I saw this wonderful (pardon I just couldn’t resist) video on on Copenhagenize earlier today about cycling in Copenhagen.

This made me think about Contested Streets a documentary about Copenhagen and Jan Gehl an architect and urban planner. I watch the full length film some time ago but right now I can only this 9-10 minute clip. The clip talk about that in Copenhagen there is around 30% who uses the public transport, 30% uses their own cars and 30% on bicycles but in summer that number for cyclist goes up to 60%.

Yes Jan and his colleges in Copenhagen have been at it for 30 odd years to get Copenhagen to where it is now, a cycling heaven. If only London could learn and listen to what they have learned, I’m sure that we don’t have to wait that long to get London up there along with Amsterdam, Portland and Copenhagen.

I was looking around for what else Jan Gehl was doing and I found this talk at RIBA Trust over on gleeds.tv Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. All around 13-15min each clip but the whole presentation is worth watching, funny and something we all can learn from.

Jan have worked all around the world, in Melbourn, in New York etc and he says that London is probably the worst city he have seen when it comes traffic management. Where pedestrians and bicycle are second hand citizen and the car is the king.

Come on London get your finger out and do something instead of this half hearted attempt with Super Cycling Highway.