Visiting large, urban bicycling metropolises such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam provides invaluable insight into how to plan for cycling at an enormous scale. Conversely, learning how to retrofit smaller communities such as Nijmegen for sustainable transportation is equally insightful. Utrecht, however, is frequently cited as the best city for biking in the world. And thus far, I am wildly impressed.
All of the cities I have visited so far have had the following in common: an abundance of people on bikes, well-connected bicycle infrastructure, and a cultural understanding of cyclists’ needs. Regardless of the size of the city, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Malmö, and Nijmegen have all achieved such success with bicycle transportation largely because of these factors. That being said, cycling in Utrecht simply feels different. Yes, this city also has an abundance of cyclists, excellent infrastructure, and patient drivers. But Utrecht’s urban form and bicycle planning have made biking feel more natural here than in any other city I have been to.
It is hard to pinpoint certain infrastructural elements or residents’ behaviors that make cycling feel so stress-free here, but I do want to highlight the design of Utrecht’s streets and how much space is dedicated to cyclists. Below is a picture of how Utrecht’s roads are laid out.
I come to planning from a more social perspective instead of an analytical one. I love exploring how urban design and built environments can alter and influence their users’ behavior. As such, a street design of this kind — with such little space designated for cars — stands out to me. One could still drive a car on this street, but why would a driver want to? On the other hand, such a design enables cyclists to feel that the space belongs to them. In my opinion, planners can never make someone opt to take the bus or bike instead of driving, but they can influence the conditions under which driving can occur. This exemplifies that, and is an idea I will surely take home with me to the U.S.
