{"id":183303,"date":"2021-04-30T09:10:42","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=183303"},"modified":"2021-04-30T09:12:14","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:12:14","slug":"cities-reimagined-an-interview-with-helsinkis-cycling-coordinator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2021\/04\/30\/cities-reimagined-an-interview-with-helsinkis-cycling-coordinator\/","title":{"rendered":"Cities Reimagined: An Interview with Helsinki\u2019s Cycling Coordinator"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have led cities worldwide to rethink their transport strategy. Part of this shift has been a sizable push to reconfigure streets to make walking and cycling more accessible, thus aiding social distancing and reducing air pollution.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

According to the European Cyclists\u2019 Federation, the continent\u2019s cities spent \u20ac1 billion on Covid-related cycling measures in 2020, creating at least 600 miles of cycle lanes<\/a> and traffic-calming measures. It seems that the pandemic revealed a latent demand for cycling and walking infrastructure, and offered a chance for places with inadequate amenities to change their tune. Milan, for example, has designated more than 20 miles of cycling lanes, London officials introduced temporary bike lanes and widened pedestrian zones, while Paris and Barcelona have taken similar steps.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Milan has constructed more than 20 miles of bike lanes. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These trailblazing and ambitious initiatives are clearly led by people who have a genuine desire to make their cities more accessible to all travellers. At the same time, these plans were pushed through quickly, and many are short-term fixes rather than comprehensive overhauls of the transit system. Now, with an end to the lockdowns in sight, it is time to consider whether these measures, which have proved successful so far, have staying power.<\/p>\n

To get a better handle on the viability of these projects and to understand what it takes to truly put urban biking at the front and centre of a city\u2019s plan, we spoke with Oskari Kaupinm\u00e4ki. Oskari is the Cycling Coordinator in Helsinki, where he is pursuing his passion for improving city life by re-introducing the bicycle into the urban environment. We talked to him about the importance of a holistic approach, what European cities<\/a> can learn from one another, and how to get people who don\u2019t think of themselves as \u2018cyclists\u2019 riding bikes.<\/p>\n

So Oskari, tell us how you ended up with the awesome (albeit undoubtedly very demanding) job of Cycling Coordinator in Helsinki?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The condensed version is that I initially studied traffic engineering and, somewhat ironically based on what I do now, had ambitions of becoming an airline pilot. Cycling had always been part of my life, though. Growing up in Finland, everyone learns how to ride a bike. Yet as I got older, I noticed how trends were changing. When I was young, it was an anomaly for a kid to be dropped off at school in a car (our neighbourhoods all have schools close by), and yet I started to see this practice becoming more common.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Cycling in #Helsinki<\/a> is for the most part just as easy and fun as anywhere else, plus you get to see and experience a lot more from the saddle than you do riding a bus, for example. Find the top tips here! \ud83d\udeb4\u200d\u2642\ufe0f #myhelsinki<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/nQlg0xc0FB<\/a><\/p>\n

— . (@myhelsinki) April 3, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n