The story of Utrecht's new bike parking garage—with enough space initially for 6,000 bikes—has a surprising twist: local bike advocates don't think it's big enough.
Daniel Boffrey reports:
In any other country, the opening of what will become the world’s largest bicycle parking garage – with space for 6,000 cycles initially, and another 6,500 by the end of next year – would be heralded as a great success [….] Yet such is the intensity of the Dutch love affair with the bike, authorities in the Netherlands are being accused of complacency, rather than praised for their foresight."
Regardless of criticisms, this much is true, according to Boffrey: "The 17,100 sq metre space under Utrecht’s central station will soon knock the current title-holder, under Kasai underground station in Tokyo, off its perch."
The article puts bike ridership in Utrecht as well as the rest of the Netherlands in global context—the country's leading bike ridership share is still growing, leading to the kinds of controversies on display in this prominent example. A new facility in The Hague, expected to open next spring will set a new standard, with enough space for 8,500 bikes.
FULL STORY: World's biggest bike parking garage opens in Utrecht – but Dutch dream of more
California Building Code to Add Bike Parking Requirements
Convenient and secure bike parking can make a major impact on whether people adopt biking as a daily transportation option.
Atlanta Advances Automobile Alternatives; Parking Minimums Persist
The Atlanta City Council passed a pair of ordinances recently to improve conditions for modes other than cars, but a proposal to remove parking requirements for development around the Atlanta Beltline are in limbo.
Chicago Garage Becomes 72-Unit Apartment Building
The East Lakeview project is within easy walking distance of local businesses and transit.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service