Cycling Cities: The Arnhem and Nijmegen Experience
The tale of two cycling cities
The Dutch cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen both have a rich history of every aspect of cycling: utilitarian, leisure, and sport. Separated by two rivers for so long, today they are drawn closer through the cycle highway RijnWaalpad, aptly named after the rivers. The fast cycle route symbolizes their newfound joint efforts to encourage cycling as a healthy, efficient, and sustainable means of transport for this urban region.
This book traces the fascinating cycling histories of Arnhem and Nijmegen—from cycling tourists in 1900 scaling the region's charming yet hilly landscape and urban commuters navigating the car-governed urban planning of the 1950s and 1960s, to the cycling activists of the 1970s and the local and regional policymakers committed to cycling over the last two decades.
This richly illustrated book tells the tale of how two cities managed to become The Best Cooperating Cycling Region in the Netherlands in 2015; the host for two stages of the Giro d'ltalia in 2016; and joint organizers of the world's largest cycling conference Velo-city in 2017.