"Children who travel independently and actively to school have better spatial awareness, a better sense of balance, faster social development and fewer learning disorders on average than children who are driven to school." - Ulla Rasmussen, Executive Director Mobility with a Future (Vienna)
Meredith Glaser
@cyclingprofessor.bsky.social
Professor of Cycling | CEO Urban Cycling Institute
"A #bike is a tool for play, connection, health. When children learn to confidently bike, they don’t just become better cyclists. They develop balance, resilience, confidence and independence. They discover the joy of moving instead of sitting still." Eveline Elsinga, Dutch Girls on Wheels
"Transportation infrastructure doesn’t just change how we move—it changes how we develop as humans. We often ask, 'How do we get more people to ride bikes?' Perhaps the better question is: 'What kind of town/city produces healthier humans?'" — Anna Lindström, Founder, Kielo Cycling, California
"The strongest narrative to convince policymakers isn’t about replacing one mode with another. It’s about giving people the freedom to choose the option that best fits their needs, and at that moment. Transport isn’t the goal, it’s the means." Deborah Neves, Logistics Strategy, Winnepeg
"We talk a lot about the erosion of 'community values' but we rarely make the connection between the increase in our dependency on vehicles and dwindling possibilities for informal social interactions." — Zvi Leve, Strategic Advisor from Montreal
Cycling isn't about replacing cars—it's about giving people more choices. The conversation should be about creating places where people thrive, not about choosing sides. — Patricia Maria Ibáñez Porcel, Founder - Bike and Hike Granada
🔊THE RESULTS ARE IN: 5 narratives to win support for human-scale cycling cities. Russell King and I crowd-sourced the most effective arguments to move past bikelash and toward outcomes our cities need. We got 200+ responses. 5 narratives emerged as most compelling. Which one resonates with you?
🚨 We need your help! Let’s crowd-source the most convincing list of narratives to win support for cycling! 24 hours left before we release the ultimate list. What arguments resonate with skeptics, local businesses, or policymakers? Comment here: tinyurl.com/2k5vsv24
🚨 We need your help! Let’s crowd-source the most convincing list of narratives to help our cities, to shift our mindsets, to win support for cycling! Russell King and I will compile and share the… |...
🚨 We need your help! Let’s crowd-source the most convincing list of narratives to help our cities, to shift our mindsets, to win support for cycling! Russell King and I will compile and share the ul...
linkedin.com
My favorite quote from a Dutch traffic engineer: if you need a sign, it’s a bad design. Photo: @urbancyclinginstitute
The narrative around autonomous vehicles often frames them as inevitable. But choosing them is a political choice, not a technological certainty. When we treat self-driving cars as the default future, we choose to double down on private, car-centric infrastructure and unsustainable futures.
🙀 Did you know that 1 in 5 Europeans experience“forced car ownership"? About half of Europeans are car-dependent. 75% never use public transit. Source: Oeko-Institut
Cycling itself isn’t the end goal, but rather cycling is a tool that bring society health, wellbeing, and more democratic use of public space. urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com/p/cycling-an...
Cycling and Public Health
Cycling’s role in bridging the gap between Health, Transport Policy, and Practice
urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com
🚗 “We need Ozempic for cars.” Autobesity is making our city streets more deadly and congested than ever. @christianwolmar.bsky.social wrote about "car-spreading" in @theguardian.com l1nq.com/0ium3vf photo: @cleancitiescampaign.org
Instead of efficiency, mobility can also maximize playfulness, calm, joy. Does your city maximize joy on its streets?
Watch this #brave kid tell off city councillors and fiercely demand #safe streets, all with grace, #humility, and respect. When was the last time you did something like this? More power to #children holding adults #accountable! Inspired by Tom Flood Credits: @huisinglab.bsky.social
Why can’t we do it like Amsterdam? Song by @danabrahamsmusic.bsky.social tells us! Every time cities try to build cycling infrastructure: ❌ Too hilly ❌ Our weather is terrible ❌ Our culture isn't built for it Stop imagining. Just build it - they will come! www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTma...
Dan Abrahams // AMSTERDAM
YouTube video by Dan Abrahams
youtube.com
😱 Proven causality 😱 Paris cut car space & pollution plummeted. The Airparif data: 📉 -55% Fine particles (PM_{2.5}) 🌬️ -40% Toxic NO_2 exposure 🌱 -35% Traffic CO_2 emissions Paris is prioritizing community over commutes, green spaces over parking, and fresh air over exhaust. 📸 Christoph Najdovski
What if our transportation policies started with the vision that our kids could walk, bike and roll to school on their own from 8 years old. Clearly, our streets would need to change.
When your classroom is the city of Amsterdam. When your classmates are from all over the globe. When we look past the pavement. Together we explore an expansive view of cycling. A deep dive. Not for nothing - to build new knowledge for 21st century cities. 3 spots left: l1nq.com/3p5hn5z
🔊Ads for Range Rovers now banned in Amsterdam. Also, ads for flights and any kind of meat. It is now all verboden. shorturl.at/tS5fU
THIS is the secret to redefining cycling for your region. Let's learn from Belgium today: #1 - 🎯 a bold target: The new Cycling Master Plan for Flanders sets a bold target: 30% of all trips by bike by 2040 shorturl.at/hL0xx
‼️ UNBELIEVABLE RESULTS‼️ Hold my baguette while I count the people on bikes! How did Paris increase cycling by 240% in a few short years?
📢 📢 Extension of Registration Deadline and Keynote- Cycling Research Board Annual Meeting 📢 📢 Join us from 10-12 September in Amsterdam and register before 31 July to secure your spot! www.aanmelder.nl/crb2025/regi... Know more about the conference here-> cyclingresearchboard.com
Listen or read our very own @cyclingprofessor.bsky.social insights into her #career, #aspirations, and #advice for those interested in the #cycling field!
Lessons from the Field: An Interview with Cycling Professor and CEO Meredith Glaser
Interview with Urban Cycling Institute's CEO Meredith Glaser
open.substack.com
24 change agents from 11 countries will share key insights from 3 weeks in #Amsterdam. 📅 16 July 2025 | 🕑 14:00–16:00 CET 📍 UvA REC Campus, Room C1.04 🌍 Zoom us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 👉 In person RSVP: forms.gle/ur5dXydkDeai... Online:
📣 NEW RESEARCH 📣 Did you know that using a car for over 50% of out-of-home activities lowers your life satisfaction? shorturl.at/s56Bh
Cringe-worthy? #aprilfools Dutch media joked: new residents will take an exam so they have "proper regard for Dutch cycling traditions." True, cycling is integral to accessing human needs, opportunities. With no bike, newcomers are disadvantaged. Read the study: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The human infrastructure of a cycling city: Amsterdam through the eyes of international newcomers
Although place-specific social norms play at least as important a role as physical factors in encouraging cycling in mature cycling cities, few studies have explored these factors in detail. In ord...
tandfonline.com
📣 📣 NEW STUDY challenges the trope 'if you build it, they will come' - even in #Amsterdam achieving #mobilityjustice means more than building bike lanes, but a fundamental shift in governance, recognizing barriers and actively addressing them. urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com/p/study-find...
Study Finds Barriers to Cycling in the World’s Cycling Capital
Research | Transport Exclusion | Amsterdam, Netherlands
urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com
“Let’s keep pushing for cities where cycling is a right, not a privilege.” Cyprine Odada Read her perspectives on cycling in Nairobi urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com/p/leading-th...
Leading The Change: Cyprine Odada And The Impact Of Critical Mass Nairobi
Interview | Perspectives | Nairobi, Kenya
urbancyclinginstitute.substack.com
👏 LAUNCH 👏 Getting women to cycle is not as simple as creating protected bike lanes & safer traffic conditions. Getting women active in decision making takes more than a single invitation. It takes a #socialmovement. Join Women in Cycling Benelux! 🚺 Webinar: bit.ly/3F98kLe 🚺 LinkedIn: rb.gy/ugxlm4