Model future cities will rely heavily on the bicycle, a leading sustainable planner has said.
Speaking at the MIPIM property conference in Cannes, Mark Watts, director of multinational design firm Arup said that other hallmarks of a sustainable modern city could include electric buses, energy-generating buildings and urban farms.
According to the Manchester Evening News there were some compelling reasons for cities to start to adopt these sorts of measures: "Mr Watts said Copenhagen - where 35pc of all trips to work are by bike - had not only reduced spending on more expensive transport infrastructure, but was saving one dollar in health costs for every kilometre cycled."
He said that there were clear links between sucessful cities and plans for better cycling.
He added: "Most cities in the world which are judged to be the most liveable and most efficient are the ones that have sustainable transport systems.
"I think that we are going to see the return of the old-fashioned bicycle in the most successful cities in the world, moving forward.
"There are huge savings through going down this route."
He urged other cities to use data-driven technology to improve congestion, as in San Francisco where an app showing available parking spaces eased traffic by 10 per cent.
He said: "The whole attitude is about seeing what works elsewhere, copying it and claiming it as your own.
"There are enough examples of really good ways of getting to be a sustainable future city throughout the world that if those can be replicated in every city, then there is hope for the future."
I strugle to think other as cool bikes as this. If my city was flatter and I fitter, I would drool over it....
I find issues all the time for a car driver that wouldn't be an issue on the bike, ie roads closed to vehicles that are still passable on a bike, ...
If RoadCC and similar specialist mass media organs were serious about being not just ethical about climate change factors but about the whole...
I'd like to think that in addition to the very well exposed supply chain argument made by Patrick, the simply outrageous price of Shimano...
Hellish! Barely used, clearly dangerous, slowing competent cyclists down while pandering to the clueless, a serious threat to pedestrians, won't...
"I ran into the back of him because I was traumatised by seeing the latest petrol prices, m'lud"
Are you sure? Norway is socialist and has a very high quality of life.
Glad I got mine before that change in ownership.
Same sketch everywhere, or so it seems. Take Whitelegg Way in Bournemouth. Wide cycle lanes put in both sides of a (formerly very wide) two lane...
My first thought on reading the headline was "ooh, has Clevedon put in covered bike parking now?".