The spatio-temporal Development of Copenhagen's bicycle infrastructure 1912-2013

TY - JOUR

T1 - The spatio-temporal Development of Copenhagen's bicycle infrastructure 1912-2013

AU - Carstensen, Trine Agervig

AU - Olafsson, Anton Stahl

AU - Bech, Nynne Marie

AU - Poulsen, Thea Schmidt

AU - Zhao, Chunli

PY - 2015/7/3

Y1 - 2015/7/3

N2 - Cycling plays an important role in low-carbon transitions. Around the globe, cities are constructing bicycle infrastructure. The city of Copenhagen has a bicycle-friendly infrastructure celebrated for its fine-meshed network. This study documents the spatio-temporal development of Copenhagen’s bicycle infrastructure and explores how the development corresponds to other processes of urban transformation. The study builds on historical maps of bicycle infrastructure that are digitised into geographical information, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the formation of the network. In search for identifying drivers, the study analyses the city’s spatial growth pattern, migration pattern, development of road network and changes in the transport culture. Analyses reveal that the bicycle infrastructure expanded at a relatively constant pace during distinct periods of urban transformation, including periods when the city suffered from spatial, economic and demographic decline, and dominance of car traffic. By discussing reasons and demands for constructingbicycle infrastructure, the study identifies four distinct periods in which bicycle infrastructure was constructed to enhance comfort and safety (first cycling city); the flow for cars (car city); urban liveability for soft transport (liveable city); and,finally, to improve the flow for cyclists as part a strategic re-design of urban space (liveable cycling city).

AB - Cycling plays an important role in low-carbon transitions. Around the globe, cities are constructing bicycle infrastructure. The city of Copenhagen has a bicycle-friendly infrastructure celebrated for its fine-meshed network. This study documents the spatio-temporal development of Copenhagen’s bicycle infrastructure and explores how the development corresponds to other processes of urban transformation. The study builds on historical maps of bicycle infrastructure that are digitised into geographical information, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the formation of the network. In search for identifying drivers, the study analyses the city’s spatial growth pattern, migration pattern, development of road network and changes in the transport culture. Analyses reveal that the bicycle infrastructure expanded at a relatively constant pace during distinct periods of urban transformation, including periods when the city suffered from spatial, economic and demographic decline, and dominance of car traffic. By discussing reasons and demands for constructingbicycle infrastructure, the study identifies four distinct periods in which bicycle infrastructure was constructed to enhance comfort and safety (first cycling city); the flow for cars (car city); urban liveability for soft transport (liveable city); and,finally, to improve the flow for cyclists as part a strategic re-design of urban space (liveable cycling city).

U2 - 10.1080/00167223.2015.1034151

DO - 10.1080/00167223.2015.1034151

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0016-7223

VL - 115

SP - 142

EP - 156

JO - Geografisk Tidsskrift

JF - Geografisk Tidsskrift

IS - 2

ER -