How to become a bike city – and keep it that way
Korea was eager to know what makes Dutch cycling policy such a success. Amsterdam bicycle program manager David Gelauff is more than happy to share his knowledge. Watch the presentation he made for the 2021 Korea Sustainable Development Conference which was from 30 September to 2 October.
Some 30 to 40 years ago, Korea and the Netherlands started building bicycle infrastructure in the big cities. Although Seoul is 3 times larger than Amsterdam, there are many similarities, but the bike use in Korea lags behind. In Amsterdam cyclists ride a million kilometers everyday. What were the social developments then and now, and what political choices were made? And how do you make your city a bike city – and keep it that way?
A small glimpse: the catalyst for the Amsterdam bicycle policy was a bottom-up democratic movement in the seventies, which was a reaction to a policy that put automobiles first. As a result there was an extremely high number of traffic fatalities and part destruction of the historic city which was to be wholly planned for car use. Watch the brief presentation that David Gelauff made for the conference in the video below.
Also interesting: the cycling experiences of Hyejin Park from Korea, who visited Amsterdam. What struck her was the safe feeling she got while cycling through Amsterdam. Motorists who stick to the priority rules are not commonplace everywhere, apparently. Watch her short video underneath.
