In case you’re interested, the SFU City Program is hosting a talk by Mia Birk, who helped develop the City of Portland’s hugely successful bike strategy and network. TransLink is co-sponsoring the talk through its TravelSmart program!

The details
January 26, 2011, 7:00pm
SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street, Room 1400
Reserve your seat here!

For a bit more about Mia, see the video above: Mia talks about Joyride, her new book, and touches on the effects of cycling on Portland. Plus, here is a little about Mia from the SFU City Program’s site:

Joyride: Walking and Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet

Can bicycling and walking really be the key to bringing our world back from the brink of disaster? Active transportation advocate, consultant and author Mia Birk says YES.

In her new book, Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet, the award-winning bicycle transportation planner shows how in less than a generation, a team of visionaries turned Portland into a City in which people can and do choose bicycling as a normal, everyday means of transportation. The resultant impacts on emissions, oil use, physical activity, safety, and the economy should give us hope that active transportation holds promise for cities across North America.

Mia Birk is Chief Executive Officer and Principal at Alta Planning + Design, with 20 years experience in sustainable transportation focused on pedestrian, bicycle, trail, and greenway planning, design and implementation. Mia is also Adjunct Professor at Portland State University, where she co-founded the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation in the College of Urban Studies, and was the City of Portland Bicycle Program Manager from 1993-99, where she led a period of rapid growth of Portland’s bikeway network.

By the way, Mia was a guest speaker at a TransLink Regional Cycling Strategy workshop on April 6, 2009—so she’s no stranger to our region :)