Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

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THE WORLD'S FIRSTCYCLING EMBASSYInternational interest in Danish cyclingculture has grown rapidly. As an answerto this, a completely new phenomenonhas seen the light of day. The world’sfirst cycling embassy: a center forservice and knowledge for anyoneseeking information on cycling inDenmark.

By Lotte Ruby, Danish CyclistsFederation

Congestion, obesity and climate issues: Inthe last decade a new set of challengeshave emerged, and they have slowly butcertainly changed the common view oncycling as a means of transport. Cycling isno longer a mere curiosity; it has becomepart of the answer to many of theproblems concerning modern life inthousands of the rapidly growing cities allover the world. This change of view hasturned many eyes towards Denmark – a

country that, for more than a century,has been a place of cyclists. Today,Denmark is a cycling laboratory wherenew trends and ideas are combined withknowledge gained through years ofexperience – experience that we’re morethan happy to share.

One entrance to knowledge“No other single activity cansimultaneously improve general healthconditions and fitness, reduce pollutionand CO2 emissions, and help tacklecongestion. That is why countries aroundthe world now want to re-introduce thebicycle as a means of daily transportation,”says Marie Magni from the privatecompany Veksø, one of the members ofCycling Embassy of Denmark.The Embassy is a comprehensive networkof private companies, local authorities,and non-government organizations,working together to promote Denmark asa cycling country nationally andinternationally. The construction of the

embassy has also simplified informationseeking about everyday cycling.“Earlier it could be a challenge finding away into the jungle of Danish cyclingknowledge. Cycling Embassy of Denmarkhas made it easier. The main actors in thefield of cycling are now members of theEmbassy, and through the Embassy’swebsite it is easy to get in touch withexperts in different fields,” says TroelsAndersen, representing the Municipalityof Fredericia, and Chairman of theCycling Embassy.

Experts in all fieldsToday, Cycling Embassy of Denmarkcomprises experts in city planning,infrastructure, cycling promotion, parkingfacilities, bicycle tourism, biking, bicycles,equipment, health promotion and muchmore.“As a private company with years ofexperiences in working with urban cyclingsolutions and cycling equipment, I findthe Cycling Embassy an excellent

During the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December of 2009, the Cycling Embassy of Denmark arranged a cycle tour around Copenhagen forthe international press. A lot of the international guests found the cargo bike very interesting.

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platform to develop new ideas withcolleagues in other organizations. Whenwe unite our efforts through the Embassywe can reach out much further and helpeach other. And of course we can alsohelp people in other countries who wantto develop a cycling culture,” says MarieMagni.

Starting from scratchBuilding, or as is often the case, re-building a cycling culture is not an easytask. There is much more to it thansimply constructing bicycle paths (or“Copenhagen lanes” as they have beennamed in some countries). But Denmark’sexperience shows that with the rightknow-how it is possible to change habitsand create cleaner, safer, healthier, andmore liveable cities.“Many city planners, politicians andNGOs around the world begin fromscratch when trying to build up a bicycleculture. One of the main goals forCycling Embassy of Denmark is to sharethe experiences from Denmark andfacilitate the development of attractivecycling cultures around the world. Wecannot give people a cycling culture, butwe can help them with ideas, share ourexperiences, show them the Danishcycling solutions, and help them take thefirst important steps,” says TroelsAndersen.

Ask us about everythingCycling Embassy of Denmark waslaunched in May 2009. Since then a hugenumber of delegations from all continentshave visited Denmark, and many morehave been in contact with members of theEmbassy with inquiries concerning allaspects of cycling.Cycling Embassy of Denmark hasparticipated in various internationalconferences, seminars, and exhibitions.The Embassy collaborates with otherinternational organizations and DanishEmbassies abroad in promoting cycling.In addition to this, the Embassy helpsplan visits to Denmark for professionals,journalists, and students interested incycling solutions and knowledge. “Some delegations have already beenworking with cycling for years. They areusually seeking detailed information onvery specific subjects. Others come fromcountries with no cycling culture at alland are looking for answers on a verybasic level. But everybody is welcome –and for us it is an endless source ofinspiration to follow the development ofcyclist cities all over the world,” TroelsAndersen concludes.

The members of the Cycling Embassy:City of Copenhagen, City of Århus, Cityof Frederiksberg, City of Odense,Fredericia Municipality, BallerupMunicipality, The Danish Two-wheel

Retailers Association, VisitDenmark,Danish Cyclists Federation, ArosCommunication, Reelight, Velorbis,Veksø, Cowi, Gehl Architects, and theDanish Cancer Society.

Further information:www.cycling-embassy.org

Contact:Secretariat for Cycling Embassy ofDenmark,Danish Cyclists FederationRømersgade 51362 Copenhagen KDenmarkAtt: Cycling Embassy of DenmarkTel: (+ 45) 40 70 83 58Fax: (+ 45) 33 32 76 83E-mail: info@cycling-embassy.org

”We are actually just copying Copenhagen so it should really be us awarding a prize to the Danesinstead", New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg said receiving a prize from the Cycling Embassyof Denmark in acknowledgement of New York's recent efforts for cyclists.

Troels Andersen is one of the most experiencedtraffic planers in Denmark - and now alsochairman of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark

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CITY OF ODENSE JOINSWORLD EXPO 2010When the World Expo 2010 opens inShanghai, the city of Odense will bethere with its exhibition pavilion‘Spinning Wheels’ along with fellow citiessuch as London and Madrid.Odense has been specially invitedbecause of its know-how and experiencein cycling, city planning andsustainability.

By Kristina Edrén, Odense Municipality

For more than 30 years the two-wheelerhas cycled around in the thoughts of thepeople of Odense when they havediscussed city planning, environment andhealth, and now their efforts haveresonated on the other side of the globe.

When Shanghai hosts World Expo 2010,the people of China will be able to seewith their own eyes, a city where thecitizens are crazy enough to ride theirbicycles every day and are even proud ofit.Can Odense's message impress theChinese, even though China is known formore cyclists than any other nation. Thereason for this is gas-guzzling cars, whichare gaining ground at a rapid pace inChina.

Each day thousands of new cars come

onto the streets at the expense of bicyclesand ultimately the environment. China isthus facing an exceptionally large task inthe coming years to safeguard theenvironment, and here Odense can helpwith its knowledge and experience.

In Shanghai the challenge will be topresent the bicycle to the Chinese, whoalready know plenty about the subject, inanother context than the one the Chineseknow. The focus of the exhibition is thatcycling is more than two wheels and twopedals. It is just as much about image,design and health, as well as sustainabilityand environment.

A hands-on experience for visitorsOdense's pavilion is built up aroundHans Christian Andersen's famouspapercutting “The Sun Face”. The sun'sface itself is an open space that can beused for events and theme weeks onspecial subjects, technologies orknowledge areas.At the exhibition the bicycle is an icon ofthe special mindset and consistency thatforms part of the urban planning ofOdense today.

Radiating out from “The Sun Face” are anumber of exhibition rooms, each withtheir own theme of cycling, city design,healthy lifestyle and eco-friendly thinking

about traffic, water, heating, electricityand renovation.

Around the exhibition and alongside theneighbouring Shanghai and Londonpavilions, a typical Danish cycle path willbe constructed allowing visitors to get thewind in their hair.

Danes say that they live in a countrywhere the bicycle reigns supreme. Theexhibition will have a bicycle park, aspecial designed device counting cyclistsand bicycle pumps to show how Odenseaccords cyclists the same attention asmotorists.

The pavilion is built as an openconstruction so that it can be seen fromthe surrounding pavilions and from thebridge across the neighbouring river thatruns through the exhibition grounds.

Think! Choose! Live!The exhibition communicates toeverybody in a clear and factual way. It isspiced with a number of activities, screendisplays and information stations to makethe communication more playful.Quotations from Hans ChristianAndersen are incorporated into theexhibition to support the bicycle theme.

At its entrance, the exhibition features ashort introductory film about Odense and

The city of Odense participates at the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China with a 500 square meters exhibit explaining the city's bicycle program in words,pictures and sound.

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Funen which presents the city and islandas seen from a bicycle.

The exhibition then divides into threethemes, which are also invitations: Think!Choose! Live!

Think! explores how to design a moderncity with continious consideration for theenvironment and accessibility. Usingphotos and short texts, it presentsexamples of bicycle parks, types of cyclepath and bicycles to suit every need.Think! demonstrates how to design a cityto cater for cyclists, while offering cyclistssolutions that give them the opportunityto continue cycling throughout life forthe benefit of both their health and theenvironment.

Choose! shows how safety, fashion andhealth can be combined throughinnovative design and creative solutions.Photos and short texts show examples ofcycle helmets (design), magnet lamps, andthe sport and exercise aspects of cycling.Choose! aims to show that design andfunctionality do not have to becompromised to ensure safe cycling.

Live! invites visitors into the Danishculture, where the bicycle has become apermanent and integral part of bothworking and private life. Through visualsand text bites, visitors will see how

cycling starts in childhood, and thatcycling is a lifestyle and not a necessityfor Danish people.Cycling is a natural part of everyday lifeand everybody cycles; visitors will gain animpression of this from images of cyclingpostmen, police officers, taxi, etc.

These three invitations present a numberof stories ranging from the more seriouslong-term planning to personal choiceand decision, lifestyle-oriented subjects,police officers and taxi.

More than bicyclesThe bicycle is used to communicate whatOdense can offer in terms ofsustainability and environment. Thebicycle is the most sustainable means oftransport, it is inexpensive, good forhealth, and it helps improve accessibilityin the city and reduces CO2 emissions.The city of Odense has made majorenvironmental efforts for many years, andin a number of areas Odense has been apioneering city both nationally andinternationally.

Facts on the City of CyclistsIn Odense cycling is a very strongsymbol, because many citizens ride abicycle to work, to school or to sparetime activities every day. Over the last 10years, Odense has been promoting cyclingand designing the city to be bicycle-

-friendly with cycle paths, pumps andparking. Efforts have also been targeted atimproving safety and reducing thenumber of accidents. In addition Odensehas run many campaigns to make peopleaware of the many new initiatives and thebenefits of cycling for adults and childrenalike.

The foundations for encouraging morecycling have thus been laid, and so thetime has naturally come to shift the focusfrom the city to the citizens, because acity of bicycles is nothing withoutcyclists. The great challenge is tomaintain, motivate and change mobilitypatterns so that even more people choosea bicycle instead of a car for the benefitof both health and the environment.

Odense Cycle City has thus changed itsname to the City of Cyclists. The visionis that Odense becomes the place wherecyclists thrive the most because the citymakes it easier, safer and morecomfortable to ride a bicycle.

Exhibition Concept and Design: Kvorning Design and Communication - www.kvorning.com

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THE CITIES OF THEFUTURE ARE PEOPLE-FRIENDLY CITIESA humanistic, people-friendly city is firstand foremost an accessible city, wheremobility is possible for all. Many citiestoday are plagued by traffic congestion,and in densely populated city areas thefastest way of getting around is often ona bicycle, which is a highly efficientmeans of transport.

By Louise Kielgast, Gehl Architects

A steadily growing number of citiesaround the world are eager to becomecities of bicycles, as part of an overallstrategy on sustainable development andthe desire to become green cities. Thedevelopment of cycle path networks thatcan supplement the public transportsystem also makes a significantcontribution to reducing CO2 emissions –in Copenhagen for example, cyclists are

saving the city 90,000 tons of CO2emissions annually. But there are manymore benefits to be gained from focusingon bicycles than a green profile. Cities ofbicycles are very much people-friendlycities, and city planning that considerspedestrians and cyclists will form asignificant contribution to the humanisticcity of the future. Gehl Architects havehelped to promote this development in anumber of the world's metropolises.

People-friendly cities require mobilityfor allA humanistic, people-friendly city is firstand foremost an accessible city wheremobility is possible for all. Many citiestoday are plagued by traffic congestion,and in densely populated city areas thefastest way of getting around is often on abicycle, which is a highly efficient meansof transport. In Copenhagen, a survey hasshown that the majority of cyclists choosethis means of transport because they wantto get quickly to their destination, andthat this is one of the most importantreasons why they use a bicycle instead ofa car. As an efficient means of transportthe bicycle is also becoming popularelsewhere in the world, including MexicoCity – one of the cities worst affected bytraffic congestion. Traffic congestionrepresents a major economic problembecause of the many working hours losteach day from sitting in traffic jams. Theaverage speed of cars in Mexico City is 4kph in the rush hour, while bicycles havea comparative average speed of 10 kph.As part of alleviating the major trafficproblems and generally creating a betterpublic environment in the city, localgovernment has chosen to prepare abicycle strategy in collaboration with theNational Autonomous University ofMexico and Gehl Architects.Besides being an efficient means oftransport in terms of time, a bicycle isalso affordable. Unlike cars, even thepoorest segment of the population cangenerally afford one. Planning a bicycle-friendly city thus helps create a moresocially inclusive and socially just citywhere large groups of people are notexcluded from moving around in the city.This social inclusion can be put intopractice in several ways.

The bicycle as social integrationIn Mexico City, spatial segregation is very

distinct with the upper and middle classesliving in the city's central areas, while thepoor segment of the population isgenerally relegated to informal settlementson the city's periphery. In the bicyclestrategy that Gehl Architects haveprepared, this problem is tackled via acomprehensive cycle path network whichaims to create mobility through otherwiseclosed areas and thus enable differentsocial groups to interact.

A well-developed cycle path network canalso help social inclusion across agegroups. Even in very wealthy cities, largegroups of people such as children, youngpeople and the elderly are severely limitedin their mobility because the city isdesigned for cars – a means of transportthat they cannot use. Cities that aredesigned for cars are also characterised bylarge distances and many obstacles whichhamper movement on foot and bybicycle. Improving conditions forpedestrians and cyclists ensures that a lotmore people can move around in the city.In some of the world's metropolises, thedistances are so large that a well-developed cycle path network isinsufficient to ensure mobility for all.This is a challenge not only in MexicoCity but also in Beijing. Since 2008 GehlArchitects has advised the PlanningInstitute on how to provide more people-friendly city planning. In this instance, abicycle strategy must be supported by andbuilt up around a public transportsystem.

A sustainable and people-friendly city –how?A city of bicycles naturally needs the rightinfrastructure including cycle paths andbicycle parking, but also a number ofcommunication initiatives such ascampaigns to promote cycling, educatingchildren and special initiatives targeted atgroups who do not normally cycle. Suchinitiatives are important in building abicycle culture in cities where it isotherwise absent.

It is also important to create a quality ofurban environment that makes itattractive to move around both on footand by bicycle. This is a self-perpetuatingprocess since the presence of pedestriansand cyclists significantly contributes tothe life of the city and thereby its

Jan Gehl is a Danish architect and urban designconsultant.

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attraction.

In contrast to motorists, cyclists andpedestrians share the characteristic ofmoving at a moderate pace, making themvisible in the cityscape. Cyclists are alsoflexible in the sense that they can quicklyshift from being cyclists to beingpedestrians. This creates the conditionsfor people to see and meet each other inthe city. It is equally important tohighlight that both cyclists andpedestrians are physically present in thepublic spaces – in contrast to motoristswho are essentially isolated from theirphysical settings. But the desire to movearound in a city on foot or by bicycledoes not come by itself, and must besupported by a people-friendly urbanenvironment.

Pedestrians and cyclists are exposed to allsorts of weather – sun, wind and rain – andto the extent possible, these conditionsmust be incorporated into the planningof sidewalks and cycle paths. In addition,presence in and movement around a citymust be encouraged by creatinginteresting and involving urbanenvironments. Long, monotonousstretches have to be broken down intosmaller sections and offer details that canbe registered at head height, such asinteresting features at ground floor level.

These are significant principles that canbe used all over the world, but differentcities naturally need different strategiesand initiatives.

World metropolises take the importantfirst stepsIn New York City a general upgrading ofthe public environment has had highpriority. As part of the city's 20 yearvision “PlanNYC for a greener and greaterNew York”, Gehl Architects has advisedthe city on preparing the “World ClassStreets” strategy, which involves theconversion of a number of public spacesand a plan for a comprehensive cycle pathnetwork. A number of pilot projects havebeen carried out to facilitate new ways ofthinking about and planning the city'spublic spaces.

Acknowledging that it has no strongbicycle culture at present, Mexico Cityhas chosen to prepare different strategiesfor different target groups in acollaboration that involves themunicipality and the NationalAutonomous University of Mexico.In Beijing, the problem is in a wayreversed. It has a deeply embeddedbicycle culture, but the problem is that itis considered opposed to the country'sdesire for progress and growth. In China'sfuture scenarios, the car is seen as animportant symbol of progress, while the

many bicycles which still dominate streetlife are considered a relic of the past andan aesthetic blight on the urbanlandscape. Local government isnevertheless promoting cycling as anecessary and sustainable activity inrelation to the city's progress, which canhelp ease the enormous traffic problemsthat have arisen in the last 10 years. Theaim is that bicycles primarily function asa supplement to a well-developed publictransport system.

With consultancy from Gehl Architects,Melbourne has chosen to promote andstrengthen urban life, and here“Copenhagen” cycle paths are just one ofmany initiatives. This effort has producedsignificant results in the last 5-10 years,where the city has flourished and built astrong and lively city centre.

Different facets of the same issueThinking of the city of bicycles as onecontribution among many which areintended to promote an attractive urbanenvironment, has turned out to be highlyeffective: the city of bicycles, thepedestrian city, the healthy city, theattractive city and the acessible city are allfacets of the same issue. Planning forpedestrians and cyclists is thus an obviousplace to start in order to create asustainable and people-friendly city.

”Copenhagen style” cycle path in Melbourne, Australia. A path next to the sidewalk separated from the moving traffic by parked cars and a buffer zone foropening of car doors. Photo: Simon Goddard

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CYCLING TOKINDERGARDENCycling is such an ingrained part ofDanish culture that we hardly thinkabout it. Most children can cycle by thetime they start school. But innovativethinking is still needed – even in a cyclingcountry like Denmark.

By Lotte Ruby, Danish CyclistsFederation and Camilla Liv Andersen,The Danish Cancer Society

When people from abroad visit Denmark,they are often very surprised by ourbicycle culture. How come you cycle somuch? they ask. The short answer is: westart early.

In Denmark, we see cycling as a basicskill on par with walking and talking.Most Danish children can cycle by thetime they start school – perhaps notperfectly, but they can usually keep theirbalance and steer a straight line.Children are thus not taught to ride abicycle at school – it is generally taken forgranted that they will be taught at home.Schools can then start at a slightly higherlevel by teaching children about trafficrules and road safety, and participate incampaigns which support good cyclinghabits – for example “All children cycle”,which the Danish Cyclists Federation

has carried out with great success for anumber of years. This shows some of thestrength of the Danish bicycle culture: weget surprised if people cannot ride abicycle.

Three year old children on two wheelsBicycle training in an ordinary Danishfamily starts when a child is betweenthree and six years old. By that time, thechild has already been pedalling aroundon a three wheeler for a while and inrecent years often also on a training bike,which is a play bike without pedals. Butultimately pedal power and balance needto be combined so the child learns tomaster a real bicycle.The motivation in children is almostalways high, especially in families wherethe adults use a bicycle in their daily life –cycling is very contagious. So it is of lessimportance that bicycle training methodshave been inherited through generations,that they are home-taught and not alwayscompletely educationally correct, becausethe result is almost always that the childlearns to cycle. And the moment whenthe bicycle is finally under control, mostchildren remember as one of their firstgreat victories.It is also a day of joy for parents whentheir children learn to cycle. In big citiesin particular the cycling family hasbecome a symbol of energy and success inrecent years. You often see proud parents

walking through the city with children aslittle as to two years of age pedallingalong next to them on small bicycles.Cargo bicycles with space for one orseveral children have also become a statussymbol for the modern metropolitanfamily – even Crown Prince Frederik hasone.

Taking care of the bicycle cultureBut the ingrained cycling culture inDenmark also has a drawback. Even herein the stronghold of cycling, we can seethat car culture can easily threaten bicycleculture. In addition, children in someimmigrant families do not learn to cycleat home, which also presents a challenge.It is thus important that we constantlywork on strengthening the bicycle cultureand making sure that everybody gets theopportunity to use a bicycle in their dailylife.The list of good reasons for teachingchildren to cycle is long. We know thatchildren who cycle on a daily basis havesignificantly better physical fitness thanother children, and are a lot less at risk ofdeveloping serious lifestyle diseases suchas diabetes, cardiovascular disease andobesity. Cycling also has a positive effecton learning ability, joy of life and socialwell-being. When they get a bit older,children enjoy the freedom of cycling toschool, to spare time activities and to visitfriends.

Bring your children along! A bicycle is the ideal way of getting around Denmark with more than10,000 kilometres of cycle routes.

Three years old and ready for two wheels.Parents in Denmark teach their children to ridebicycles at a young age.

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Personal transport habits are founded inchildhood. Continued positiveexperiences of cycling can almost createdependence on this healthy and greenmeans of transport, while children whodo not cycle are not likely to becomecyclists as adults.Unfortunately the proportion of childrenwho cycle to school has declined in recentdecades. The Danish Cyclists Federation,in collaboration with the municipalities,is making great efforts to get day carecentres and schools involved in the workof maintaining and strengthening thebicycle culture.

Cycling should be funBut how do we give our children positivecycling experiences? Play is always a goodplace to start. We adults can quickly startfocusing on rules and technique, but ifyou give children bicycles and a safe areato cycle in, wonderful things starthappening.Children immediately start playing onbicycles – they cycle quickly, they brake,they cycle slowly around in small circles,stand up on the pedals, perhaps try to liftthe front wheel off the ground, cyclewithout their hands on the handlebars orwith their feet on the handlebars. This ishow children slowly become one withtheir bicycles – and that is the first step to

becoming safe and confident cyclists.Unfortunately not all children have a safeand car-free area to cycle in. They needaccess to this – and if engaged adults enterthe play with challenges and ideas, and ifmore children can play together, it getseven better.

A good start is an early startIn 2008, the Danish Cyclists Federationpublished the book “Cykelleg”[BicyclePlay], a guide to how parents and daycare centre staff can teach small childrento cycle based on play – a project we arefollowing up on with the establishment ofa team of instructors with specialknowledge of how to initiate fun gamesinvolving cycling.Learning to ride a bicycle can already bestarted when children are two or threeyears old. At that age most children canlearn to ride a running bike – and then thebicycle play can start. Cycle tag, bicyclecircus, skid mark competitions – theopportunities are endless.Training bikes have become very popularin many Danish families and day carecentres. Many children, parents and daycare centre staff have quickly adopted theidea of bicycle play, which bodes well forfuture generations of cyclists.As schoolchildren they will have noproblems with learning traffic rules andparticipating in bicycle campaigns - andlater safely cycle to school by themselves.

Cycling towards healthEveryday cycling is not only an enjoyableway of commuting where people interactwith the city and each other, it is also oneof the most effective ways of promotinggood health. For example, cycling reducesthe risk of serious conditions such asheart disease, some forms of cancer, highblood pressure, obesity and the mostcommon form of diabetes.

Health is one argument for making citiesmore bikeable, economy is another. Theeconomic pay back of making a city morebikeable is 2 – 7 times the investedamount. Savings primarily derive fromhealth costs such as less hospitalizationand less work related sickness absence.Thus there are many health relatedreasons for encouraging politicians,architects and urban planners to designbikeable urban areas in order to make thebicycle the preferred mode oftransportation - also for children.

Playing on bikes is a wonderful outdoor activity. Here a whole kindergarden is playing in the earlyspring.

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CYCLING INCOPENHAGEN - THEEASY WAYEvery morning at around 7amCopenhagen comes to life. Men inbusiness suits, women fashionablydressed in the latest styles down totheir high heel shoes and parentscarrying their children in a cargo bike allhop on their bikes and get off to work orschool.

By Lasse Lindholm, City of Copenhagen

Actually, 37 per cent of everybodyworking or studying in Copenhagenprefers the bike in the morning - and theequivalent number of people living inCopenhagen is as high as 55 per cent.That makes cycling the most popularmeans of transport and 1.2 millionkilometres are covered daily by cyclists inthe city, where cycle tracks are anintegrated part of the traffic design.

From A to BWhile many guests in the Danish capitalseem to think that Copenhageners mustbe really concerned with the environmentsince so many use a bike, it’s just not thereason why Copenhageners ride. ManyCopenhageners are of course focused onenvironmental issues but, when asked,only 1 per cent of Copenhagenersmention it as the main reason.

Cycling is the preferred means oftransport because it’s the quickest andeasiest way to get around town. It’s theglue that keeps our lives together –allowing us to connect our everyday tasksin a smooth manner.While this tells us a bit about theCopenhagener mindset it alsodemonstrates that given the right support,cities around the world can be modelledto be more sustainable.

Creating a city of cyclistsBut how do you create a city of cyclists?

First of all you need to make cyclingcompetitive and safe, and a great point ofdeparture is having city planners armedwith political will who make access forbicycles in public spaces a priority. InCopenhagen there is a coherent networkof segregated lanes designated as cycletracks in all city areas. That means youcan ride from one part of the city toanother almost without leaving the cycletrack, which in most cases also ensuresless travel time than going by car or bus.

Surfing green waves and snowHowever, you also have more lowhanging fruit to pick – in terms ofinvestment. Two good examples fromCopenhagen are the green waves forcyclists and the snow removal policy.

Previously the traffic lights inCopenhagen were coordinated for cars.Now they’ve been adjusted to favourcyclists along many main traffic arteries.This means that at a speed of 20 kph,

A child is easily transported in a cargo bike in downtown Copenhagen.

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cyclists can surf a wave of green trafficlights through the city without putting afoot down. Efficient for car drivers? No.But definitely an advantage for cyclingcitizens.

Should it snow in winter, city policymandates that snow be removed from thecycle tracks before it is cleared from thecar lanes – with the exception of car laneson the four largest roads, which arecleared at the same time as the cycletracks. This top priority helps explainwhy 80 per cent of Copenhagen cyclistsstill choose bikes in January.

Perception is (also) realityCreating viable infrastructure and policiesis important, but these are only some ofthe elements in developing a moresustainable and living city. As long as thecommon understanding of mobility isconnected to the concept of driving a car,the road towards sustainable urbanmobility through cycling will not be aneasy one. Hence part of the work is alsoto change public perception of whichkinds of mobility carry the greatestbenefits for both citizen and society.Fortunately cycling leaves plenty of factson the advocate’s side – to be used incampaigns and other communicationactivities.

Performing over the long haul has beenthe essence in the Danish capital.Copenhagen – as a city of cyclists – wasn’tdesigned and constructed overnight. Ithas been in the making for decades andthe consistency in prioritizing cyclists onthe street scene goes a long way toexplaining why there are more bikes thancitizens in Copenhagen today.

Copenhagen to host global conferenceon cycling in 2010Velo-city Global is the first conference tobring together cycle experts andprofessionals from all over the world inCopenhagen. The European Cyclists’Federation has named Copenhagen ashost city because of its strong cyclingtradition and because it will be possiblefor participants – with their own eyes – tosee that with continued focus, cycling canachieve a large market share. Copenhagenshows that growth in the number ofcyclists can occur at the same time aseconomic growth and a high quality oflife.

From 22 to 25 June the conference willhighlight the bicycle’s potential toenhance quality of life around the worldand to help solve global challenges suchas congestion, obesity and climate change.

By going global for the first time, theconference is celebrating 30 years of Velo-city conferences held by the EuropeanCyclists’ Federation and the hosting cities.

For further informationwww.kk.dk/cityofcyclistswww.velo-city2010.com

Easy mobility seems to be the key to achieving high numbers of cyclists in the city centre.

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HOW DENMARKBECAME A CYCLINGNATIONIn the 1960s, cars were threatening todisplace bicycles in the main Danishcities. But the oil crisis, theenvironmental movement and a coupleof controversial road projects reversedthe trend. This is however just part ofthe story behind why Danes still cycle somuch.

By Lotte Ruby, Danish CyclistsFederation

Is it possible to cycle in your city? Is itsafe? Is it even attractive? If you cananswer yes to all three questions, then thecycling culture in your city has goodexpectations for growth. But often theanswers are in the negative, and then thenext question is: how did this comeabout?The answer lies in a city's historicaldevelopment, because surprisingly manyof the major cities that today are packedwith cars actually have a past as cities ofbicycles. A journey back into Denmark'shistory shows how and why Copenhagenand other Danish cities have managed tomaintain a flourishing bicycle culture.The bicycle was invented in the latter halfof the 1800s. The first bicycles were quiteprimitive and somewhat awkward to ride.Nonetheless they soon became the bigfashion craze – especially among youngmen in high society. Bicycles were firstused for sport and recreation, but in thelate 1800s some more practical types ofbicycles gradually came into the market,and the general public, who otherwisehad poor access to transport, quicklyadopted them.

Freedom for allWith the bicycle, ordinary men andwomen suddenly gained much morefreedom of movement. The bicycle wastheir ticket out of the inner city'scramped tenement houses and into theclean air of the rapidly growing suburbs.In a Danish context, the bicycle has beeninextricably linked with freedom eversince.Photographs of urban scenes from the1930s clearly show how Danish citiesbecame cities of bicycles in the first halfof the 1900s. People from all social

classes cycled on a large scale and severalprofessions also adopted the bicycle –today cycling postmen and home helpersare still a permanent part of street life.The bicycles' first heyday lasted for half acentury until around 1960, when theincreasing standard of living slowly butsurely made car ownership possible formore and more families. Thatdevelopment was welcomed because carsand single-family houses were vigoroussymbols that the depression of the 1930sand the darkness of World War 2 hadlifted, and that a brighter future layahead.

Decades of headwindBut what is a brighter future? Themultitude of cars brought not onlyprosperity but also pollution, congestionand traffic accidents. It can be an eyeopener to see photographs fromCopenhagen in the 1960s. Many of theareas now treasured by the city's

inhabitants and tourists alike are car-freeareas, but in the 1960s they werecharacterised by dense traffic and carparks. Nyhavn, Strøget and Langelinie arejust some examples.Until the 1960s, Copenhagen's historyunfolded in parallel with developments inmany other western metropolises. Butthen a number of things happened whichmade Copenhagen and several othermajor Danish cities depart from thebeaten track.During the 1960s it became increasinglydifficult to turn a blind eye to the manytraffic accidents and the growingpollution problem. Copenhagen was nolonger the city of bicycles that mostDanes knew and loved, and it upset a lotof people.For more than half a century, bicycleshad steered their way into the core ofDanish self-perception through the visualarts, poetry and music. The cheerfulspinning of the wheels and the summeryimage of a blonde haired girl cycling

In the 1930s bicycles took up quite a lot of space on the street scene.

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through the town – what was the citywithout this? At the same time thebudding environmental movement andthe oil crisis greatly helped to shake thedust off cycling culture, which in the1970s again began to appear in a positivelight.

The Danish modelFrom the 1970s to the 1980s, severalconflicts arose between bicycle and carinterests in Danish cities. One examplewas the wave of popular protests whichfollowed in the wake of a proposal fromthe Copenhagen authorities to establish amotorway across the lakes which separatethe inner city of olden times from themore recent suburban districts. There wasan enormous outcry because, then asnow, the lakes were some of the city'sloveliest open spaces.Gradually it became clear to most peoplethat the solution to the problems had tobe city planning that gave space to cars,bicycles, pedestrians and public transport.

Out of this realisation grew the Danishmodel with its extended network of cyclelanes along the roads, which continues tobe further developed.In the last 10 years, new challenges haveemerged. In Denmark, as in othercountries, there is a desire to improvepublic health and combat climate change.In Copenhagen and several other Danishcities it has led to an intensified effort tomaintain and strengthen cycling culture.

The bicycle is an additional choiceCycling – especially in a wealthy countrylike Denmark – is for most an activeadditional choice which can easily change.So the only way forward is to make itsafe, easy and attractive to cycle, and thatdoes not happen solely by changing theinfrastructure.

In Denmark there is a strong tradition forpeople from all strata of society to cycle.cities. Most Danes associate the bicyclewith positive values such as freedom and

and health, and in recent years cyclinghas actually become a symbol of personalenergy. The bicycle has becomeultramodern again, aided by societaldevelopment, successful politicalinitiatives and conscious marketing.The three largest Danish cities –Copenhagen, Århus and Odense – have allcarried out large branding campaigns thatput cyclists in a positive light onadvertising billboards, on the internet andby actively including cyclists in newbicycle projects. The result is anincreasing number of cyclists and cleaner,healthier and more lively cities.

Today the vision of a pleasant city isdifferent to that of the 1960s. We allwant to make space for progress anddevelopment. But progress anddevelopment in the modern metropolisdepends on whether we manage to makeit a place where people want to live.

Summer girls riding their bikes in the 1950s Copenhagen

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DANISH DESIGN ANDINNOVATION FORCYCLISTSIf cycling is to become the moderntrendy choice for city transportation it isimportant to provide innovative highquality solutions for both the urbanspace and the cyclists themselves. InDenmark different companies havespecialized in innovative cyclingsolutions like designer bikes, cargobikes, really smart helmets, battery-freebike lights and different cyclist serviceequipment for the urban space.

By Sara Fritzner, Reelight, and MarianneWeinreich, Veksø

Danish design is known the world over –with architecture and furniture being twoof the areas in which we excel. Thespecial characteristics of Danish design areclean and simple lines, but it has alsobecome synonymous with quality,function, innovation and sustainability.

These values and principles also apply tocycling. Danish cyclists do not use abicycle out of necessity, but because it isthe quickest and easiest means oftransport, and because cycling is a naturalpart of Danish culture and lifestyle.

Danish bicyclesMost Danes cycle in their everydayclothes, on bicycles that are made to beused as a means of transport in cities andnot for road racing or mountain biking.Like Danish furniture, Danish bicyclesare designed in simple harmonious lines,without a lot of superfluous accessories.There are however many different typesand models of bicycles to choose fromdepending on the cyclist's needs – classicbikes, city bikes, cargo bikes, etc. Theleading Danish bicycle brands areAvenue, Principia, Kildemoes andWinther. But smaller brands like VonBachhaus, Velorbis and Biomega are alsosuccesful. Danish cargo bikes like Nihola,Christiania Bikes and Trio Bike are alsobecoming popular around the world.

The Danish frame number systemAlthough the vast majority of Danes owna bicycle, many bicycles are stolen inDenmark. To make it easier to return astolen bicycle to its owner, the DanishParliament adopted a law in 1948 that all

bicycles and bicycle frames that are soldor transferred in Denmark must bemarked with a unique frame numberstamped into the frame. So if you areunfortunate enough to have your bicyclestolen, you can state the frame number tothe police when you report the theft. Ifthe theft is not reported and registered inthe police database, you cannot obtaincompensation from your insurancecompany. Receiving compensation for astolen bicycle is however also based onthe condition that the bicycle was locked,with a frame mounted bicycle lock, whichhas been approved by the DanishInstitute for Informative Labelling, whosepurpose is to promote voluntary use ofinformative labelling of consumer goodsand services for consumers.

Battery-free bike lights and other safetyequipmentMaking a bicycle a safe and easy choicehelps promote cycling. One of the latestand most innovative solutions in safetyequipment is the patented battery-free

light from Reelight. With Reelight,cyclists always have lights on theirbicycles – day and night. The light is basedon the electrodynamic induction principleand operates via two magnets mountedon the spokes with the light itself on thewheel hub. Electricity is induced whenthe magnets pass the light.

The new magnet lights give safety andfreedom to cyclists. Safety because thelights are fixed and always lit, andfreedom because cyclists never need toworry about remembering to switch onthe lights or change batteries.A comprehensive survey conducted byOdense Bicycle City shows that fixedmagnet lights on bicycles reduce thenumber of accidents by 32 per cent. Inaddition, fixed magnet lights increasecyclists' feeling of safety by up to 85 percent.

The bike lights from Reelight are theonly ones in Denmark that have beenapproved by the Danish Institute for

Brainwear for smart people. YAKKAY has developed a bicycle helmet where safety and style areunited.

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Informative Labelling. This is theguarantee for cyclists that the productfulfills legal requirements, and that it hasbeen tested and checked by an impartialauthority. In addition, Reelight has won aEurobike Award for two years insuccession. The award is one of the mostsignificant in the bicycle industry.Innovation, safety and eco-friendlinesswere the decisive criteria when the jurychose to award the prize to Reelight.

It can be difficult to get cyclists to use ahelmet. The arguments for not using ahelmet are numerous – it looks anythingbut elegant, it messes up the hair and isawkward to carry around.A Danish manufacturer has taken up thechallenge. Yakkay developed a helmetwhere the requirements for safety andaesthetics are compatible and equal.Yakkay helmets consist of a helmet and acover. The latter resembles a hat or a capand is available in countless designs. Thehelmets have been developed for cyclists

who want to feel safe and well-dressed atthe same time. Yakkay has already wonseveral design and innovation awardsincluding a Eurobike Award in 2009.

Bicycle parking and cyclist servicefacilitiesEvery cycling trip ends with a parkedbicycle, and bicycle parking is thus asignificant factor in promoting cycling.Without bicycle parking, lots of parkedbicycles quickly become a mess thatmakes the city hard to access forpedestrians.

In the last 60-70 years, Danish companieshave provided bicycle parking facilitieswith a focus on quality, design,innovation and sustainability. Veksø forexample uses leading architects anddesigners to develop bicycle parkingsolutions to ensure not only that thesolutions are attractive-looking andfunctional, but are also connected interms of design with other city fixtures

such as benches, waste bins and lighting,thus making bicycle parking part of acity's design expression.

Altogether there has been a major focusin the last 10 years on developingdifferent innovative solutions for cyclists.Odense municipality was for example thefirst to install a bicycle counter fromVeksø, which records how many cyclistspass the counter each day.

In addition to giving City of Odenseimportant trend data on the number ofcyclists, installing equipment such ascyclist counters sends a signal to cycliststhat it makes a difference whether theycycle or drive a car. To the cyclists theinformation about how many othercyclists have previously passed a certainspot that day shows that they are notalone, and that they are part of acommunity.

Every cyclist is counted in the street of Vestergade in the City of Odense.

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