The Bicycle Ring in Aarhus, Denmark: a case study of maintaining people friendly environments while managing cycling growth
Authors
Hollander, Estella Johanna ; Porsö, Matilda Kristina
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-06-02
Pages
112
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan vækst i cykling påvirker menneskevenlige bymiljøer, med Cykelringen i Aarhus som case. Projektet adresserer tre spørgsmål: hvad kendetegner et menneskevenligt miljø, og hvilken rolle spiller mobilitet i Aarhus; hvordan påvirker den byggede omgivelse mobilitetsadfærd omkring ringen; og hvordan kan stigende cykeltal håndteres, så bylivet understøttes. Med et pragmatisk enkeltcasestudie kombinerer undersøgelsen dokumenter, interviews og feltobservationer ved fire forskellige hjørner omkring Cykelringen. I en by, hvor cyklingen er steget med cirka 30 % siden 2000, har Aarhus indført cykelgader omkring ringen for at forbedre forholdene. Undersøgelsen peger på, at cykelgader kan bidrage til menneskevenlige rammer ved at fremme langsommere og mere hensynsfuld biladfærd, men identificerer også en udbredt ‘cykelmentalitet’ omkring ringen, der kan undergrave cyklingens bredere gevinster. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at en effektiv håndtering af cykelvækst kræver både infrastrukturelle løsninger og adfærdsrettede tiltag for at fastholde kvaliteten i cykling og beskytte bylivets kvalitet i det offentlige rum.
This thesis examines how growth in cycling interacts with people-friendly urban environments, using the Bicycle Ring (Cykelringen) in Aarhus as a case. It addresses three questions: what constitutes a people-friendly environment and the role of mobility in Aarhus; how the built environment shapes mobility behavior around the Ring; and how rising cycling volumes can be managed to support city life. Adopting a pragmatic single-case study, the research combines document analysis, interviews, and field observations at four distinct corners around the Bicycle Ring. In a city where cycling has increased by about 30% since 2000, Aarhus has introduced cycle streets around the Ring to improve conditions. The study finds that cycle streets can foster people-friendly conditions by encouraging slower and more considerate car behavior, but also identifies a prevailing ‘bicycle mentality’ around the Ring that can undermine the wider benefits of cycling. It concludes that effectively managing cycling growth requires both infrastructural measures and behavior-oriented initiatives to sustain cycling quality and safeguard the livability of public space.
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