Copenhagen: City of Cars becomes Human Friendly

In the 1970s, Copenhagen was a city similar to many North American cities today. Struggling with single-occupant vehicle automobile congestion, pollution, and a decreasing/disconnected quality of life in urban environments, they were faced with the possibility of heading in one of two directions:

• Continue investing and subsidizing automobile traffic (increasing speed limits, building highways and parking lots, etc); creating a culture utterly dependent on oil consumption.
• Or, start rigorously investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to create a culture of sustainability and independence.

Yup! They chose the latter! Like contemporary NYC, Copenhagen came up with a massive plan to build hundreds of kilometres of separated bike facilities (including magnificent cycle tracks). Around thirty years later, bicycles now command 36% of the transportation mode share — with automobiles at a lowly 27%!

For a much better sense of the cultural integration of active transportation, see Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic