Cities and cycle paths:We don't lack space, but imagination

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There is a phrase that is uttered in all parts of the globe to regardless of any argument relating to the improvement of cycling mobility in the city: “Oh but [*insert city as desired*] it's not Amsterdam".

There is in fact this widespread belief that in the Dutch capital the people were born with a greater propensity to use the bicycle.The natural belief that the city was founded in that way:built around mobility on two wheels, always.Sort of Urban DNA:if you don't have that gene, there's no point wasting time.

Well, let's try once and for all to dispel this myth.And we do it by telling the story of as Amsterdam has become the world capital of cycling mobility (because you are not born there, but you become one) and how other cities, often many years later, have followed its example.As?Making a resolute and profound urban transformation driven by the desire to take space away from cars and give it back to people.By implementing a series of rapid changes and stances that have transformed the urban landscape and the minds of those who live there: the cycling revolution.

Amsterdam wasn't Amsterdam either

Let's take a step back.In the first decades of the twentieth century, something similar to cycle paths already existed in Amsterdam, but it was completely different from how we know it today:narrow, unconnected, dangerous or no routes at intersections.The truth is that in those years they were not really necessary:like everywhere in Europe, the number of people on bicycles was on the street much larger than cars in circulation, so this type of infrastructure was not necessary.

It was after the Second World War that things changed radically.The economic boom has overwhelmed Amsterdam like many other realities in the Western world:the advent of the private car and its rapid and constant growth has led cities to modify theirs urban layout, to make room for what was considered new undisputed and desirable mobility model based on the private car.In the short documentary “How the dutch got their cycle path”, published by the dissemination channel BicycleDutch, it is possible to have an idea of ​​what was happening to various European historic centres:entire buildings demolished to make room for roads and highways built on the North American model, which at that time embodied the idea of ​​progress and future to which European cities wanted to adapt, profoundly modifying their streets and historic centers, traditionally not conceived for heavy traffic.

It was in progress motorized revolution, in Holland as in the rest of Europe:demolition of buildings to widen streets, conversion of squares and sidewalks into parking lots, dismantling of tram tracks, ban on bicycles on some streets, separation of neighborhoods and territories from express roads, removal of infrastructure dedicated to other types of mobility.In this last field, a FIAT Balilla commercial from the 1930s is now famous:"There are no more pedestrians:Let's remove the sidewalks!". 

As Oldeziel & de la Bruhèze tell us in their study “Contested Spaces”, in that historical moment in the Netherlands as in many other European states, different phases followed one another.First of all, theexclusion of cycling mobility from streets and urban planning to make room for cars.Once this phenomenon was normalized, with the advent of mass motorization, simply riding a bicycle became something special for many people anachronistic associated with a past of misery, as well as dangerous.It is only after a few years that with the birth and development of cycling associations we have witnessed the spread of a renewed image of cycling, promoted as something unrelated to social status.

It is precisely on these movements that the strong leverage that made Amsterdam become the city we know today is based.In fact, in the 70s in terms of vehicular traffic Amsterdam it wasn't very different from Milan, from Paris or London.But the birth and consolidation of a form of resistance from below against the automobileization of the city, combined with another series of contingencies, made political decision-makers take a stand radical towards a deep one re-transformation of the city.What were these contingencies?

First of all was the push given by energy crisis of '74 and '76 and the economic recession of the 80s.The Netherlands' strong dependence on foreign energy has led the government to formulate strategies to make itself more autonomous without excessively affecting the quality of life.What better way than freeing yourself from dependence on a private car for getting around the city?It was in 1975 that the first cycle paths financed by the state in The Hague and Tilburg, accompanied by a series of initiatives such as “car-free Sundays”, as also happened in Italy, to remind citizens of the pleasantness of the city without cars.

Furthermore, it was also in those years that the movement "Stop de Kindermoord”, literally “Stop the killing of children”.In 1971, in fact, 3,300 people lost their lives due to cars, 400 of whom were under the age of 14.The movement was started by the father of a child killed by a motorist.Since he was a journalist, he began an incisive work of dissemination by disseminating articles and data on infant mortality caused by motor vehicles and arranging protests to claim the right of children, pedestrians and cyclists to be able to move around safely.His message was very powerful and the demonstrations became continuous, creating a sort of permanent awareness which contributed to legitimizing the disincentive policies for private motorized mobility promoted by the government, which continued in a decisive transformation of the city (and the entire country) which made it become what we know it today.

Groups organized for promotion of cycling, mass protests to reclaim the right to travel safely on foot and by bike, energy crisis they are elements that are more current than ever.Rereading the history of Amsterdam it is easy to recognize the different phases of what has happened, is happening and is happening in many urban realities, which depending on the case we see stopped in some phases (e.g.the marginalization of cycling mobility) or moving towards systems that are increasingly less car-based.It is clear that a fundamental element emerges in this puzzle, which in the Netherlands was a more far-sighted intuition than others and which combined with the pressures coming from below:there political will of an urban planning reform.

What is happening in cities?

In recent years it has become increasingly common to witness radical transformations of cities in favor of active mobility.It is no coincidence that the combinations are always made up of those key elements that we saw for Amsterdam:periods of economic or social fragility (health emergency;economic or energy crisis);grassroots demonstrations and/or road accidents that have particularly shaken public opinion, giving rise to widespread protests;the determined one political will by the government (more often at municipal than national level, as particularly incisive mayors or mayors).

In London, for example, the growing number of people killed on bicycles between 2011 and 2012 triggered an urban cycling revolt that led to the road change we still see taking place today.In fact, the group was born in 2011 Bikes Alive, which began organizing protests and sit-ins to draw attention to road violence.  The death of six people cycling in November 2013 alone resulted thousands of people to protest opposite the Transport for London headquarters, drawing the attention not only of the English parliament but also of the European commission.

In 2019, with the launch of the Cycling Action Plan strongly supported by mayor Sadiq Khan, London has begun its journey to aspire to the title of the most cycleable city in Europe.The plan, lasting 5 years, has the objective of triple the number of cycle paths and people living near a cycle network with a investment of 2.3 billion of pounds.In the meantime, in London, first cycle lanes with road markings grew in number and extension, then separate cycle lanes and subsequently the so-called cycle highways, i.e. tracks up to four meters wide and with two lanes in one direction.

The results they are impressive:from the data collected by the City of London Traffic Composition Surveys relating to 2020 it is clear that the bicycle is the most used means of transport during peak times.The number of people on bikes during those times has more than doubled since 2007, cementing two-wheelers as the primary means of transportation for morning commuters.This data is also supported by the announcement from the Transport for London (TfL) agency, which announced that 2021 was the year with the highest ever use of Santander Cycles, the London bike sharing bicycles, with almost 11 million total withdrawals.

Another now famous case of "cycling revolution" is that of Paris.Mayor Hidalgo is succeeding in her ambitious plan to transform the entire city into a "bicycle paradise" by 2026.In fact, with an investment of 250 million euros (in addition to the 150 million of the previous plan), the Plan Velo intends to make the French capital a 100% cycle-friendly place, with very few cars and many more green areas.Accomplice push brought by the pandemic, the goal seems more realistic than ever:the speed with which Paris managed to change its face in just a few years was impressive, so much so that it captured the world's attention as a new example of "cycling revolution”.It is in the midst of the health emergency that the city of Paris announces the creation of 50 kilometers of temporary cycle paths:the “track crowners”, designed to promote cycling at the end of the first lockdown.During the Covid-19 epidemic, in fact, some roads originally intended for cars were converted into cycle paths.These measures, combined with the infrastructural improvements coming from the Plan Velo 2015-2020, have led to an increase in two-wheel traffic in the 60% compared to the previous year.Now many temporary “curtain paths” have become permanent, and cycle paths and bicycles in the city can be seen practically everywhere.

In the cases mentioned above, as in many other cities in Europe and around the world, it is essentially the successful application of a well-known principle:"Build it and they will come" ("build them, and they will come").Of course it's never that simplistic:a good network of cycle paths must be accompanied by a wide range of mobility services that overall guarantee a better alternative to the private car.For example, a close bond with the public transport thanks to integrated pricing systems, bike sharing, safe parking for bicycles, as well as integration with policies on use and organization of space that make cities pleasant places to walk and cycle.

We don't lack space:we lack imagination

When bicycles dominated the streets, the strong conviction that cars would undoubtedly be the dominant medium of the future meant this if it really happened:the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy.Looking at the power this belief has had in the transformation of European cities, which have been founded and developed for centuries and have been hubs of people and relationships before cars, it is not so difficult to imagine that a new revolution is possible.After all, the examples of Amsterdam, London and Paris demonstrate this, not to mention many other cities which see greater cycling traffic than vehicular traffic, first of all Copenhagen.

Imagine a city without cars

With this article we wanted to retrace the stages that led cities to be what they are today, to draw attention to the fact that cycling mobility is not the last fashion of the urban elite, but embodies a long history of marginalization, rebirth and revolution.It is the story of a cycling revolution, the velorution, which has certainly overwhelmed Amsterdam but which – as we have seen – is invoked by more and more cities.

By reconstructing the history of our cities and people's mobility, it is possible to "unlock" the ability to imagine different and better cities (“Imagine a city without cars”), leaving the self-centric urban logic in which most of us grew up and, who knows, changing our minds about actual functionality of this model.Mature a new belief and make another, prophecy, come true.To give cities and streets the purpose for which they were born:to meet the people.

… And in Italy?

In the first months of the health emergency, Milan led the way in the wave of post-Covid cycling infrastructure.With its 35km of cycle lanes “pop-ups” tried to provide a short-term solution quick and economical solution for those who wanted to travel by bicycle, followed by Genoa (30km), Rome (15.7km) and Turin (15.5km).During the pandemic, in fact, the demand for "social distancing-proof" and proximity mobility has increased significantly grow the offer of infrastructure for cycling mobility, with an increase that is still underway in many Italian capitals.

However, “coronapiste” have rarely had the same disruptive effect observed in the Parisian capital.Looking at our country, it is difficult to find examples of real cycling revolutions.In Italy we find several cities where bicycles are widely used thanks to the widespread presence of dedicated infrastructures.But these are often places where cycling culture is rooted for a long time, as in the centers of the Emilian capitals:cities like Ferrara, Reggio Emilia, Modena are often in the lead in the rankings dedicated to mobility on two wheels.In the latter there are between 12 and 15km of cycle paths per 10,000 inhabitants, a number comparable to Amsterdam (14km) or Copenhagen (8km).Too bad these are rare pearls:the national average remains at just 2.8 km of cycle paths for ten thousand inhabitants.The data is not surprising:second the latest Clean Cities report, Italy spends around 100 times less on cycling than on motorized mobility (just over a billion compared to 98 for the automotive sector). 

The example that comes closest to a "cycling revolution" is that of Pesaro. In fact, in 2005 the municipality of the Marche region conceived and then created the Bicipolitana, a network of 100 kilometers of cycle paths that goes from the center to the beaches, from parks to the suburbs.The project, a model that has set the standard in Italy and abroad (starting from the name), was born in 2005 from a visionary idea born in collaboration with citizens and neighborhood councils:trace the subway model for mobility on two wheels.

A was therefore created specific signage with the use of different colors to highlight the routes (“the lines”, precisely) and the connections within the city:connections, final direction, names of stops, distances from points of interest.This prodigious infrastructure work did not take long to bear fruit.With his 28% of urban journeys made by bicycle, Pesaro is now the city with the largest share of people who choose the bicycle as their main means of transport, surpassing capitals with a deep-rooted cycling tradition such as the aforementioned Ferrara (27%) and Reggio Emilia (23%) , and acquiring the title of “Bicycle City”.

Summing up, we note that even in the Italian case the elements at play for the activation of a urban turn on two wheels they are always the same: political will, contexts of emergency, pushes from below.

On the first point, at the moment, it seems that we can only count on the foresight of some local administrations, even if some important steps at national level have been taken with the approval at the end of 2022 of the General Plan for urban and extra-urban cycling mobility.

On the second, in addition to the aftermath of a pandemic that has definitely left its mark in the field of mobility, the global crises that concern climate, economy and world conflicts do not fail to upset our urban balance.

When a 14-year old boy died after getting hit by a tram, these #Milanese citizens took matters in their own hands.If the city doesn't protect us, we protect ourselves. #HumanScale (go @M_WrenchGang)pic.twitter.com/S3K1GprfcZ

— Cycling Professor 🚲 (@fietsprofessor) November 11, 2022

Finally, there is thatlast point, equally fundamental, on which the legitimation of initiatives that come from above and which are often the first to bring the seed of change to the tables of decision-making processes is based.Activism groups for more livable cities, movements for the safety of people on bicycles, protest initiatives to bring attention to these issues are increasingly widespread and frequent (an example is "Protect Me”, the Milanese flashmob in which hundreds of people formed a “human cycle path” to protect a cycle lane, and which has reached its third edition today).Groups made up of who he doesn't give up to the inevitability of road deaths, and who never ceases to believe that it is dependent on the car you can heal.Starting from the places.

Preview image via sportplushealth.com