Today is World Bicycle Day, celebrated for the diverse social, economic, and environmental benefits that this mode of transport and recreation offers. By establishing this day, the UN recognizes the contribution of cycling to the Sustainable Development Goals, including the creation of more sustainable cities and communities. This perspective gains even greater relevance during and after the pandemic. When exploring healthy ways to move around the city, active mobility stands out as a highly feasible, short-term alternative—one that goes beyond bike lanes to encompass the well-being of the citizen as a whole.
Addressing active mobility requires first examining the car culture we are embedded in and what it says about us. The automobile emerged as a product that shaped much of Western societal thinking and how we plan urban environments. For decades, cities were designed for motorized vehicles rather than pedestrians—a paradigm that has been increasingly challenged in recent years.
