Introducing the Netherlands: Cycling Culture

Date: 9th February 2023 Time: 13:00 Location: Black Box, Esplanade Building, Tilburg University

It just takes one look at our campus to realize that The Netherlands is a huge cycling country. In fact, there are more bicycles than residents in the country. How did that come about and what can be learned from Dutch cycling culture? (English / SG-Certificate*)

Time: 13:00-14:00 hrs.
Admission is free. No registration required.

More than a leisure activity

Have you noticed the Dutch have different bikes for different purposes? In the Netherlands, cycling is not just a weekend activity, a mode of transport or a fitness regime. It’s all of those things and it’s a way of life. Since the 1970s, the Dutch cycling lifestyle has held on to its popularity and promoted a culture that is intrinsic to its identity. All the while, the Netherlands has earned a position at the forefront of sustainability. But we are not there yet! The current infrastructure as a whole still caters heavily towards motor vehicles, especially the private car. How can we expand cycling in the Netherlands?

History

But the Netherlands has not always been a cycling country. In the 19th century, Great Britain, Belgium, and Germany had more citizens with bicycles than we did. So how did the Netherlands become the country of bikes that it is today? And what can other countries learn from it?

Academic research

Academic attention for cycling has been very limited. Our speakers are connected to The Urban Cycling Institute in Amsterdam. This institute states Cycling is a simple means that connects to a wide range of very complex problems and challenges of contemporary cities. It is intertwined with many aspects of urban life in all its richness and complexity. The Netherlands offer an ideal setting in which cycling is an integral part of mobility choices in our daily lives. The institute uses a structured approach to map these complex relations, understand best practices and foster reciprocal learning between research and practice.

Speakers

Lindsay Broadwell
PhD at Universiteit van Amsterdam

Lindsay Broadwell’s PhD research aims to unpack critical-constructive perspectives of conflicts and interactions between different types of cyclists and the limits of best practice bicycle infrastructure. Linsday’s work contributes to mulit-disciplinary threads in cycling research, integrating perspectives from social psychology and behavioral scholarship.

Lindsay will also share her experiences as a ‘fietskoerier’ (bicycle courier) in Amsterdam.
Vikas Bagde
Engineer, designer and storyteller

Vikas Bagde is an engineer, designer and storyteller. His work has been grounded in the communities in India, using media and emergent technology platforms for education, problem conceptualization, problem-solving and community participation. His PhD research examines the evolution and adoption of electric rickshaws in India along with its implication on sustainability as well as access to urban mobility, and the change it has brought in the public transport system.