‘Beyond policy tourism’: the international lived experience of cycling in the Netherlands and Canada

Abstract

As more cities implement cycling infrastructure, there is a growing need to both learn best practices from other places through a detailed understanding of the lived and embodied experiences of cycling. However, this is rarely the case. On the one hand, planners and policymakers rely on incomplete (quantitative) data and policy tours that are unable to document the full extent of cycling or how it is experienced. While recent studies have expanded to include qualitative methods, they are predominantly conducted in one place, limiting our ability to draw international comparisons. The Netherlands is a popular destination for such tours and is generally regarded as one of the best places in the world for cycling. But what about people who, for a variety of reasons, have lived in different countries? Their knowledge, experiences and reflections on cycling are rarely featured in planning. To redress this, we interviewed participants who have international experience, capturing beyond aspects of policy tourism, illuminating how: (1) mixed land-use patterns, (2) incentivizing cycling as a mode choice, and (3) cycle networks and safety are vital to cycling participation. We advance the cycling research agenda by examining these findings and proposing changes best suited to low-cycling cities.