I was delighted to read Susan Claris’ piece ‘Cycling for Everyone’ on the latest research into the lack of diversity in cycling and the barriers we must remove if we are to engage groups, beyond the Lycra-clad commuters on London’s Cycle Superhighways, and unlock the full value that cycling offers. 

 

In Scandinavia, there’s a neighbourhood approach to cycle strategies, that is much more inclusive by design, and removes one of the major barriers, that of perceived danger. These ten-minute and twenty-minute neighbourhood cycle routes make it easy to walk your kid to school and cycle on to work, do a ten-minute cycle as a new learner, or take a 20-minute cycle to the park or town centre. It is something Stockholm, in particular, has done very well: its equivalent to the New London Plan highlights key destination points and includes a long-term strategy to connect pedestrian and cycle routes to reach them.

 

This Scandinavian approach has influenced our placemaking project in Barking, where for example, it has been interesting to learn that cycle stands are empty outside the schools, mainly due to issues regarding safety on the surrounding roads. For more children and families to cycle to school, stands are just part of the picture.