Pedalpalooza, a bicycle festival organized by the citizens of Portland

Abstract

Pedalpalooza is a bicycle festival in Portland, Oregon, one of the prime bicycle cities in the U.S. Over 800 diverse rides occur in one summer. Ride leaders post rides on the calendar, and interested participants gather and ride. The author conducted web and on-site observations to determine what makes a handmade event exciting and attracts many audiences. The author found the following points: a FUN-centered concept, the existence of an easy-to-use calendar, the advantage of human-scale bicycles, the effective use of visual design, and the accumulation of know-how of organizers. Shortly, the author will convert the calendar system into Japanese to examine how it would adapt to the Japanese audience.