Exploring the bicycle planning culture and implementation challenges : case studies of Hamburg and Wuhan

Abstract

Many cities are suffering from problems caused by extensive car use. Cycling, as a mode of transport, can be helpful to reduce emissions, improve public health, and increase traffic efficiency. However, transport planning in many cities has been focused on motorized transport and overlooked cyclists. To shape a supportive urban environment for cyclists, a number of important questions with regard to bicycle planning are not yet fully understood, for instance, the relationship between the built environment and cycling, the barriers to implementing pro-cycling policies, and the bicycling planning culture in growing cities. This thesis is structured around four objectives. The first objective is to investigate the relationship between the objectively measured built environment and active transportation (walking and cycling for transport) among adults. A systematic literature review of journal articles from four databases was conducted. The systematic literature search identified 51 articles published between 2005 and 2017. From the 51 articles, 12 built environment factors were extracted. The results show that most studies examined factors related to walkability and accessibility. Street connectivity shows a convincing positive relationship with both walking and cycling for transport. However, neighborhood aesthetics and access to destinations show inconsistent relationships. In addition, choosing suitable geographic units and measurement of active transportation is necessary to reduce the mismatch in the relationships. The second objective is to identify barriers to implementing pro-cycling policies. While many studies have recommended policy interventions to promote cycling, not enough research has focused on the barriers to implementing pro-cycling policies. This study took an in-depth look at Hamburg, which started a major cycling promotion in 2008 with a range of interventions. According to expert interviews and literature surveys, the results show that the major barriers are physical (lack of enough physical space), political and institutional (lack of political support and the evaluation of travel behavior), and social and cultural (people’s reluctance to give up on-street car parking space). Suggestions for overcoming the barriers are proposed. The third objective is to explore the bicycle planning culture in a growing city. A case study was conducted in Wuhan, China. Data were collected through semi-structured expert interviews and a questionnaire survey. The exploration of bicycle planning culture was guided by the culturized planning model. The results indicate that bicycle planning practices in Wuhan are more often based on planners’ individual judgments with informal rules, which sometimes do not assign cycling a legitimate role. While the principles are targeting a cycling-friendly street design, the actual improvement of the cycling infrastructure is selective and fragmented. Planners have positive perceptions of cycling but doubts about bicycle commuting. Planners are inclined to consider bicycle transport as a complement to public transport. The fourth objective is to compare bicycle planning in different contexts. Bicycle planning culture in Hamburg and Wuhan are compared by using the culturized planning model. The results indicate that although cycling is gaining increasing attention in both cities, the two cities show significant differences in the level of professionalism of bicycle planning. Hamburg has a more systematic bicycle plan, a more detailed implementation strategy, and stronger political support. Cycling is already an important part of the transport system of Hamburg; however, it plays a marginal role in that of Wuhan, where there are more ambivalent and negative attitudes towards cycling. In general, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of bicycle planning with regard to different aspects, including the built environment, policy implementation and planning culture. To further investigate the relationship between the built environment and cycling for transport, more longitudinal studies and more studies in different contexts are needed. For an effective policy implementation, more research is necessary to explore how to gain stronger political support and how to create space for cycling infrastructure in space-scarce cities. Also, the role of cycling for transport in large growing cities should be further explored.