The main Cycling Friendly cities in 2020. Which will be:
A Danish research achieves comparative studies of cycling cities and compiles a worldwide ranking.
The Danish company “Copenhaguenize“ produces an annual report of the most Cycling Friendly cities.
In doing so, it awards points for the efforts that cities make year after year. The key pointsare:
- Modernizing public areas and opening them up to bicycles.
- Policy to promote cycling in the city.
- Shared bicycle systems, car restriction.
In short, a range of actions to give a more holistic view of your cyclingfriendly city.
“Copenhaguenize” has a large database of more than 600 cities in the world, so:
How are these parameters calculated?
Set of variables’ selection to make cities reach the next round. One of these is that cities, with an average share of more than 2% percent, are reaching the next rounds.
Requiring several process parameters. They all range from scores from (0-4 points) based on the Copenhagenize study and methodology.
- Urban landscape parameters (0-4 points)
- Bicycle infrastructure: higher scores for lovers of bicycle lanes, protected bicycle paths and a high-quality network.
- Bicycle facilities: higher scores for ease use, uniform signage.
- Traffic Calming: higher scores where cyclists and pedestrians have top priority over motor vehicles. Strategies such as traffic calming and speed limits are scored.
- Culture parametres:
- Cyclist gender: higher scores with a gender and cycling balance.
- Modal distribution: higher participation, higher score.
- Increasing participation in the past 10 years.
- Safety indicators: those cities that conduct communication, such as helmet use, safe streets without vehicles.
- Image of the bicycle: higher scores if the bicycle becomes a respected, accepted and normal means of transport, where children go to school by bicycle.
- Cargo bikes:Freight transport also plays an important role and a way to create a new economy and urban landscape.
- Ambition parameters: considering different variables such as bike promotions with contribution campaigns; policy aimed at the use of bicycles; bicycle use campaigns and good urban planning in which planners think about the bicycle with innovative ideas.
- In cities like Copenhagen, there is a dedicated cycling infrastructure planning office and their recommendations are taken very seriously.
“Copenhaguenize“ is the main European study conducting urban studies focusing on the bicycle, making comparisonsin the above parameters. A luxury for data and urban cycling enthusiasts.
And which city won that award in 2019?
According to their research, Copenhagen got a score of 90.2%, followed by the cities of Amsterdam with 89.3% and Utrecht with 88.4%.
According to “Copenhaguenize“, the first Spanish city, Barcelona, is in thirteenth place in the ranking. View the ranking of the best cycling cities of 2019 here.
In the evolution of the ranking, we see how Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Utrecht are crowned as the most important Cycling Friendly cities of the past 10 years.
But will 2020 be a different year?
The pandemic that the world is suffering has made bicycles the means of transport with the highest increase in many European cities and the world. Therefore the ranking results may change in favour of cities such as Barcelona, Paris, London, Berlin or Valencia.
The new world ranking coming soon.