Category: General

On June 9th, 2026 the Dutch Cycling Embassy once again had the pleasure of welcoming a group of PhD and Master’s students from the Institute of Transport Studies of the University of Leeds, UK, for a presentation on Dutch cycling. Welcomed by Wiel Wijnen, (Project Coordinator) and Yari Msika (Intern), the students were invited to think together and discuss the similarities and differences between cycling between the UK and The Netherlands. Following on this discussion, Wiel and Yari gave a presentation highlighting the history of cycling in The Netherlands, the integrated Dutch approach of software, hardware and orgware as well as a discussion of the benefits of cycling. Afterwards, the group, led by Wiel, walked back towards Utrecht Central station where he pointed out some Dutch cycling design principles along the Kanaalstraat. The group was also lucky to catch rush hour at the busy Vredenburg cycling crossing and observe some Dutch cycling in action. We thank the group for their keen engagement, questions and willingness to contribute and exchange knowledge.

The DCE looks forward to continuing their annual collaboration with the University of Leeds in upcoming years.

Would you like to experience Dutch cycling culture first-hand?
Get in touch with us to organise your own study visit. We’d be delighted to welcome you.

Skadi Tirpak, Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, attended the 2026 ITF Summit in Leipzig to exchange ideas, strengthen international connections and explore how cycling can contribute to more resilient transport systems.

The Summit focused on funding resilient transport. Across the sessions, resilience was discussed broadly: not only as stronger infrastructure, but also as flexibility, governance, digital reliability, accessibility and quality of life.

One reflection that stood out was the difference in lifespan between physical infrastructure and digital systems. Roads, bridges and railways can last for generations, while digital systems can change within weeks. This raised an important question for transport planning: are our systems not only strong enough, but also flexible enough to adapt when conditions change?

Several sessions underlined the need to move beyond a narrow view of transport. Accessibility, proximity and well-being were recurring themes. Transport can help create an “active society by default”, supporting both physical and mental health, particularly in ageing societies. Carlos Moreno captured this clearly during the closing plenary: proximity is resilience.

The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026–2035 was also introduced as an important framework for the years ahead. From a Dutch perspective, and presented by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management at the Summit – the integrated approach remains highly relevant. Mobility cannot be separated from spatial planning, housing, health, climate and public services. Access should be the central goal.

The Summit ended with a bicycle tour through Leipzig, offering a practical view of the city’s green structure, floodplain landscape, waterways and cycling routes. It was a fitting reminder that resilient transport is not only about finance and infrastructure. It is also about public space, everyday accessibility, green networks and the quality of urban life.

It also reinforced a simple but important closing message: cycling is not a side topic in resilient transport systems. It is part of how cities and regions can become more accessible, healthier and better prepared for the future.

When the master plan for the brand new District of Tongzhou was being developed, the directive from the Beijing Mayor—who had just returned from a trip to the Netherlands—was clear: it must put cycling front and centre. At its spine: a 2.7 km corridor connecting its commercial and residential hubs.

In order to fulfil this vision of a world-class sustainable infrastructure project, they went to the Dutch Cycling Embassy; selecting the engineers at Haskoning (including Jasper Homrighausen and Wim van der Wijk) for their extensive experience with regional doorfiets (“non-stop cycling”) routes, to partner with a Beijing-based consultant.

Designed using best practice and principles straight out of the CROW Manual for Bicycle Traffic, the route features a five-metre width for safety, underpasses for directness, shade trees for comfort, and a series of bespoke light fixtures (inscribed with the words “all roads are connected”) for attractiveness.

We spoke to He Wang, Senior Designer at China Sustainable Transportation Center (CSTC) to learn more about the project and how it was inspired by Dutch practices and infrastructure.|We understand the seeds of this project were sown during a visit by the Beijing Mayor to The Hague several years ago. Can you tell us more?

In late 2019, during a study tour of non-motorised transport (NMT) systems in the Netherlands, Beijing’s decision-makers and urban planners proposed that the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (Tongzhou) should draw on Dutch experience to select and develop a pilot project for a cycling and pedestrian system.

Beijing is the first—and currently the only—city in China to explicitly include the vision of “building a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city” in its urban master plan. Currently, Beijing is making every effort to advance its NMT infrastructure, striving to create a safe and comfortable environment for walking and cycling. Concurrently, the city is strengthening cooperation with international organizations to learn from global best practices and continuously optimize its NMT networks.

Against this backdrop, the city’s first dedicated bicycle highway—spanning 6.5 kilometers and connecting Huilongguan in Changping District to the Shangdi Software Park in Haidian District—was built and opened in 2019. As of June 2024, it has seen over 9.35 million rides. For the Tongzhou pilot, which serves as the city’s second cycling pilot project, a Dutch design team was directly invited to participate in the conceptual design.|How does this cycling route fit into the broader development of the Tongzhou neighbourhood and the municipal offices now located there?

The pilot is located in Tongzhou District, which is also the location of the Beijing Municipal Government. In recent years, Tongzhou has formulated and issued a series of policies promoting NMT systems. For instance, the Tongzhou NMT systems set a target for the office areas to achieve a total of 1,500 kilometers of pedestrian and cycling paths by 2025. Furthermore, the district’s comprehensive transportation plan emphasizes the construction of pilot, alongside the refined management of e-bike traffic and charging facilities.

First, within Beijing’s regulatory planning, Tongzhou is set to build a systematic cycling network. This network will complement the Sixth Ring Road Park (created by moving the former expressway underground to free up surface space for parkland). The construction of this pilot further enhances the service level of the Tongzhou’s north-south NMT network and connects to the Green Heart Park to the south.

Second, regarding the office area specifically, the pilot establishes a highly efficient corridor between the office area and residential area. It significantly shortens the cycling commute from 6 kilometers down to 3 kilometers. Before this route existed, driving between these two points took up to 40 minutes; now, the commute takes just over 10 minutes by bike, with vastly improved safety.

Can you tell us more about the decision to engage with Dutch Cycling Embassy and work with a consultant (Haskoning) from our network?

Before the design and construction of the pilot began, numerous local teams had already conducted extensive preliminary research on NMT and cycling in Tongzhou. Following the 2019 study tour in the Netherlands, there was a strong push to further advance Tongzhou’s infrastructure in this area. The goal was to bring international teams into Tongzhou’s future NMT and cycling projects to better learn from and adapt world-class concepts—such as those from the Netherlands—while simultaneously building the capacity of local planning and design teams.|What specific insights and best practices did Haskoning bring to the table? How are these reflected in the final design of the cycling route?

The concept of “low-impact design” was the most critical takeaway from the Dutch experience. Specifically, this meant minimizing disruptions to both the cycling experience and the functional integrity of key nodes when the route crossed highways, railways, rivers, and heritage parks. It also applied to controlling the gradient of the main path to prevent steep inclines and declines from hindering cyclists; the conceptual design aimed for a gentle 2% maximum gradient.

Although the final implementation phase saw some practical optimization of the conceptual design, the “low-impact” principle remained central, especially when crossing major infrastructure and waterways. For example, existing culverts were utilized for safe passage. Additionally, at junctions where the route connects with municipal road networks, the design fully accommodated the need for parking and resting by strategically placing eight service pavilions along the way.

Now that the route has been opened for nearly one year, how is it being used and received by residents and staff working at the municipality?

Residents and staff generally agree that the pilot has brought immense benefits for daily recreation, exercise, and commuting. In fact, it has quickly become the preferred mode of transport for many.

Alongside the 5-meter-wide, two-way cycling lane, the route features 2-meter-wide pedestrian paths on both sides. It seamlessly interconnects with multiple park systems within Tongzhou. Notably, it links up with the heritage park, utilizing 530 meters of its existing park roads to form a shared, two-way cycling path. This allows people to immerse themselves in history while riding, blending profound cultural heritage with modern transport convenience to create a universally friendly, green mobility ecosystem.

Furthermore, viewing platforms were added to the cross-river bridges. As night falls, the interplay between the bridge’s lighting and the water’s ripples transforms the area into a popular, must-visit destination in the Administrative Center.

Since its opening on June 30, 2025, the pilot has seen an average daily traffic volume exceeding 7,000 trips, which includes an average of 5,693 daily cycling trips and 1,428 daily pedestrian trips.|How does this project fit into China’s recent moves to prioritise cycling as a mode of transport, after decades of car-first urban development?

In recent years, national and local governments have increasingly recognized the vital role of NMT in building green, low-carbon, and livable cities. Beijing has consistently been at the forefront of this transition nationwide. As mentioned, it is the first and only city in China to explicitly outline a vision for a “pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city” in its master plan. The Tongzhou cycling pilot translates this vision into a tangible engineering reality, creating a perceptible and replicable model that offers a case study—from planning vision to implementation pathway—for both Beijing and the rest of China.

The project serves as a model for blending international expertise with local practice. By thoroughly learning from the Dutch “low-impact” approach regarding how to cross and connect with highways, railways, rivers, and parks, it provides an effective blueprint for Chinese cities to absorb advanced NMT practices. This includes route organization, node management, and the provision of cycling service facilities.

The success of this pilot has made cycling the most efficient, convenient, and safe commuting choice for the area, while also serving multifunctional purposes like recreation and relaxation. It is a direct response to the practical needs of local residents and staffs.

Ultimately, the Tongzhou demonstration project perfectly encapsulates the ongoing shift in Chinese urban transportation toward a greener, more people-centric mobility system.

Generously hosted by our network-partner TU Delft, the DCE network came together on March 5th for the first quarterly meeting of our 15th anniversary year. The meeting took place at The Green Village, a cutting-edge innovation living-lab at the heart of the university’s campus, where researchers experiment and envision a more sustainable future through data collection and experimentation. In this open and welcoming backdrop, members of the network were welcomed on-site by mild spring weather and the DCE team who had prepared the location for the gathering.

During the pre-programme, divided into small groups, attendees got to participate in a few demos across several locations on campus given by researchers active at TU Delft. From VR-headset experiments in the realm of AV reactions to cyclist traffic, to self-stabilising e-bikes, innovation provided the continuous thread throughout the event and provided fruitful space for knowledge exchange between researchers and members of the network.

Following this, once everyone was gathered back at the Green Village, Nicole Lolkema opened the quarterly meeting. The DCE team presented the yearly report, highlighting some of the DCE’s activities, our social media reach as well as some highlights from ACTIVE missions, the Germany strategy and Lisa Haenitsch-Saxe (RVO) presented on the Poland mission. We also extended a warm welcome to our newer members in the network, namely Movida Transport Solutions, ParkMyBike, BIKEBAZE and Transforming Mobility, the latter of which unfortunately was not present. Looking forward, we reminded attending parties on the upcoming Velo-city conference happening in Rimini in June. We also opened our jubileumjaar, which will be celebrated at the end of the year in The Hague with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 2026 marks 15-years of DCE’s existence and successful partnership.

Importantly, we got to hear from The Transport & Mobility Institute (TMI) team from Maaike Swarte, Manager Department of Transport and Planning, and the entire team working on the topic. They presented their work on mobility that culminated in a document outlining four future scenarios for mobility futures in the Netherlands. They talked about the public-transport and bike combination, the Active Mode Lab Research and about Bike Safety, all of which incredibly important research at the forefront of innovation in cycling mobility planning. In this light, we look forward to even more productive collaborations with them and to see what they’ve got in store in the upcoming years.

The day was wrapped up at the end with a borrel and plenty of opportunity to mingle, connect, and reconnect. We thank everyone who made this day possible and extend our thanks specifically out to the team at the TU Delft department of Transport & Planning who made it possible.

We hope to see you soon,  and make sure to save the date for the upcoming quarterly meeting on May 28th, 2026!

Agreed upon in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a set of 17 interconnected global goals were adopted by the UN to address a wide range of challenges and themes such as poverty, health, climate change, and (urban) development just to name a few. Following current practices, countries are not on track to meeting the SDGs by 2030, making the next five years crucial for accelerating efforts and implementation towards their – at least partial – achievement.

From the 6th until the 8th of October 2025, the Dutch Cycling Embassy (DCE) participated in the “Future of Sustainable Development” workshop at the University of Groningen (RUG). Organised by the RUG Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development, IREES, Utrecht University, and the Stakeholder Forum, the three-day workshop aimed to grasp the needed interplays between science, civil society, private sector, and policy for accelerating progress on the SDGs until 2030 and beyond.

As an organisation that already links the various pillars in its everyday activities, the DCE is actively integrating various perspectives from the public/policy, private, and scientific perspectives toward positive change – albeit not always in a way that explicitly acknowledges alignment with the SDG Agenda. Hence, the aim of this analysis is to dissect how the local activities of DCE support global scale SDG acceleration by making these connections apparent, as well as identifying SDG related gaps that DCE may be overlooking.

Read the report here: