Citation

Horton D. World Transp. Policy Pract. 2006; 12(2): 17-20.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Eco-Logica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article presents the formal contribution of the author to a debate held at Velo-City, Dublin, Ireland, in May and June of 2005. The debate pondered whether or not cyclists should be allowed to cycle anywhere in the city. The author proposes that giving cyclists full freedom to a city would constitute a major step towards sustainability and conviviality of that city. By putting cycling to work, it can be used to help build dynamic, progressive, sustainable urban visions. The author implores readers to consider how cycling can change, and be used to change, the existing and imperfect urban environment. He describes a number of different strategies to make this happen, then considers some of the potential conflicts between cyclists, pedestrians, and automobile drivers. He reiterates the point that healthy urban environments need to embrace the bicycle and instead get much better at excluding the car. Particularly for sustainability, cities must support walking and bicycling, including infrastructure, parking areas for bicycles, and amenities that ease the switch from bicycling to walking (as bicycles will not be able to go everywhere pedestrians can go). The author concludes that cycling in the future will be a complex practice, requiring shifts between different kinds of cycling environment, each requiring different kinds of interaction, speed, attitude and bodily disposition. There will of course be a need for codes of conduct, regulations, affordances to and enforcement of appropriate behaviors. But the principal and principled task should be to render the city universally accessible to cycling. (ITRD abstract)