Pedalling to a sustainable future

By Jennifer Myers for U Magazine

European cities such as Copenhagen (Denmark), Freiburg (Germany) and Amsterdam and Groningen (the Netherlands) are renowned for their bicycle culture and sustainable urban planning.

Dr. Byron Miller, associate professor in geography and director of the urban studies program at the University of Calgary, is in Groningen investigating why cities like these make significant progress in implementing alternative modes of transportation while others do not.

Miller, who has not driven in six months since arriving in Groningen, says while most North American city planners understand the infrastructure required, what is lacking is an understanding of how political and policy planning processes achieve success.

"If you plan a city so the only easy way to get around is by car, bicycling won't be a viable option," he says. "Successful promotion of bicycling depends on the extent to which infrastructure investment makes bicycling convenient and safe."

In the Netherlands, municipal funding is primarily allocated from the federal government. Miller says a stable source of funding that isn't dependent upon local growth is key to planners' ability to create and sustain bicycle and other sustainability-related infrastructure.

"North Americans commonly misunderstand the factors involved and attribute the mobility options of European cities to differences in their historical development and culture. While there's an element of truth to this notion, as recently as the 1970s many European cities were heavily automobile dependent."

Today in Groningen, 57 percent of all trips are taken by bicycle, the highest rate in Europe. Beginning in the 1970s, the city centre created zones for bicycles and pedestrians only. Grade-separated bicycle lanes were installed and a physical barrier, such as a curb or line of trees, was created—providing a high degree of protection for cyclists.