University of Amsterdam

Being Smart about Cycling Futures

This course is part of Human Mobility in Future Cities Specialization

Taught in English

Some content may not be translated

Marco te Brömmelstroet
George Liu
Anna Nikolaeva

Instructors: Marco te Brömmelstroet

Included with Coursera Plus

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

Intermediate level
Some related experience required
23 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Critically consider multiple perspectives on the future of cycling

  • Develop a deeper understanding of cycling practice's relation to infrastructure, its diverse users, and the wider mobility system

  • Situate cycling (innovations) in the context of inequalities and across different countries

  • Explore the limits of our society's collective mobility imagination and how to overcome them

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

15 quizzes

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

Intermediate level
Some related experience required
23 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Human Mobility in Future Cities Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 6 modules in this course

What will the future of cycling be like? This module introduces you to one of the main ideas of the course: that cycling futures are multiple and contested. You will be introduced to velotopias- visions of urban future in which cycling is the key mode of transportation- and to cycling innovations. You'll learn about the Smart Cycling Futures research project and the paradoxes encountered in researching innovations. You will notice that scholars and innovators have different ideas on how cycling should become a more important part of our lives. The different futures that we envision prioritize different values and different ideas about cities, mobility and human interaction.

What's included

6 videos10 readings3 quizzes1 discussion prompt

In this module you will learn about how cycling and cycling innovations are part of a larger mobility system. First, should the goal of innovations always be to get people to shift to cycling from other modes? And, do innovations forget about the people who are already cycling? How does the practice of cycling fit with other modes? This module will also introduce you to the bike-train system, which has become highly developed in the Netherlands.

What's included

4 videos4 readings3 quizzes1 discussion prompt1 plugin

How do innovations change the experience of cycling, its meaning, and how it is governed? This week will introduce you to new technologies and smart innovations, including both bicycles themselves and also bike infrastructure, accessories, and mobile applications. You will learn to recognize how innovations are shaped by the context in which they are developed. You'll understand how innovations can shape futures of cycling, and recognize moments where we may be choosing one future over another. We will also zoom into specifically to the subject of e-bikes, through an academic paper and a conversation with bike component manufacturer enviolo.

What's included

3 videos4 readings3 quizzes1 discussion prompt

This module will look at cycling infrastructure, or: how are we reinventing the spaces where cycling occurs in our cities? You will reflect on what "ideal" cycling infrastructure is and recognize that different types of users, with different needs, share our cycle paths and streets. We will zoom in to the concept of cycling highways - a contested phenomenon- from the perspective of practitioners. We will hear about how smart innovations may influence how different kinds of future cycling spaces function from infrastructure company BAM. Finally, we will focus on how cycling practitioners work, exploring an agile way of working in the context of Amsterdam.

What's included

5 videos5 readings3 quizzes1 discussion prompt

This module is about the social context of cycling. Who cycles now, and who will in the future? Is cycling less accessible for some than for others? We will hit the tip of the iceberg on what can be done to make cycling more accessible for all. You will see how certain social groups can be excluded or negatively impacted by cycling policies or infrastructure projects, and you will see how this issue is often context dependent. We also ask you to bring your own perspective on this complex issue, and learn from your peers.

What's included

3 videos3 readings3 quizzes1 discussion prompt1 plugin

In this final module, you will go through an exercise in which you imagine diverging cycling futures yourself. You will then read about the positive imagined utopian futures of your peers. To wrap up the course, you will write an essay that reflects on the limits of our society's collective mobility imagination and how to overcome them.

What's included

1 reading1 peer review1 discussion prompt

Instructors

Instructor ratings
4.4 (5 ratings)
Marco te Brömmelstroet
University of Amsterdam
4 Courses23,629 learners
George Liu
University of Amsterdam
4 Courses23,629 learners
Anna Nikolaeva
University of Amsterdam
3 Courses13,583 learners

Offered by

Enviolo

Recommended if you're interested in Governance and Society

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions