These pop-up bike racks 'disappear' into the pavement when they're not in use

Bike racks are pretty damn vital to public spaces, but what if we could put them away them until we needed them?

Industrial product designer and Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Milou Berg has created a new pop-up bike rack that "disappears" into the pavement when not in use.

Shown during Dutch Design Week in October, the device has been dubbed "Align," and is meant to create more room in public spaces for things like markets, concerts, and other events, while still offering a secure spot to stash your bike.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"The public space in city centers is becoming cluttered. Filled with functional objects such as bicycle racks," Berg told Mashable.

"While walking through city centers, I've noticed that at a certain time during the day there's a lot of bicycles stored, meanwhile at a different time, there's almost none.

"After seeing this rather empty "graveyard" of bicycle racks I started to think about how I could make this space visually and physically serene, while keeping the functionality of storage."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Berg's bike rack only pops up when the user is storing their bike. A see-saw like tilting mechanism registers the weight of the bike. The front wheel sinks down, raising a holding bracket and locking the back wheel. When the bike is removed, the rack disappears entirely.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"This on/off idea means that the public space can once again be open, making room for events, markets or everyday life," said Berg.

Berg intends to implement the pop-up rack on a large scale after further development with an unnamed production company.

"At the moment I'm researching and discussing the possibilities. Several municipalities are interested to already start a pilot."

Could be seeing these pop-up racks in your city soon, then.