University of the Arts London
Browse

Bikeoff

Version 2 2024-05-30, 16:40
Version 1 2024-05-18, 22:03
Posted on 2024-05-30 - 16:40
Overview

Bikeoff aimed to design objects and environments that reduce bike theft while promoting the numerous health and environmental benefits of cycling. Research included rigorous and extensive observations of cyclists’ locking practices and analysis of ‘perpetrator techniques’ to steal bikes.  

After completing its first phase between 2004 and 2006, DACRL and the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at University College London were awarded further research funding from the AHRC / EPSRC Designing for the 21st Century programme to develop a portfolio of projects between 2006 and 2008.

Outputs

As a response to the research findings, DACRL developed the M-shaped ‘Camden’ bike stand which was shown to increase secure locking practices by cyclists. 


Another notable outcome was the Bikeoff design resource, a comprehensive web-based platform providing information on bike theft and design solutions. It includes details on bike locks, parking furniture, facilities, bike hire schemes, and materials.


Impact


The promotion of the design resource led to three national design competitions supported by Bikeoff’s ‘open’ online toolkit (www.bikeoff. org), which contributed to the design curriculum of over 40 universities and catalysed UK enterprise. In 2006 Anthony Lau won ‘Reinventing the Bike Shed’ with ‘Cyclehoop’, which is now a successful product, and Cyclehoop Ltd have become an award-winning design practice. 


Bikeoff is widely consulted by crime prevention practitioners, academics and others seeking advice on design of bike theft prevention attributes. Interest in the resource continued for many years after its launch, and led to the publication of Bicycle Theft in the ‘Problem-Oriented Guides for Police’ series, commissioned by Rutgers University and written by Design Against Crime and Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science staff (published by the US Department of Justice: https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/ cops-p141-pub.pdf). It is still available internationally and when reviewed after its launch was found to have been downloaded 2,000 times daily. The Bikeoff.org design resource also informed and supported NESTA’s ‘cycling challenges’ 2012–13 and other subsequent Design Council ‘Design against crime technology alliance’ projects.  
 

CITE THIS COLLECTION

DataCite
No result found
or
Select your citation style and then place your mouse over the citation text to select it.

FUNDING

Bike Off 2 - Catalysing anti theft bike, bike parking and information design for the 21st century

Arts and Humanities Research Council

SHARE

email
need help?