Thoughts on Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality

In Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality, Meliss and Chris Bruntlett describe how the Dutch achieved so much cycling success, and how other cities might do the same. The authors bring up a variety of techniques and approaches the Dutch have used, such as seamlessly integrating cycling with public transit, pursuing customized strategies based on each city's unique landscape and culture, taking an iterative approach to infrastructure, using tactical urbanism and prototyping, and more.
In a blog post here -- idratherbewrit... -- I've pulled out my 12 more concrete takeaways from their book, and also added my thoughts and experiences about the topics. The authors aren't this explicit in identifying 12 techniques, much less numbering them. This is just my desire for more concrete strategies and takeaways. I created these notes for a book club discussion focused on automotive and transportation books. The images in this podcast were generated by DALLE3 and aren't from the book (though the book has excellent photographs!).

[@georgelaxton]

6:30 Yeah, so awesome that you considered it! Next step is to email you councillor and ask them to build more bike infrastructure for all ages and abilities 😊

[@georgelaxton]

11:20 OMG yes my city in New Zealand is so frustrating as we had the option to build out a system similar to OV feits but the instead went with Lime bikes and scooters! 😔

[@georgelaxton]

One thing to note, (and I don’t have any concrete evidence on this) but when you say that most new bike sales are ebikes, I would point out that it’s similar to how most new cars sales are electric (in some countries) yet we still see plenty of ICE cars on the road, simply because there were so many before hand. This would be the same as bikes in the Netherlands, lots of people already have a normal pedal bicycle and they don’t just disappear.
Another thing to consider is that many Dutch will have a beat up old bike they use to get to work or the train station that they leave on the street (because they don’t care if it does get stolen) and they will keep their expensive bikes inside or for trips where they won’t be leaving it outside all day or all night long. Those older bikes are what you predominantly see parked everywhere.

[@tomjoht]

good point -- thanks for adding your notes.

[@georgelaxton]

I’ve recently finished reading Curbing Traffic the human case for fewer cars in our lives by the same authors. Have you read this one too?

[@tomjoht]

I haven't read Curbing Traffic, but I'll add it to my list. Thanks!