What can we learn from European cities? #174
A Scandi-French summer love-in
This week, we’re looking to Copenhagen, Paris, and Helsinki to see what they are doing right, and what the rest of the world (not least its cities) can learn from them. Also this week: reflections from a journalist on the front line of the 20mph disinformation wars, lifesaving e-bikes and parklet power.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
FIVE THINGS TO LEARN FROM PARIS. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has led a transformation of the City of Lights. From greening to bike lanes, Hidalgo has been incredibly bold - and she recently spoke about what Paris has achieved in the past decade. Cities are uniquely placed to lead the way, not just on transport but climate mitigation, air pollution and inequality. I summarised five key takeaways for MicromobilityBiz as there’s a lot that other cities can learn from Hidalgo’s success.
20MPH: LIES AND STATISTICS. When 20mph speed limits were announced across Wales (it wasn’t a blanket measure) journalist Will Hayward became a voice of reason in an at times hysterical media landscape. In this Substack piece he recounts his journey, with that of the 20mph rollout, and points out that, yes, the policy worked. Not only did people slow down, but road casualty reductions exceeded expectations, falling by 26.2%. Hayward looks back on the story, including posters declaring him the ‘disinformer of the year’, for reporting the facts.
E-BIKE SAVES UKRAINIAN SOLDIER’S LIFE. A wounded Ukranian soldier was stuck behind enemy lines until an e-bike was delivered to him by drone. The e-bike was flown in and lowered remotely by the Rubizh Brigade. The soldier, known as Tanker, managed to ride the bike halfway to safety before the bike was blown up when he hit a mine. Luckily, he sustained no further injuries from the explosion and was able to finish his journey to safety on foot.
COPENHAGEN SHARES ITS CYCLING SECRETS. Urbanists and bicycle advocates often point to Copenhagen as the planet’s cycling utopia - and rightfully so : with 49% of all work and education trips by bike, it’s truly the cycling capital of the world. This is largely thanks to a network of bike lanes on main roads and cycle-friendly residential streets, too. Now, city officials have made Copenhagen’s cycle design guidance available in English - to help more city dwellers, and their planners, be a bit more like the Danes.
HELSINKI: A YEAR WITHOUT ROAD DEATHS. Finns in the nation’s capital, Helsinki, have been spared the horror of traffic fatalities for a full year. The reason for this success: reduced traffic speeds and a commitment to Vision Zero, the goal of reaching zero traffic deaths or serious injuries. This is part of a data-driven approach to safety, including building better and more walking and cycling infrastructure that helps reduce motor traffic volumes. As Europe’s smallest capital, Helsinki has just 690,000 residents, according to Politico, though 1.5m people live in and commute through the metropolitan area.
OTHER HEADLINES
PARKLET POWER. This short video about a small but growing parklet movement in London shows the power of community to drive discussions about what streets - and kerbsides, in particular - are for. Not only local people but local authorities in London are delivering green spaces for meeting, eating and even playing; recognising streets are public spaces and belong to the whole community, not just car owners.
INTERESTING GRAPH(IC) OF THE WEEK: Just one of Paris’ street transformations, introducing greenery and walking/cycling space, and reducing car dominance on Rue des Orteaux in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Source:
See also https://cleancitiescampaign.org/parisians-say-yes-to-more-green-and-pedestrian-friendly-streets/
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Better Crossings. Walking charity Living Streets is campaigning to limit the wait time for pedestrians at signalised crossings to 30 seconds. On toucan crossings, and parallel zebras, long wait times affect cyclists too. To find out more, see https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/bettercrossings/
Until next time,
Adam
Adam Tranter
CEO, Fusion & Founder, #BikeIsBest
This newsletter is brought to you by Fusion, the agency for movers, specialising in communications and public affairs for active travel and mobility.
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Love to see parklets becoming more popular!
Luxembourg’s capital, and Malta’s, are smaller than Helsinki’s and a host of other European countries can claim this too. A good read though, as ever.