【OMNIUM】Cargo Bikes and Cities

Exactly two months ago, I traveled through Doha Airport to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
In this city, known as a bicycle nation, you realize the moment you step out of the station that the reputation is no exaggeration. Bicycles pass by incessantly morning, noon, and evening, and they line the main streets and alleys as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Despite the sheer number of bicycles, I hardly ever felt unsafe or worried about having nowhere to walk during my stay.
People, bicycles, cars, and shops all fit neatly into the city.

This is largely influenced by architect Jan Gehl's idea that "the city is for the people who live in it."

His philosophy, which greatly influenced Copenhagen's urban development, strongly advocated for urban planning that puts people at the center—people who walk, stop, meet, and spend time there—rather than creating a fantasy city where cars move easily and large buildings merely flaunt power and wealth.
It is about moving away from cities where human interaction is lost by prioritizing cars and economic activities, and creating cities where people can live using walking, bicycles, and public transportation. It is the idea that spaces designed to suit the human body naturally create time spent in the city and interactions with others, enriching the lives of those who live there.

As a result of creating an environment for safe bicycle travel, including dedicated bicycle lanes, traffic lights, and intersection designs, bicycle traffic in Copenhagen increased by 41% over the ten years following 1995. In 2020, it is said that bicycles accounted for 42% of commuting and school travel. However, the increase in bicycle riders is not the only achievement of this city.

Going out into the city. Sitting down somewhere. Meeting people. Shopping. Drinking coffee. By spending time in the city in this way, interactions with others naturally increase.

I can feel that spaces created to suit human bodies and actions have gradually made people's lives better.

A city where everyone has a place to belong. That is the impression Copenhagen gives. And looking around the city—no, you don't even have to look around to notice—there are so many cargo bikes. They do not stand out as special vehicles; they blend into daily life so naturally.

Because it is a city where you can live based on bicycles, a bicycle is also ideal for dropping off and picking up children. For that, a cargo bike that can carry children and a lot of luggage is perfect. If you want to sell postcards or flowers in the city, then a cargo bike that can carry luggage and even serve as a small shop is ideal.
The ride is not that different from a regular bicycle, yet it can carry a lot of luggage. In the first place, there is no need to feel that you need to buy a car. Then, why not choose a cargo bike?

It is not enough to use a car, but a regular bicycle cannot carry it all. Cargo bikes fill those daily gaps. And I think the way this city is built makes that choice effortlessly viable.
The city itself, and the actions of the people who live there, are very orderly. Not everyone is spending their time with a lot of energy, but they are living at their own pace and somehow look content.
The tranquility I felt while walking through Copenhagen may stem from a city built to suit people and the ability to effortlessly choose a mode of transportation that suits oneself.

And one of the cargo bikes I actually saw frequently in that landscape is the OMNIUM.

OMNIUM is a cargo bike created by Copenhagen messengers Jimmi and Matias to transport large, heavy loads quickly. The first prototype was born in 2012. What started as a tool for messenger work gradually came to be used for dropping off and picking up family members, shopping, store deliveries, and daily travel thanks to its agility and ease of use.

The OMNIUM I actually saw in the city was not a beautiful bicycle meant for display. Boxes and bags were tied to the cargo bed, and sometimes a child seat was attached, and it rode through the city just like a regular bicycle, bearing the marks of work and daily life.
"Oh, that's an OMNIUM. Oh, there it is again!"
Seeing it over and over like that makes me realize that OMNIUM is not a rare cargo bike, but a bicycle that has firmly taken root as one of the bicycles that fulfill a necessary role in this city.

The reason OMNIUM is widely used in Copenhagen is probably not just because it is an excellent cargo bike.
In addition to carrying a lot of luggage, it can ride fast and agilely even when loaded. When it is not carrying luggage, it also has the agility of a regular bicycle. The idea of a "cargo bike that can really ride" is packed with the demands that messengers who race through the city every day have for their work tools.
The mobility of such an OMNIUM and Copenhagen's environment for safe bicycle travel fit together perfectly. Looking at the actual landscape, it is easy to agree that it is widely accepted in the city.

Of course, you cannot simply turn Japanese streets into Copenhagen. Road widths, traffic systems, and housing situations differ. Even so, there is room to consider whether a car is truly necessary for all travel, such as daily shopping, dropping off and picking up children, work deliveries, and carrying slightly larger loads.
Instead of looking at a cargo bike as a "special bicycle," try to see it as a practical means of transport and travel that fills the gap between a car and a regular bicycle.
Come to think of it, Japan already has a culture of everyday bicycles that should be a source of pride worldwide, known as "mamachari."

It is affordable, durable, and can carry luggage. And above all, it is not just for people who ride sports bikes; it is used as everyday transportation by people dropping off and picking up children, commuting, and shopping, from students to the elderly, and sometimes one is shared among family members.
It has a different value from weekend fun or the pursuit of speed found in sports bikes. On rainy days and hot days, it has silently supported people's lives, carrying shopping bags and children. When you think about it, the mamachari is truly a precious vehicle.

OMNIUM, too, perhaps exists as an extension of this role of supporting daily life.
Even when carrying loads that a regular bicycle cannot carry, you can travel more lightly than by car. People raising children, delivering luggage, and carrying tools for work. A cargo bike can become another mode of transportation that supports daily life and work by bicycle.
What is needed for cargo bikes to take root in Japan is not just the spread of the vehicles themselves. It is roads where you can ride with peace of mind, places where you can park without hesitation, and systems that are easy to incorporate into work and childcare. And above all, it is gradually increasing examples in the city that make you think, "Maybe I can do this by bicycle."

The sight of OMNIUM being used daily in Copenhagen showed us the relationship between bicycles, the city, and daily life.
Simply having cargo bikes does not change life. It is about having tools that suit your life and a city environment where you can use them. When both are present, choices of travel naturally change.
The OMNIUM I saw over and over in that city taught us this.