Just where are the best cities for cycling in the the world? Every year the Copenhagenize index analyses a variety of factors to determine the most bike friendly places to live. Chris takes a look at the top 10.
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– It’s that time in the biennial cycle again where Copenhagenize.eu announce their winners and losers in the world of city cycling provisions and there are quite a few surprises this time round. Before we get going though, please give this video a big thumbs up and
If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the channel. Now once every two years, Copenhagenize.eu take time out from their day to day work of planning, design and analysis of city infrastructure to provide an index of how cities across the world score based on a wide variety of parameters for cycling,
14 of them to be exact. We’re now onto the fifth release of their index with the first one coming way back out in 2011. So we thought now would be a good time to update you with the new top 10. Just before we start with the top 10 though,
I do feel an honorable mention should go to Bogota in 12th place. Will we see a dramatic rise in investment to the city after the phenom of Egan Bernal at this year’s Tour De France? Ciclovia, which is a weekly activity where hundreds of city roads are closed to vehicles,
Is cited for their dramatic rise into the top 20. The goal for the city is for all residents to have a bike lane within 500 meters of their front door. First up then, in 10th place with a score of 59% is Helsinki, and it’s a huge jump up from 18th the year before.
They now boast three and a half thousand share bikes across the city. Helsinki have their sights set on becoming the world’s best metropolis for sustainable transport, which, considering just how regularly they have heavy snowfall each winter, is a commendable goal. They currently have 1300 kilometers of cycling
Provisions in place, and they’re aiming to have a total of 160 kilometers of uninterrupted cycle highways built. Although right now, they do only have 20. But, it’s a clear sign of their intent for the future. In at number nine and climbing rapidly since 2015, is Vienna, with 60.7% on the index.
Recent initiatives including the hashtag, why don’t you cycle, have really helped boost the popularity of cycle use across the town. 300 cargo bikes have even been purchased via a subsidy scheme for local businesses. Cargo bikes have long been popular in Vienna as they’ve been free to rent for locals
Who wish to use them for heavier deliveries than could be carried on a regular bike. How does 5,000 bike parking spaces built over the last two years sound? In at number eight is Paris. Since 2011, Paris has suffered a little in comparison to other members of this top ten club.
They are now two places behind their previous best of sixth. However, they are a lot higher than their worst position of 19th. The score this time round is 61.6% which shows two things, just how much other cities are working for their cycle provisions, meaning anyone that doesn’t continue to
Develop their infrastructure will be left behind, it also shows that if you do commit to a scheme, you can quickly turn these results around. Paris currently has over 14,500 hire bikes in their network used by 150,000 members of the service. But, there is work to do. Currently only 5% of all journeys
Are currently completed by bike, which is a far cry from their 2020 goal of 15%. In at number seven, and the rising star award goes to Oslo. Last time around, they made 19th spot, and they have seriously climbed this time. 62.5% on the leaderboard or on the index.
For hilly, wintery cities, Oslo is a leading force proving that terrain and weather should not be excuses for avoiding sustainable transport. Cars have been banned from the city center, the center one point three square kilometers and 1,000 car parking spots have been removed. Again, like Vienna, subsidies are in place
For people to purchase cargo bikes and secure bike parking has been invested in too. The Sykkel Hotell, that’s what it’s called. And if you were worried about riding in the winter, 400 of their hire bikes from their share scheme come with studded tires. At number six, 68.8% of the score on the index
Goes to Bordeaux in sixth place. Despite only 35 kilometers of dedicated cycle lanes, 13% of all journeys are made by bike. There are dedicated areas of the city where vehicles are now banned, which has seen a growth of 20% of cycle use in these areas. When you consider trams and pedestrians
Still use the same area, that is an incredible statistic. To improve though, they will need more dedicated cycle tracks, parking and hire bikes, but they have so far held a steady position within the top 10. Fifth on the first edition, sixth, sixth and sixth again.
In at number five, and down one spot from last time is Strasbourg. They are our first entry above 70% on the index. 16% of all residents are currently already commuting to work by bike, with many of the intercity deliveries also now dropped via a cargo bike rather than the traditional van method.
The main focus of the city is to remove vehicles, introducing a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists alike. In at number four, and already showing steady progression is Antwerp. 73.2% on the index. Now any professional cyclist that has ever raced the Antwerp zeehavenbahn will know that the main obstacle in this Belgian city
Is actually negotiating the railway and tram tracks. Now almost all joking aside, I got another one in a minute, 33% of journeys are made by bike in Antwerp, and the city center now has a blanket speed limit of 30 kilometers an hour for safety. Antwerp is also home to Europe’s largest
Free to use car park underneath the Kennedytunnel. This is otherwise known as the E17 A14 motorway. That’s the joke. So perhaps it’s no surprise that they want to rid the city center of this congestion in favor of free flowing cycle infrastructure. Into the top three now, and it is tight at the top.
Utrecht actually drops a place down to third, but to highlight just how far ahead these top three are, Utrecht score a whopping 88.4% on the index. Now for years, I lived outside of the city and I do know the area incredibly well, so to call cycling infrastructure in
The Netherlands world class is truly an understatement. It literally could not be easier to complete daily life chores, tasks and transport any other way. That said, times are changing. So to stay at the top, you also need to progress as well. Smart traffic signals that stop other traffic
And go green for cyclists will honestly be life changing to how thought free cycling is in the Netherlands. They’ve been trialed and tested in various places and they do look set to become more common place across the cities. Utrecht’s plans for the future revolve around bike parking, making it even easier for locals
And visitors to access the city center. Can you imagine what central station will look like with nigh on 33,000 bike parking slots? High up on our list, and yes I do know what I just said, is Amsterdam. Second place and scoring 89.3%, Amsterdam has never fallen out of the top three,
And if you’ve ever been there, it’s more than understandable. Amsterdam has focused on the ability to quickly and effectively transport the sheer volume of cyclists in and out of the city every day, nicknaming what are effectively cycle super highways the royal routes. Mopeds are set to be banned from cycle paths
Which is a big issue in parts of Holland and Belgium. Amsterdam will also be replacing car park spaces with bike parking spaces. Bike paths will be widened to make the flow easier for all users and sign posting looks set to be improved. Can they jostle back into first position next time round?
Holding strong at the top of our list is Copenhagen. 90.2% on the index, Copenhagen is for the third time in a row, the top ranked city for cycling in the world. How about some stats for Copenhagen? 62% of their trips to school or work are now made by bike, which is phenomenal.
A series of bridges have been, or are under construction across the city, shortening journey times and taking cyclists away from traffic. 40 Euros per person is spent annually on cycling infrastructure, which ensures they remain the benchmark for all other cities to aspire towards. Five and a half meter wide bike lanes
Make for safer and more comfortable use for all people on bikes. Frankly, Copenhagen know what they’re doing. So there you have it, the Copenhagenize.eu top 10 cities for cycling across the world. Do you have any suggestions for any cities that you feel should make it into the top 10,
Or top 20 next time round? Drop them in the comments below and for more city cycling videos, click just down there.
25 Comments
York, UK
Pls. stop calling yourself Global Cycling Network as you clearly haven’t been in the Netherlands. I frequently visit Copenhagen for work and they are no way close to of the 10 biggest cities in the Netherlands. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Groningen, Maastricht, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Leeuwarden or Eindhoven or clearly better geared up and prepared for cycling than Copenhagen. Copenhagen never came close. It is great that you try to stimulate the cycling culture, but people or only stimulated by correct facts.
So you are taking the info from a paper from Copenhagen seems legit…
A more accurate way to dot would be: the 10 best cycling cities in the world (excluding the Netherlands). They are so ahead of the game, it is just insane.
Copenhagen calling themselves the number one? Lol
Who creates this list? I can name at leat 10 cities in the Netherlands alone that are a lot better than Copenhagen is. Looks like clever PR not science and fact
Copenhagen above Amsterdam and Utrecht is a joke and Amsterdam and Utrecht would not even make the top 10 in a list of only Dutch cities
Link to the survey?
Everyone talks about the cycling infrastructure in Dutch cities but I think is even more impressive the infrastructure between cities. Unless you have lived there, you can't comprehend. The country is completely laid out with cycling 'motorways', all marked (you don't even need a GPS) and you even have some of them marked as green if you want a more nature sorrounded ride.
Bucharest must be amongst the unfriendliest cities in the world. Every time I use my bike I wonder if this is the day I get hit by a car. Bike lanes are painfully few and all in or near the city centre, and you usually find delivery cars and taxis comfortably parked on them.
https://youtu.be/HjzzV2Akyds
Where is the full list and previous revisions?
Where's Chris?
UK?
Where the hell is Cambridge? At least 1 in every 4 comute over there which is a higher concentration than much of the cities on this list which isn't very logical.
copenhagenize index is managed by the Danish Copenhagenize Design Company.
In copenhagen
So best city to cycle in decided by people from Copenhagen. 😂
Seems to me copenhagen is trying to be like US VS USSR first to the moon instead who has the best cycle city.
Well only making list of best cycling city is kind of unfair when Netherlands in involved since the whole country is bike connected everywhere.
And even more beauty is to be explored outside the city, by bike lane's that is not connected to car roads.
believe me guys if you like biking. Outside the cities are well more better.
because Amsterdam is very busy place.
copenhagen beautiful indeed but terms of safety i have to be totally in decline.
since the title has the words ''Friendly'' so safety is major part in the list.
so calling copenhagen 1# is invalid.
This is greatly explained by youtuber ''Not just bikes''
title ''Copenhagen is Great … but it's not Amsterdam''
Munich not mentioned? It is better than Vienna as a bike city.
Bogota Colombia 🇨🇴 no doubt
Does the handlebar stem adjust up?
Man Cambridge
Canadian cities suck for cycling, car infested cities in Canada with almost no protected bike path network is making living hell for bike commute in Canada. it sucks here
As others have stated, all the top ten best cities are in the Netherlands. Rotterdam is the least cycling friendly city in the Netherlands but it's better than Copenhagen, which is better than any other European capital. . I'm not Dutch or Danish so tis is a neutral perspective.
Everything functions properly https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Nothing was damaged in the box aside from a decal on the fork. The decal was missing a piece of a corner but I ended up peeling them off anyways. Assembly is easy BUT make sure you tune up the derailleurs. Both the front and rear need adjusting. I'd advise going to a bike shop but I opted out and put in 10+ hours with the help of YouTube. Ended up fraying a shifter cable but all in all I learned from the experience. The Brakes work well but the front caliper needs adjusting or at least mine did because the rotor was rubbing against the pads. Make sure you swap out the seat, grips, and pedals. For the short run you'll be fine though. I've read that this bike isn't built yet for hard trails but I just need it for the city. PA has some of the worst roads and being in a mountain this was a great choice. Worth the investment!
Honorary mention, on place 57, the highest US ranking: Portland OR. Living in the US, you can only drule when seeing what EU cities have done and still do
Amsterdam will be 7/10, copenhagen 3/10, every dutch city is better then copenhagen.utrecht groningen eindhoven 10/10