. Email resume to operations@publicbikes.com.

Retail Store Manager
We plan to open another store in early in 2012. We will need a Retail Store Manager with strong people and merchandising skills. This person doesn’t need to have bicycle industry experience, but they need to love bicycles, sales, and customer service. Visit our PUBLIC Jobs page for more details. Email resume to store@publicbikes.com.

Food Concession Partner
Bicycle cafes have been sprouting up across the US and in Europe. We love seeing the connection between food, bikes, and local community. We are tossing around ideas for an extension of our San Francisco store concept to sell some form of simple food and beverages. If you are a San Francisco-based food operator or caterer that can help us develop and manage this concept, please email partner@publicbikes.com.

Dealers
We have over a dozen retail partners and dealers across the country. We’re looking for other dealers in cities where we are not currently located. If you are interested or have a favorite local bike shop that you think should carry PUBLIC bikes, email dealer@publicbikes.com.

Pop Up Locations and Managers
We get a lot of inquiries to set up temporary pop-up PUBLIC stores around the country. We’re open to this concept in propitious locations where we do not have stores or dealers. If you can find and manage a PUBLIC pop-up in places as diverse as Marfa, Texas or Portland, OR, email partner@publicbikes.com with concept ideas.

We had a great party and sample sale last Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came by. We still have a handful of Sample Sale bikes in many unique new colors (except red!), books, bags, and other cool stuff in our South Park store. We’ll be open this week (M-F 11am – 6pm) and this Saturday, Christmas Eve (11am – 4pm). Great last minute gifts and special deals if you ask politely.

SF Store Closed December 25th – January 1st

We have many bikes in our store and warehouse from local customers that need to be picked-up. You will be doing us a favor if you pick them up this week. If you have to wait until the week after Christmas, please contact us by email and we’ll make it work.

It’s hard to hide from red this time of year. We have been bulldozed by this fine color over the last month: packaging, Santa’s hats, poinsettias, websites, billboards, ads, and more. The truth about red is that a little goes a long way, and it is often best as a surprise element in discrete applications, on things like lips and shoes and chili peppers and such. So to honor the season and the color, we’ve assembled this collection of redness found outside of the holidays. It crops up without any commercial holiday intent around the world: French shacks, red vines, Cuban fire hydrants, Taiwan pots, San Francisco shoes, Canadian radishes, Maine crates, Cartagena peppers, Flora Grubb cafe chairs, downtown motorcyles, Havana windows, Milan poles, Sonoma highway markers, Souel nail polish, Project Color Corps cranberry juice, Colombian fruit stands, and Croatian laundry.

Red at Project Color Corps
If you want to see how red gets used for a positive social purpose, check out Project Color Corps, a great new organization that is fostering random acts of color across the country to aid communities in need. “Project Color Corps believes in the power of color and sees it as a change agent, infusing a sense of well-being and energy into urban neighborhoods nationwide.” In San Francisco earlier this month we created a heart to honor the event and to support a west Oakland community. A special shout out to Laura Guido Clark who is heading up this spirited new organization.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

We’re closing out this holiday season with a PUBLIC Holiday Year-End Sale & Party on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11am-6pm at 123 South Park. Please spread the word via Facebook. Plan to linger, shop, and meet new PUBLIC friends at our festive event.

Bikes For Sale – Up to 50% Off Test Ride & Sample Bikes
If you’re thinking about buying a PUBLIC bike for yourself before the end of the year, we’ve got a handful of steeply discounted used bikes from our test ride fleet and sample bikes – plus all our new bikes ready to roll to take home. Come check out our New Color bikes, as well as some of our Special Edition bikes.

Up to 50% off Select Non-Bike Merchandise
Need last minute gifts for your friends and family? We’ll have our gear and accessories at special store-only prices.

Special Raffle for In-Store Customers – Win 2-Night Stay at h2hotel in Healdsburg
Also we’re holding a raffle to give away a 2-night stay at h2hotel, one of our favorite hotel getaway retreats, at our PUBLIC Holiday Year-End Sale & Party. Anyone who purchases items from our store on December 17 – whether a small item like a bell, or a big ticket item like a PUBLIC bike – will be entered into our hotel raffle.

Tasty Food & Drinks
We’ll provide holiday beverages and snacks for all shoppers. Bikes, fun people, food, mulled wine, coffee – all there – rain or shine.

PUBLIC Holiday Year-End Sale & Party
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, 11am-6pm
123 South Park
San Francisco, CA

Save up to 30-50% on select used PUBLIC test ride and sample bikes
Last minute holiday gifts under $20
Up to 50% off select non-bike merchandise
Enter our special event-only h2hotel gift certificate raffle

CASH, CHECK, OR CREDIT CARD ACCEPTED.

Please invite your friends via our PUBLIC Holiday Year End-Sale & Party Facebook page.

We rarely send out two emails in one week, so apologies if this is an intrusion. But we wanted to alert everyone to these special holiday ideas and offers.

We are offering Free Shipping – on PUBLIC items only – but just until December 11th.
For three days only you can save $125 and have a bike shipped directly to your home (Use Promo Code: FREESHIP) or receive free shipping on gear & accessories (Use Promo Code: JOLLY). We only make this offer on rare occasions. This holiday season, we want to encourage as many of you as possible to get on a bike. A bike is a very conscientious gift that is guaranteed to generate smiles.

I've assembled ten last minute gifts. They are not all PUBLIC items, but they are all from people or companies that I know personally. I’ve included several books as they are meaningful gifts for almost anyone. If you have an especially hard-to-please person, Paula Scher: MAPS will open their eyes to the world the same way a bike does.

1) PUBLIC C7 in Salted Caramel $650
One of our limited edition models named after our favorite ice cream in San Francisco. Salted caramel is one of our limited edition new colors.

2) Vlaemsch Deer Head $200
Our Deer is a modern, playful take on the classic trophy head designed and produced in Belgium.  Made from beech wood and arrives to you flat packed, it assembles easily in a few minutes without any tools. They are lightweight enough to hang on almost any surface.  At PUBLIC it is a perennial favorite.

3) PUBLIC Bleeker 8 Speed $1250
We just launched this beauty. It’s a classic guys bike that works just as well for women. The vintage-style aluminum fenders and Brooks saddle make it a timeless piece of design.

4) BackRoads Bike Trip to Tuscany in April $4000
I’ve been on five of these trips over the past twenty years and they never disappoint.  You get the independence of riding all day, eating delicious food, and the comfort of someone else lugging your bags.  And you’ll likely meet some cool people, like my ex wife!

5) McFadden Farm Bay Leaf Wreath $25.50
The wonderful fragrance of Bay leaves is a traditional indulgence for many of us. This is the wreath for modernists – simple and classic.

6) Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop $27.50
Is there a bike rider alive that does not love desserts?  The book is almost as gorgeous as the pastries from this signature San Francisco pastry shop run by Meg Ray. The photos by Frankie Frankeny are tasty too.

7) PUBLIC Federico Red Bell $15.00
It’s our most popular item, and for good reason. Maybe the sweetest sounding stocking stuff around.

8 ) Paula Scher: Maps $50
The is a shockingly beautiful and provocative book by Paula Scher. She is one of the few visual thinkers whose work seamlessly spans both Art and Design fields. GPS geeks, surfers, artists, and PhDs and designers of course, will have this book atop their coffee table for most of 2012.

9) Portland Design Works Light Set $36.00
From our friends in Portland, a superb way to light up your holiday rides. Both lights are built to withstand rain or meteor showers and keep you safe from blastoff to touchdown.

10) High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky $29.95
Here is a great read or Christmas gift, by Joshua David and Robert Hammond. The book has received five stars reviews all around. If you cannot go to the Highline, at least get the book.

HARD TO PLEASE? If nothing here strikes your fancy, we do have some other gift ideas.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

It’s no secret that we are fond of color at PUBLIC. So when color expert Laura Guido Clark deemed our colors “lickable,” we were gratified and the term stuck around here. In the spirit of this gustatory tradition, we’re introducing five brand new colors this month: Salted Caramel, Blueberry, Pistachio, Lemon Drop and Grapefruit.

These names are all pretty obvious except Salted Caramel, which is named for an extremely lickable ice cream flavor from Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco. Many tourists come to San Francisco for the Ghirardelli chocolate. But for many locals, it’s Bi-Rite’s Salted Caramel soft ice cream on 18^th street in the Mission that we crave.

Our other new flavors are equally lickable, and any (or all) of these treats will be ready to ship by December 18th. These new colors are done in limited editions on our PUBLIC C7 and PUBLIC V7 bikes. We only have ten of each of these models so if you want a licking, get clicking today. These bikes are $650 and include matching rear racks.

$395. Our Standard PUBLIC C7. Three days only. Save $150.

The holidays make us do some crazy things. We hope this holiday special will encourage you to hop on a new ride or get a special bike for your sweetie. Our most popular PUBLIC C7 is $395 for three days only from December 7-9. You won’t see the PUBLIC C7 at $395 again, and you won’t find a quality steel frame, step-through city bike like this anywhere else.

GREAT THOUGHTS FOR FREE
We have packaged our favorite quotes in sticker sheets that are fun to apply to bikes and just about everything else. We have divided them into three sets: Hodgepodge, Bikes, and Women that sell for $10 a sheet.  We’re including all three sticker sheets for free when you buy a bike from us.

HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 17^th Mark Your Calendar
For local Bay Area friends and fans, we’re planning to host a Holiday Party in South Park on Saturday, December 17^th from 11-6:00 pm. Save the date – and follow us on Facebook for details. We hope you’ll stop by for some holiday cheer and some surprises.

I just returned from New York where I had the pleasure of seeing The High Line in the fall for the first time. Here are some pictures. I almost said ‘where I had the privilege of seeing…’ because the place is that great. This is a truly transformative public space, which is why we have written about it on several occasions. If only we could achieve a fraction (99% comes to mind) of The High Line’s success with our other public spaces ­­– our parks, streets, sidewalks, bike lanes.

I guess the first thing a society has to decide is how to use their public space. Public squares were originally intended for people to congregate, hear the local news, and express their opinions. Do we still endorse that purpose (pepper spray notwithstanding)? The Occupy Wall Street movement is forcing us, individually and as a society, to grapple with that question. Do streets exist only to get us from one place of business to another? Must they always be kept clear so that commerce can flourish? Should they be car-centric, bike friendly, welcoming to pedestrians? Should they be beautiful; should they have shade? These questions don’t answer themselves.

Public space, like public education, public health, and public safety, are the truest measures of a civic democracy. Our sidewalks and streets are also public spaces and our design of (and commitment to) them might be one of the best measures of our civility. This is why we adore sidewalk cafes, neighborhood parks, pedestrian walkways, and bike lanes that connect us more closely with our communities. Name your favorite city, and I’ll bet it will be abundant in public space.

We tend to take our public spaces for granted (99% of the time?) until a demonstration like Occupy Wall Street comes along, or something amazing gets accomplished like the New York High Line. We should thank the people behind these movements for raising our awareness.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Here is a great read or Christmas gift, by Joshua David and Robert Hammond. The book has received five stars reviews all around, and this is an apt summary:

“How two New Yorkers led the transformation of a derelict elevated railway into a grand—and beloved—open space. The story of how it came to be is a remarkable one: two young citizens with no prior experience in planning and development collaborated with their neighbors, elected officials, artists, local business owners, and leaders of burgeoning movements in horticulture and landscape architecture to create a park celebrated worldwide as a model for creatively designed, socially vibrant, ecologically sound public space.”

High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky
by Joshua David and Robert Hammond
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 339 pp., $29.95 (paper)

NEW SPECIAL EDITION BIKES

We also believe that one great public space to occupy is the seat of a PUBLIC bike. I put together seven new PUBLIC models this season. They are designed to create different bicycle personalities and to suit a range of personal styles (and budgets). One example is the Bleeker, shown here, with vintage-style aluminum hammered fenders, black Brooks B17saddle, and many other details to compliment the black frame.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.