Bike-ability: Cities for zero-emission travel and public health

Early this January, 13 million Danish kroner was handed over to the project 'Bike-ability: Cities for zero-emission travel and public health' at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. The Danish Council for Strategic Research was the happy donator and the research project is a collaboration with 4 different universities and the Danish cancer charity, Kræftens Bekæmpelse, and two other institutions.

The project aims to show architects and urban planners how urban areas can be designed to encourage city dwellers to use the bicycle as the prefered mode of transportation. The projects will continue to 2014 and has a budget total of 16,7 million kroner. 

"We want to investigate what motivates people to use their bikes and come up with solutions for improved conditions for present and future bicyclists. The goal is to increase public health and direct focus towards urban sustainability" says Gertrud Jørgensen, the faculty's professor who will head the project, according to a press release on the Faculty of Life Sciences website.

The researchers at the Faculty of Life Sciences will collaborate with Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands to find out which technical solutions can increase the number of cyclists in cities. A virtual modelling system will allow researchers to map the results and test them against each other in order to generate concrete suggestions to improve infrastructure and city planning to improve cycling conditions.

What happened to our 1. place?
During COP15, Copenhagen was - over and over again - proclaimed as the bicycle city #1 in the world. However, a little research shows a different result. 

On matadortrips.com Copenhagen takes a depressing 4th position after Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin. On askmen.com we are second after Amsterdam, Barcelona takes a dip to 8th place and Berlin isn't even on the list. According to League of American Bicyclists at Virgin, Copenhagen is, once again, occupying a pathetic number 3 after Amsterdam and Portland, Oregon. In a respons to the list at EcoVelo, blogger Paige has a rather dry remark, ” I’ve seen this one before and just don’t understand what puts Portland above Copenhagen. I’ve lived both places and sorry Portland, you lose.”

With Gertrud Jørgensens project we might reclaim the title as the best bicycle city in the world. We can't have Amsterdam topping us all the time. 

If you are not into top 10 lists, go see Michal Colville-Andersens fantastic site Copenhagencyclechic, where street art turns to bike lane art and looking sharp on your bike is crucial.