Date: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Location: Online, 12:00 – 1:30pm AEDT
Organiser: Austroads
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Cycling is a sustainable means of urban travel. It has the potential to serve many short- and medium-distance trips – for commuting to and from work and school, shopping, and visiting friends – as well as providing recreation and exercise. Cycling promotes physical, social, and mental health, helps reduce car use, enhances mobility and independence, and is economical for both public and personal budgets.
This webinar is based on the book “Cycling for Sustainable Cities” written by Ralph Buehler and John Pucher. In the session, the authors will explore how to make city cycling safe, practical, and convenient for a broad spectrum of ages, genders and abilities. They will also discuss the latest cycling trends and policies around the world and consider specific aspects of cycling.
Based on data from 2019-2020 from cities around the world, they will also review the impacts of COVID-19 on cycling levels and government policies to promote cycling.
Taken together, the presentation will demonstrate that successful promotion of cycling depends on a coordinated package of mutually supportive infrastructure, programs and policies. Cycling should be made feasible for as many people as possible and not limited to especially fit, daring, well-trained cyclists riding expensive bicycles.
There will be opportunities for questions and answers at the end of the session.
The webinar will be presented by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler.
Ralph Buehler, Ph.D. is Professor and Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning in the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech’s Research Center in Arlington, VA. Most of his research has an international comparative perspective, contrasting transport and land-use policies, transport systems, and travel behaviour in Western Europe and North America. Ralph is the author or co-author of over 70 articles in refereed academic journals, chapters in edited books, reports to federal and local governments, NGOs, and for-profit industry organizations, as well as co-editor of the books City Cycling and Cycling for Sustainable Cities (both MIT Press). Between 2012 and 2018, he served as chair of the Committee for Bicycle Transportation of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). His research interests include: (1) the influence of transport policy, land use, and socio-demographics on travel behaviour; (2) active travel and public health; and (3) public transport demand, supply, regional coordination, and financial efficiency.
John Pucher, Ph.D. is professor emeritus in the School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, in New Jersey, where he taught from 1978 to 2014. John also spent several years as a visiting professor at universities in Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, and Australia, reflecting his interest in international comparisons. For more than four decades, he has conducted research on urban transport in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. John’s recent research has focused on walking and cycling, and how to improve their safety and convenience for all age groups, for women as well as men, and for all levels of physical ability. John has published four books and over 200 articles in academic and professional journals. His most recent book, “Cycling for Sustainable Cities,” was published by MIT Press in February 2021.
No charge but registration is essential. Can’t make the live session? Register and we’ll send you a link to the recording.