more streets photos:
Showing posts with label Denmark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denmark. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
The World's 7 Most Bike-friendly Cities
via momondo
Bike capital of the world; 40% of Amsterdam’s traffic
is by bicycle and the 750.000 residents own an estimated 600.000
bicycles. Bikes are by far the most popular means of transport, partly
due to that fact that it’s almost impossible to drive a car around the
narrow streets with canals, and due to the high price of parking – if
you are lucky enough to find a spot to park.
Just about everybody cycles in Amsterdam – and it’s
not unusual to see mothers, 2 kids and shopping all on the same bike.
With its extensive network of routes dedicated to cyclists, plenty of
places to park (Amsterdam is building a 10.000-bike parking garage at
the main train station) and its bike culture, Amsterdam is a great place
to cycle.
...
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| photo by korafotomorgana |
With a vibrant bike culture, I'm not sure that many Copenhagerners agree that Amsterdam is the world's bike capital. Approximately a
third of Copenhagen’s resident’s cycle to work daily – including
myself. With an extensive network of dedicated paths, separated from the
main road – including traffic lights specifically for cyclists –
cycling is a quick and practical way to get around.
The local council is planning to on doubling its
spending on cycling infrastructure during the next couple of years, and
already parts of town are car-free and taking a bike for free on the
subway system enables you to cycle further afield.
To encourage tourists to enjoy Copenhagen by bike,
the city provides more than 2000 public bicycles, which can be found
throughout the downtown area. Simply deposit 20 dkr to unlock your bike
from one of the 100 cycle racks and enjoy your trip. Your money is
refunded, when you return the bike to one of the racks.
more about bicycle planning:
Paris to Allow Cyclists to Run Red Lights
BEST PRACTICE IN FACILITATING AND PROMOTING ACTIVE TRAVEL
Bicycle Use and Safety In Paris, Boston, and Amsterdam
Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral
Innovative Urban Transport Concepts Moving from Theory to Practice
Metroradruhr: Germany's Ruhr Valley Inter-City Bike Sharing
Bike Share: A slice of Paris in Chicago
Monday, January 23, 2012
BEST PRACTICE IN FACILITATING AND PROMOTING ACTIVE TRAVEL
via Department for Regional Development
“Policies and strategies at all levels advocate walking and cycling but motor transport still takes priority in the big decisions and in the allocation of investment. As a consequence the UK lags badly behind many European countries in levels of active travel. To return walking and cycling to levels that can contribute to a healthy society, changes are needed in policy and practice.”1
A number of papers exist summarising the success of The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany in promoting active travel, especially cycling. Pucher et al Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, 2008;2 Buehler et al Sustainable Transport that Works: Lessons from Germany, 2009;3 Atkins, European Best Practice Report, 2006;4 Jacobs Consultancy, European Best Practice Report, Final Report December 2006.5 Some of these successes are discussed in more detail in the next section.
A number of papers exist summarising the success of The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany in promoting active travel, especially cycling. Pucher et al Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, 2008;2 Buehler et al Sustainable Transport that Works: Lessons from Germany, 2009;3 Atkins, European Best Practice Report, 2006;4 Jacobs Consultancy, European Best Practice Report, Final Report December 2006.5 Some of these successes are discussed in more detail in the next section.
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| German bikers, by Qlis |
more about travel behavior in urban areas:
OVERVIEW OF LAND-USE TRANSPORT MODELS
Building More Roads Does Not Ease Congestion
How Urban Design Affect Personal Activity and Travel Choice - An Analysis of Travel Data from Sample Communities in Adelaide
Effects of Site Design on Pedestrian Travel in Mixed-Use, Medium-Density Environments
Comparative Study of Pedestrian Travel Culture in Different Cities in Japan
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral
A Fietsberaad Publication
The ten reports presented here are chiefly specifications of the general trend of ‘continuous’ and ‘integral’. Each town has its own story, with a different emphasis due to particularly local circumstances. The similarities and differences between the ten reports will be analysed in more detail at the end of this publication, in chapter 12. Ten cities with respectable bicycle use.
Often higher bicycle percentages are claimed. Upon closer examination, however, these only refer to local trips within municipal boundaries, or specific segments like commuter traffic. The table above and the national surveys below only provide data that are known to relate to the bicycle percentage in all trips (by inhabitants of the town or country concerned). These figures are derived from many sources; at least two per town (minor differences having been erased).
Often higher bicycle percentages are claimed. Upon closer examination, however, these only refer to local trips within municipal boundaries, or specific segments like commuter traffic. The table above and the national surveys below only provide data that are known to relate to the bicycle percentage in all trips (by inhabitants of the town or country concerned). These figures are derived from many sources; at least two per town (minor differences having been erased).
The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Belgium are the countries with the highest bicycle use in Europe. Within these countries, the ten cities discussed here really are foremost as far as bicycle use is concerned. Bicycle use in these countries and cities is of an altogether different level than elsewhere in Europe:
• In The Netherlands the bicycle percentage in the model split has been approx. 26% over the last decades. The top cities score between 35% and 40%; cities with the lowest bicycle use rank between 15% and 20%.
• In Denmark the bicycle percentage is between 15 and 20%. Differences in bicycle use between the cities are relatively small; bicycle use in the cities is quite commonly at a level of 20% of all trips. Only Odense and Copenhagen (far) surpass this: Odense approx. 26% and Copenhagen nearer to 32%.
• In Germany on average 10% of all trips are made by bicycle. The western federal states have a higher average bicycle use, especially Nordrhein-Westfalen. Next to Münster and Freiburg there are more cities with bicycle percentages between 20% and 30% there. In other federal states bicycles are by no means absent either; Berlin for instance has a bicycle percentage of approx. 10%.
• Belgium has an average bicycle percentage of not much more than 8%. Many cities in Flanders approach the level of Ghent: somewhat over 15%. The town of Bruges even has a slightly higher bicycle percentage.
• In The Netherlands the bicycle percentage in the model split has been approx. 26% over the last decades. The top cities score between 35% and 40%; cities with the lowest bicycle use rank between 15% and 20%.
• In Denmark the bicycle percentage is between 15 and 20%. Differences in bicycle use between the cities are relatively small; bicycle use in the cities is quite commonly at a level of 20% of all trips. Only Odense and Copenhagen (far) surpass this: Odense approx. 26% and Copenhagen nearer to 32%.
• In Germany on average 10% of all trips are made by bicycle. The western federal states have a higher average bicycle use, especially Nordrhein-Westfalen. Next to Münster and Freiburg there are more cities with bicycle percentages between 20% and 30% there. In other federal states bicycles are by no means absent either; Berlin for instance has a bicycle percentage of approx. 10%.
• Belgium has an average bicycle percentage of not much more than 8%. Many cities in Flanders approach the level of Ghent: somewhat over 15%. The town of Bruges even has a slightly higher bicycle percentage.
Although average bicycle use is much lower in other European countries, there are some striking extremes:
• In Great Britain bicycle use is on average only 2% (London even slightly lower), but there are several incidental cases with a much higher degree of bicycle use (York and Hull 11%, Oxford and particularly Cambridge close to 20%). A similar pattern – even slightly more extreme – can be discerned in Sweden and especially Italy.
• In Great Britain bicycle use is on average only 2% (London even slightly lower), but there are several incidental cases with a much higher degree of bicycle use (York and Hull 11%, Oxford and particularly Cambridge close to 20%). A similar pattern – even slightly more extreme – can be discerned in Sweden and especially Italy.
• Ireland scores 3% - 4%, with virtually no upward extremes (Dublin 5% at most).
• In Sweden bicycle use is on average 7% of all trips; for cities this is 10%. Peaks: Lund and Malmö 20%. The small town of Västerås (115,000 inhabitants) has an incredible 33% bicycle percentage according to a source quoted time and time again.
• In the Czech Republic, as in other Eastern European countries, there are a few cities with some degree of bicycle use (Ostrava, Olomouc and Ceské Budejovice, between 5% and 10%) and some with an even higher bicycle use (Prostejov 20%). However, average use is low: far below 5%.
• Austria has an average bicycle percentage of 9%, with Graz (14%) and Salzburg (19%) as extremes.
• Switzerland scores approximately 11% for bicycle use, with several cities at a slightly higher level, like Bern (15%), Basel (17%) and particularly Winterthur (approx. 20%).
• France has a low average bicycle use (5%), nor has it many extremes: Strasbourg 12%, Avignon 10%.
• Although in Italy average bicycle use is as low as 5% , with Rome even far below 1%, there are a number of striking exceptions. Especially the Po valley, with cities like Parma (over 15%) and with Ferrara as the best-known extreme example: around 30% bicycle percentage. Another remarkable town elsewhere in Italy is Florence (over 20%).
• In Sweden bicycle use is on average 7% of all trips; for cities this is 10%. Peaks: Lund and Malmö 20%. The small town of Västerås (115,000 inhabitants) has an incredible 33% bicycle percentage according to a source quoted time and time again.
• In the Czech Republic, as in other Eastern European countries, there are a few cities with some degree of bicycle use (Ostrava, Olomouc and Ceské Budejovice, between 5% and 10%) and some with an even higher bicycle use (Prostejov 20%). However, average use is low: far below 5%.
• Austria has an average bicycle percentage of 9%, with Graz (14%) and Salzburg (19%) as extremes.
• Switzerland scores approximately 11% for bicycle use, with several cities at a slightly higher level, like Bern (15%), Basel (17%) and particularly Winterthur (approx. 20%).
• France has a low average bicycle use (5%), nor has it many extremes: Strasbourg 12%, Avignon 10%.
• Although in Italy average bicycle use is as low as 5% , with Rome even far below 1%, there are a number of striking exceptions. Especially the Po valley, with cities like Parma (over 15%) and with Ferrara as the best-known extreme example: around 30% bicycle percentage. Another remarkable town elsewhere in Italy is Florence (over 20%).
pictures of bicycle parking in Münster (Muenster), Germany:
more about bicycle planning:
Rent an electric bike in London
Travelwise: Bike sharing around the world
Sights and details from the 2011 NJ Bike and Walk Summit
On Amsterdam, bikes and the Copenhagen Wheel thingy
The Public transport and priority to pedestrians and bicycles as a basis for the quality of life in capital cities
Urban Bikeway Design Guide Released
NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Buses Spread the Love in Copenhagen
Starting on May 3, Danish transport company Arriva introduced red-upholstered designated “love seats”
on more than 100 buses in Copenhagen to encourage flirtation, smiles,
romance and happiness among the city’s passengers, whether they’re
happily single, married or still looking for love. The bigger idea —
besides being cute — is to get people to leave their cars parked at home
and enjoy riding public transportation, as more of a social endeavor.
“You never know what will happen,” spokesman Martin Wex told AFP.
“We cannot guarantee that you will find the person of your dreams. We
are just offering the possibility for people to communicate, to smile a
bit more and possibly, to win someone’s heart.”
The love seat experiment will last for two weeks.
Marianne Faerch, a business developer with Arriva, which runs the majority of buses in Copenhagen, said in an interview with BBC
that she has seen an increase in ridership. She says these campaigns
are meant to show people that “you can actually take the bus and get a
good experience out of it, and maybe, love.”
read more
more about Copenhagen:
The Public transport and priority to pedestrians and bicycles as a basis for the quality of life in capital cities
On Amsterdam, bikes and the Copenhagen Wheel thingy
Skyline photos of Copenhagen, Denmark 1
Where’s Low Carbon Transport in Post-Copenhagen Pledges?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Public transport and priority to pedestrians and bicycles as a basis for the quality of life in capital cities
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UCUE, Lisboa, 27th of September 2002
Amsterdam is a city of bicycles. And the local government not only wants to keep it that way, it wants to
further enhance the status of the bicycle. Ever since its Traffic Circulation Plan was drawn up in 1979, the City of Amsterdam has pursued an active pro-cycling policy. Moreover, government at the national and regional levels and other organisations are also working to develop cycling policy.
But cycling cannot be regarded separately from other aspects of mobility policy, such as motor vehicles and public transport. The decline in the number of parking spaces in central Amsterdam, the increase in parking fees and the expansion of the area in which they are levied will create more room for essential car travel. The bicycle is going to have to become a realistic alternative, particularly for non-essential car journeys over shorter distances.
Alongside utilitarian use of the bicycle, walking and cycling remain the principal recreational activities enjoyed by the Dutch population. When it comes to routes, three-quarters of people prefer a scenic alternative to a boring, unattractive one. They also prefer small patches of green space close to home rather than more extensive natural areas further away.
Good connections allowing people to reach the countryside easily from their homes are therefore essential, but so too are quiet green or waterside routes in the city itself. In addition, a policy to encourage long-distance walking is a priority in Amsterdam. The emphasis in that is upon rural, sometimes unmetalled routes on the edge of and outside the city.
The interests of walkers and pedestrians are strongly promoted in policy documents. The target is to create pedestrian-only "lanes" of 1.50 metres wide in the historic city centre and 3.00 metres wide in the surrounding districts. In order to guarantee their place in the city, a so-called "pedestrian norm" of 3.50 metres is aimed for when designing or reprofiling streets. Certainly in busy shopping streets, this standard acts as a counterweight to the existing demands of other road users such as cyclists, motorists and trams.
further enhance the status of the bicycle. Ever since its Traffic Circulation Plan was drawn up in 1979, the City of Amsterdam has pursued an active pro-cycling policy. Moreover, government at the national and regional levels and other organisations are also working to develop cycling policy.
But cycling cannot be regarded separately from other aspects of mobility policy, such as motor vehicles and public transport. The decline in the number of parking spaces in central Amsterdam, the increase in parking fees and the expansion of the area in which they are levied will create more room for essential car travel. The bicycle is going to have to become a realistic alternative, particularly for non-essential car journeys over shorter distances.
Alongside utilitarian use of the bicycle, walking and cycling remain the principal recreational activities enjoyed by the Dutch population. When it comes to routes, three-quarters of people prefer a scenic alternative to a boring, unattractive one. They also prefer small patches of green space close to home rather than more extensive natural areas further away.
Good connections allowing people to reach the countryside easily from their homes are therefore essential, but so too are quiet green or waterside routes in the city itself. In addition, a policy to encourage long-distance walking is a priority in Amsterdam. The emphasis in that is upon rural, sometimes unmetalled routes on the edge of and outside the city.
The interests of walkers and pedestrians are strongly promoted in policy documents. The target is to create pedestrian-only "lanes" of 1.50 metres wide in the historic city centre and 3.00 metres wide in the surrounding districts. In order to guarantee their place in the city, a so-called "pedestrian norm" of 3.50 metres is aimed for when designing or reprofiling streets. Certainly in busy shopping streets, this standard acts as a counterweight to the existing demands of other road users such as cyclists, motorists and trams.
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| Cycling in Copenhagen, by Canadian Veggie |
more about bicycle planning in Europe:
On Amsterdam, bikes and the Copenhagen Wheel thingy
Making Transportation Sustainable: Insights from Germany
Reality Proves a Setback for Parisian Bike Rentals
On Amsterdam, bikes and the Copenhagen Wheel thingy
By Kate Rutter
User Experience Intensive (UXI) is happily underway in Amsterdam! Day 1 (Design Strategy) kicked off on Monday with Henning, and today the Design Research session is going strong with Paula. Andrew and I are in the wings, prepping for Day 3 (Information Architecture) and Day 4 (Interaction Design.) Last night was the official opening party for the Adaptive Path Amsterdam studio , and the room was buzzing with UX folks from across Europe.
I landed in Amsterdam yesterday and had a chance to walk around the city and drink in the canals, leany/tilty buidings and preparations for Queens Day. But what I noticed most on my walkabout is “Holy crap there are a lot of bikes in this town!”
Bikes filling the narrow streets…people dinging bells so they don’t wham into you…bikes locked to railings, racks, fences, each other…bikes loaded with families, babies, toddlers, deliveries, couples, old folks, young folk…bikes, bikes, bikes. With so many bikes zipping about, the UX in me wondered “Could we somehow capture the mobile sensing potential of bikes?”
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| Cycling in a cold Copenhagen morning, photo by Mikael Colville-Andersen |
more articles about Copenhagen:
Skyline photos of Copenhagen, Denmark 1
Creative Copenhagen: Globalization, Urban Governance and Social Change
Copenhagen planning super highways... but for bicycles
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Skyline photos of Copenhagen, Denmark 1
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| Skyline of Copenhagen in the night, by Kim Bach |
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| Copenhagen skyline, by Telstar Logistics |
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| skyline of Copenhagen, photo by aimran85 |
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| Copenhagen skyline, by UnorthodoxY |
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| Copenhagen skyline, by UnorthodoxY |
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| Copenhagen skyline, by UnorthodoxY |
Skyline photos of Venice, Italy 1
Skyline photos of Madrid 2
Skyline photos of Amsterdam 1
Skyline photos of Vienna, Austria 1
skyline photos of Madrid 1
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Architecture, Urban Planning and Biodiversity: Thoughts about an ecopolis, Plea for a lobe city
by Erik ROMBAUT
Towns are generally regarded as the cause of many ecological and social problems. Can they, in the future, also become the source of solutions? If so, what is the best strategy and the best urban model for achieving these goals?
This paper presents a number of eloquent and inspiring examples of ecological residential neighbourhoods and green industrial parks in European cities.
The creation of a “semi-public common interior space” in residential neighbourhoods (through a judicious dosage of the public and the private) seems to be the town planning key and strategy for solving both ecological and social problems. There is no doubt that when these interior spaces are inter-connected to form a blue and green network with the right ecological conditions, a surprisingly
high biodiversity can be preserved in an urban environment. Whether or not such an approach will strengthen the social diversity in towns depends, among other things, on the extent to which one resists the tendency to close these semi-public environments (that is, to privatise them) and to transform them into an urban eco-ghetto.
To conserve urban biodiversity, the “lobe-city” seems to offer the best prospects. This was developed as an urban model in the first half of the 20th century, in most cases as a reaction to the concentric growth of towns that was regarded as suffocating (GIELING,2006). It is characterised by blue and green fingers (wedges) in which one can find countryside-features penetrating deep into the “lobe-city”. Among others, the expansion plan for Cologne/Köln (1927) in Germany and the “finger plan” for Copenhagen (1948) in Denmark were based on this concept. To varying degrees, the model of the “lobe-city” was also employed in the general plan to extend Amsterdam (NL-Amsterdam Uitbreidings Plan AUP, 1935) and in cities as Hamburg, Berlin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Frankfurt am Main (D)and Stockholm (S).
I will focus on the theme ‘ecological sound urban water management’. That means that other very important topics, such as waste management, traffic management and of course energy management will not be tackled here. For details about these topics in relation to the lobe city theory, we refer to ROMBAUT.
This paper presents a number of eloquent and inspiring examples of ecological residential neighbourhoods and green industrial parks in European cities.
The creation of a “semi-public common interior space” in residential neighbourhoods (through a judicious dosage of the public and the private) seems to be the town planning key and strategy for solving both ecological and social problems. There is no doubt that when these interior spaces are inter-connected to form a blue and green network with the right ecological conditions, a surprisingly
high biodiversity can be preserved in an urban environment. Whether or not such an approach will strengthen the social diversity in towns depends, among other things, on the extent to which one resists the tendency to close these semi-public environments (that is, to privatise them) and to transform them into an urban eco-ghetto.
To conserve urban biodiversity, the “lobe-city” seems to offer the best prospects. This was developed as an urban model in the first half of the 20th century, in most cases as a reaction to the concentric growth of towns that was regarded as suffocating (GIELING,2006). It is characterised by blue and green fingers (wedges) in which one can find countryside-features penetrating deep into the “lobe-city”. Among others, the expansion plan for Cologne/Köln (1927) in Germany and the “finger plan” for Copenhagen (1948) in Denmark were based on this concept. To varying degrees, the model of the “lobe-city” was also employed in the general plan to extend Amsterdam (NL-Amsterdam Uitbreidings Plan AUP, 1935) and in cities as Hamburg, Berlin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Frankfurt am Main (D)and Stockholm (S).
I will focus on the theme ‘ecological sound urban water management’. That means that other very important topics, such as waste management, traffic management and of course energy management will not be tackled here. For details about these topics in relation to the lobe city theory, we refer to ROMBAUT.
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| Central Copenhagen, by felissy |
more about Copenhagen:
Creative Copenhagen: Globalization, Urban Governance and Social Change
Copenhagen – city of cyclists!
Complete Streets Lessons from Copenhagen
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Copenhagen – city of cyclists!
www.vejpark.kk.dk/CityofCyclists
Søren Pind
1.13 million kilometers are cycled every day Both bicycle and motor traffic are on the rise since the last Bicycle Account 2002. We have taken a census of cyclists and motorists at many points in the city. On the basis of these figures we have calculated the number of kilometers cycled and driven by car. Over the past 10 years the number of kilometers cycled has increased by twice as much as the number of kilometers driven. Every day 1.13 million kilometers are cycled in Copenhagen. More and more people cycle to workplaces in Copenhagen. 36% cycled to work in 2003 compared to 32% in 2001. This means we are well on our way towards achieving our objective, which is that 40% will be cycling to work by 2012. In 2003 27% drove to work, 33% used public transport and 5% walked.
Higher cyclist ratings
Since we initiated the Bicycle Account in 1995, cyclist ratings of Copenhagen as a city for cyclists have become increasingly favourable. Fully 83% now feel that Copenhagen is great for cycling – in 1995 the figure was 66%. In particular, cyclists have become more satisfied with the amount of cycle tracks and their maintenance. A great deal has been done over the past 10 years to improve facilities for cyclists in the City of Copenhagen and this has not passed unnoticed.
Fewer serious accidents involving cyclists
The number of serious cyclist casualties has dropped by 18% since 2002. Around 2/3 of the cyclists who were seriously injured were injured at intersections – most of them at signalized junctions. The greatest drop in cyclist casualties has in fact taken place at signalized junctions, a resounding 28%. The city’s systematic efforts to improve cyclist safety at junctions certainly seem to be having an impact.
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| cycling in Copenhagen, image by Mikael Colville-Andersen |
more posts about cycling in Europe:
Cycle Traffic In Amsterdam Urban Planning
Cycling to Sustainability in Amsterdam
500 Kilometers of Bicycle Routes in Cicycling Capital of Germany
Bike Parking: a Key Part of the Bicycle Planning Amenities
Monday, October 4, 2010
Bike Parking: a Key Part of the Bicycle Planning Amenities
Bicycle planning is progressing in many countries, particularly in Europe. Today the leading biking technologies is originating from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany. bicycle parking is of these amenities, which is becoming more important as the number of the bikes get more. Also the number of paid bike lockers seem to get more gradually. Some suggest that a combination of simple bicycle racks with bike lockers for more expensive bicycles could be a good solution.
Related posts:
Complete Streets Lessons from Copenhagen
Sustainable Transport Ideas: Cycling in Amsterdam
Cycle Superhighways Open in London
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