Samuel Nello-Deakin & Anna Nikolaeva (2020): The human infrastructure of a cycling city: Amsterdam through the eyes of international newcomers, Urban Geography,
The human infrastructure of a cycling city
Amsterdam through the eyes of international newcomers
This paper offers a qualitative exploration of what makes Amsterdam a “cycling city”. Through semi-structured interviews, the article explores the main factors which encourage cycling uptake among international newcomers to Amsterdam. Instead of relying on a division between “hard” and “soft” factors, we approach the city as a sociotechnical system, arguing that the material and social factors which encourage cycling in Amsterdam are co-constitutive. We identify seven main factors encouraging cycling, whichtend to be mutually reinforcing and highlight the critical role of the “human infrastructure” formed by cyclists themselves in encouraging cycling. Finally, our analysis uncovers a temporal dimension of cycling uptake, showing that many newcomers become increasingly reliant on cycling over time.
Afbeelding credits
Header afbeelding: Bron: Stadsarchief Amsterdam
Icon afbeelding: Bron: Stadsarchief Amsterdam