The Global Urbanist

News and analysis of cities around the world

Planning

Walking and cycling

RSS Feed

Despite its hilly topography and a legal injunction that prevented it from developing its bicycle network for four years, cycle use in San Francisco has grown to set the standard for US cities, thanks to a local culture of environmentalism, social justice and 'street theater'.

A year after the introduction of the Boris bikes and the Cycle Superhighways, Joe Peach reevaluates their impact on Greater London, finding them wanting due to their emphasis on the city centre over suburban areas.

Joe Peach casts a critical eye over Amsterdam's cycling network, sketching out its limitations while still admiring its formidable success in moving people onto sustainable transport.

From the Archives

Climate-proofing the city: three simple ideas from Delhi

This month Delhi played host to the International Workshop on Sustainable and Climate Resilient Urban Development, bringing together think tanks, municipalities and others to envision climate-resilient solutions to urban planning problems.

Nothing super about the cycle superhighways

A reality check on Boris Johnson's new cycle superhighways, noting that behind the scheme are ridership targets that remain paltry compared to northern European cities.

Error loading Razor Script

Related Topics

Integrated planning
Is Africa really urbanising rapidly?
Roads and traffic
What do we destroy when we demolish illegal areas?
Transport
Who sets the global urban agenda?
Land
Has our focus on housing distracted us?

Hot Cities

Amsterdam
'Smart cities' slowly getting smarter
London
Inspiring urbanists: John F. C. Turner
San Francisco-Oakland
Cycling up and up in hilly San Francisco
Mumbai
Another round of unabashed populism in Mumbai

On San Francisco-Oakland

Much of the city's success with cycling has happened in the past five years, with a 58 per cent increase in cycling between 2006 and 2010. What is most impressive is that between these dates the city was legally incapable of developing its bicycle network.

Read full article

Events

Post an event
-
-
-

Jobs

Post a job
BSHF Research Officer (International Programme)
Coalville, Leicestershire, UK

About

The Global Urbanist is an online magazine reviewing urban affairs and urban development issues in cities throughout the developed and developing world.

Its readers are drawn from the urban policy and international development sectors, and include urban planners, officers in local, national or international government agencies, civil society leaders, and researchers.

Find out more


Advertise on this site

GU