The morning rush hour in Copenhagen is just like anywhere else, but with one notable difference: most commuters make their way on bikes throughout Denmark’s most populous city.
Ranked as one of the world's top capital cities for cycling, Copenhagen proves that with a network of simple, safe and connected infrastructure, the bicycle can be a competitive mode of transportation for people of all ages and abilities.
But can this European transportation model be used as a guide for the development of safe, equitable and inclusive streets in Guelph?
Mayor Cam Guthrie has high hopes for the city since returning from Copenhagen in September.
After attending a five-day workshop, hosted by 8 80 Cities, Guthrie said there are many ideas and best practices to learn from and share back home.
“We applied to go and we were chosen, along with other cities across Canada. 8 80 Cities is about trying to create a city that is awesome for an eight-year-old just as much as it would be for an 80-year-old,” Guthrie said during the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation’s (GCAT) annual general meeting last month.
A joint proposal by the City of Guelph, Toronto Metropolitan University and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health was successful in securing funding for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Healthy Cities Research Initiative to learn how Guelph can put healthy urban policy into action.
Along with Guthrie, other Guelph delegates attending the workshop included Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, and Jennifer Juste, manager of transportation planning for the City of Guelph.
Juste said the workshop was designed to bring together people from public health and municipal government to see how they can design, implement and evaluate healthy cities and try to replicate practices from places like Copenhagen.
Juste said 8 80 Cities has a mission to ignite action and challenge the status quo, to create healthier, more equitable and more sustainable cities for all people.
“It is complex to strive toward healthy cities. This was about making sure that we look at the interaction between different sectors including infrastructure and the natural world, making sure that we have trees and open spaces to help clean the air. It's about clean water, and of course its about individual health and wellbeing,” Juste said.
Copenhagen stands out as a world leader in providing healthy, active transportation and people-centric public spaces.
“Copenhagen is actually not that much bigger than Guelph, but the population is way bigger, four times as much. With many people living in apartments, it was amazing to see all of the different styles of housing, old and new,” Guthrie said. “And it all seemed to work together very well.”
Copenhagen officials continue to strive to make the city sustainable, inclusive and healthy.
“Now, 48 per cent of all trips made every single day in Copenhagen, are made on a bicycle. In Guelph, we are at about three per cent," said Juste.
People in Copenhagen prefer to cycle for a variety of reasons, mainly that it is an easier mode of transportation.
“Biking is the fastest mode of transportation because the network is so connected, and it is so convenient,” Juste said.
People also prefer to bike for the exercise and affordability.
Juste said 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year is saved by cyclists in Copenhagen who choose to hop on their bikes instead of driving a car.
“It’s also safer. There’s a 30 per cent reduction in mortality rates which means people live longer,” Juste said.
In terms of infrastructure, Guthrie said much money has been spent to accommodate cyclists.
“With six bridges crossing one harbour, four are for bicycles and pedestrians. One bridge saves a half-hour commute for cyclists. The investments made are incredible. And there’s the architectural beauty too. They didn’t skimp out on something that is just functional, but also on something that is beautiful," Guthrie said.
“And it was so quiet. It enabled us to talk and converse with each other. Everyone has their part and their journey, and it was just so easy to get around. It really is for everyone. Age doesn't matter."
As for education, in Copenhagen, kids are taught on bikes from junior Kindergarten.
“By the time they are in Grade 6, they get a certificate that says they can bike by themselves in the city. This is just built into the school curriculum. That is where the biking culture starts,” Juste said.
Juste said Guelph could invest in similar partnerships with local school boards.
“When you are on a bike there, you just get sucked in and you just follow the flow. You did not think about traffic or cars cutting you off. Everybody gives you the right of way. It is organized. Everyone knows the etiquette and rules of the road,” she said.
“There’s a whole different mentality on how to design cities. I would love for us to catch on to that.”
In Guelph, the transportation master plan sets a cycling mode share target of 10 per cent by 2051.
“We learned that more than half of the trips made in Guelph are less than 7.5 kilometres and that’s not a very far way to go. That’s a 24-minute bike ride," Juste said.
“I am happy that we are already doing things right. Right now, 80 per cent of trips are made by car in Guelph and only 20 per cent are by something else. We want to more than double that in the next 25 years."
Juste said it is important to explore opportunities for equitability and more housing that supports active transportation.
“We have lot of housing that we need to build in Guelph to fill the housing gap,” Juste said. “But we need to do it right. We need to make sure that when staff reviews development applications, that we look at bike parking, security, and that there are connections to the trail system. It's about making cycling the easy choice, the irresistible choice.”
