Richard Peace of A to B: The Alternative Transport Magazine reviews Cycling Cities as a “wonderful resource for flicking through”.
In the history of European cycling, it is not countries that do cycling better than others, but cities. “Each city example reveals the complex story of how cycling has fared in a handful of very different locations over the last 100 years or so.” more “Book Review. “Unique, well-researched and fascinating””
A must-read for transportation planners, academics, and urbanists. Ontario Planning Journal recommends Cycling Cities: The European Experience to anyone seeking to understand the struggles of European cycling.
Reviewer George Liu, PhD candidate studying bicycle infrastructure at TU Eindhoven, sees “value in North American planners sharing their cycling knowledge as well.” more “Book Review. “Value for North American Planners””
How did Amsterdam become a textbook example of a cycling city? What lessons can be learned? The Guardian Commentator Dave Hill discusses Cycling Cities with Professor Ruth Oldenziel and concludes that there is plenty for London to reflect on.
The Dutch national newspaper NRC marvels about how cyclists persisted despite car-governed planners. Social movements matter in how communities develop into true cycling cities or not.
Amsterdam Cycling Chic writes. The Best Summer Read: “We were lucky enough to take a ride and have a coffee with esteemed Professor, lecturer, and researcher Ruth Oldenziel, co-author of the latest and greatest book Cycling Cities: The European Experience. It’s 200 pages are carefully researched and thoughtfully describe how cycling came to be (or not so much) in several European cities – with Dutch cities as a backbone story of cycling decline, automobility, then incremental change towards what are now urban cycling “success stories”. Of course every city has its own story, culture, and responses to change, and this work delves into those stories from 14 cities in 9 countries. From Budapest’s bicycling revival to Manchester’s “standstill”; Lyon;s corporate enterprise to innovations in Malmö we can read about diverse trajectories in urban cycling but all with the same goal: to get more people on bikes.” Amsterdam Cycling Chic interviews one of the authors.
In his book review, history-trained and cycling professional Wim Bot calls Cycling Cities the indispensable book. Anyone interested in cycling policy should have it on their bed stand.
Carlton Reid praises Cycling Cities for its historical insight into the key question: what is more important for cities to become true cycling cities? Cycling infrastructures or Traffic calming? To illustrate the book’s key message, Reid quotes the authors: “Bicycle lanes and highways are expensive to build, but cost politically less because bicycle lanes do not question automobility. Traffic calming measures are cheaper – as Amsterdam discovered. They demand political courage …” See Reid’s review for an excellent introduction to the book’s key points.