Abstract
Munich has embraced cycling as a positive policy instrument, even taking on the mantle of Germany's cycling capital (Radlhauptstadt) in 2010. A remarkable turn of events.
The richly illustrated book shows how until then, the city treated urban cyclists as a nuisance. Well into the 1980s, policymakers devoted their resources to automobility. Even the (underground) public transit system was built to create unhindered flows for cars above ground. Under pressure from social groups since the 1970s, the city responded with alternatives: separate infrastructure for cars, public transit, cyclists, and pedestrians, without giving up on urban automobility like Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
In the 1990s, a public-private collaboration between the city and car manufacturer BMW brought a political compromise: encouraging public transit, walking, and cycling, without curtailing cars.
This history shows that Munich achieved its aim trough a true balancing act - managing conflicting interests, while making cycling a policy benchmark for its standing in the world as livable city.
The richly illustrated book shows how until then, the city treated urban cyclists as a nuisance. Well into the 1980s, policymakers devoted their resources to automobility. Even the (underground) public transit system was built to create unhindered flows for cars above ground. Under pressure from social groups since the 1970s, the city responded with alternatives: separate infrastructure for cars, public transit, cyclists, and pedestrians, without giving up on urban automobility like Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
In the 1990s, a public-private collaboration between the city and car manufacturer BMW brought a political compromise: encouraging public transit, walking, and cycling, without curtailing cars.
This history shows that Munich achieved its aim trough a true balancing act - managing conflicting interests, while making cycling a policy benchmark for its standing in the world as livable city.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | Eindhoven |
Publisher | Foundation for the History of Technology |
Number of pages | 71 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-90-73192-50-8 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Publication series
Name | Cycling Cities |
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Publisher | Foundation for the History of Technology |
No. | 3 |
Keywords
- Urban mobility
- Cycling
- Politics of technology
- Sustainability
- History