Auditorium TU/e – Blauwe Zaal
Wednesday 16 October – 12:40 – 13:20
Find more information here
Cycling is second nature to everyone who grew up in the Netherlands. But a cycling culture is not unique to our country! From Africa to North America, this lecture will take you on a global journey to explore what makes cycling thrive in some cities and not in others.
With more than 35,000 kilometers of fully segregated bicycle lanes, the Netherlands is renowned for its bicycle-friendly infrastructure and culture. There are more bicycles than people in the country. This mode of transportation has a significant impact on our economy, health and environment.
It wasn’t always like this, and many factors have contributed to the success of Dutch cycling. The research project Cycling Cities looks at 100 years of cycling policy and practice around the world. Why have some cities become true cycling cities and others not? It traces how policymakers, engineers, cyclists, and community groups have made a difference since the early twentieth century. Innovation in non-motorized mobility is key, and in some cities it is abundant. Ruth Oldenziel discusses how smart cycling innovations in different parts of the world are leading to improved urban mobility and more resilient and livable urban regions.
Prof. dr. Ruth Oldenziel is a Professor for The History of Technology at TU/e and is particularly interested in the relationship between Europe and the United States. Her research focuses on the mutual shaping and exchanging of technological knowledge and practices between Europe and the United States in a transnational context. She has extensively researched the integration of cycling into urban planning and its societal impacts. She directs a research program on Sustainable Urban Mobility since the 1850s (SUM) and is program leader of Cycling Cities: The Global Experience (CC) research project – involving 50 cities in 25 countries. In 2025, a new publication Cycling Cities: The African Experience will be released.