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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Unraveling the Cycling City by University of Amsterdam

4.9
stars
240 ratings

About the Course

Obscured by its apparent simplicity, cycling is a complex phenomenon. Being an almost perfect human-machine hybrid, cycling is deeply rooted in a plethora of socio-technological systems. Around the world cycling is embraced as an important ingredient to tackle a wide variety of individual and societal challenges. The Netherlands is often seen as an ideal living lab, because cycling has retained its significant share of mobility throughout the country. At the same time, there are large differences in developments across time and space, that allows for a better understanding of potential causal relations. This is also increasingly recognized by (inter)national top tier researchers from many different academic fields. They are uncovering reciprocal relations of cycling with spatial, ecological, historical, social, cultural, economic, biological and political structures. Unraveling the Cycling City bundles the state-of-the-art knowledge that emerges from research and practice on the Dutch cycling system. As such, it provides an easily accessible platform to learn about important causes and effects, to open minds for the complexity of the entire system and to support group deliberations around the world....

Top reviews

C

Mar 20, 2022

The course has selected really interesting articles and videos. The course gave me a much more open view, it taught me to see opportunities instead of seeing only problems with cycling and cities.

AC

May 12, 2020

I have to say all the hours of this course are worth it and it was not a waste of time. This is what you want to know when you are surfing on reviews, right fellow student? I hope you enjoy it!

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1 - 25 of 106 Reviews for Unraveling the Cycling City

By Robert E

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Jul 17, 2020

I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The content offered a multidisciplinary and multiscalar perspective on cycling that opened up my thinking about creating contexts for cycling as an active travel professional. Like any course, you get what you put into it. What makes it particularly good though is the quality of selected articles and videos and how they offer a broad variety of different viewpoints to loosen up narrow infrastructural/'technocratic' thinking about cycling and what is needed to change systems of mobility away from the car and toward active modes. Thanks to all the team who delivered this course.

By Md F Y M Y

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May 12, 2020

This is simply beyond than 'Seeing is Believing'. The course is well crafted with an interesting module through various mode of experience. As an urban planner who believes that cycling can make the change for better cities environment, this course teaches and shared more than Dutch experience and learning curve in advocating cycling, but also many 'unexplorable' aspects of the Dutch success story that we didn't know & understand before, like egalitarian culture, habitus and many more. Fully recommended!!!

By Alistair M

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Jan 28, 2020

As an engineer, this course worked very well in introducing me to different perspectives of cycling infrastructure, from urban planning to social science and history. Through the course, I was supported to reevaluate how I thought of cycling infrastructure and how it connects to the humanity of a city as well as connections with the built environment. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a deeper understanding of active travel in cities.

By Axel B

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Feb 16, 2020

This course should be standard for everyone involded in city planning, urban design, road design and public transport planning. And highly recommended for everyone else that ever leaves their home. It is far more than an analysis of the urban cycling environment, but a challenge to everyone: What do we want life in our cities and on our streets to be like? And what are the questions we need to ask ourselves to get there?

By Joseph M W

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Aug 7, 2020

A nice combination of rigor and fun! Loved the multimedia, web-based format on the very fine Coursera platform. Learning objectives were clearly defined and were used as recurring benchmarks to test student knowledge.Having the most amazing Amsterdam as the primary case study jazzes up the course while pulling on the heartstrings of those of us shut out from NL by COVID. I learned a tremendous amount, thank you.

By Mauro A

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May 12, 2020

Unraveling the Cycling City is a very complete and well structured course. It gives you the opportunity to learn learn the historical, sociological, urbanistical and cultural aspects of cycling in the Netherlands.

By Cora

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Mar 21, 2022

The course has selected really interesting articles and videos. The course gave me a much more open view, it taught me to see opportunities instead of seeing only problems with cycling and cities.

By Pedro C

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Sep 21, 2020

Very good course on the "hard" (i.e. infrastructure) and "soft" (i.e. psychological) aspects of cycling, that provides a nuanced view of cycling and of how an utilitarian view of transport misses out on key points.

Interesting perspectives with a well-balanced amount of literature, videos and articles produced by specialists from the cycling country of the world.

By Elena C

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Dec 16, 2020

This course went far beyond my expectations. It is not a simple course for technical / practical notions about making a city more bike-friendly. With its targeted selection of brilliant papers, videos and web articles, it totally changes your perspective on cycling, debunking myths and giving you so much material to think and work on further. Thank you!

By Caro N R

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May 18, 2021

Excellent course. I learned a huge amount about design and infrastructure as well as having preconceptions about cycling challenged. Lots here to apply to design thinking and also for cycle advocacy. There is a lot of academic reading, so be prepared to put a good bit of work into it. It is well worth it. Highly recommend this course.

By Jeff F

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Jan 20, 2022

Exceptional course in teaching foundational knowledge from a variety of perspectives regarding how cycling is not only an exceptional form of mobility but how it can also help to increase societal connectedness. A great course for anyone who wants to help either shape or be an informed member of communities.

By Roberta C

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Apr 1, 2020

Un corso sulla città ciclabile osservata da diversi punti di vista - pianificazione, società, economia - e realizzato con la massima cura dall'Istituto di Ciclabilità Urbana dell'Università di Amsterdam, che raccoglie i migliori esperti al mondo su questo tema. Eccellente opportunità e grande ispirazione.

By Jesus d R P

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May 26, 2020

Exceptional insights. An introductory course which looks far beyond the basic facts and opens a whole field of urban planning and desing.

Lessons are structured in a very entertaining and at the same time challenging way. All of the academic papers that are included as bibliography are extremely relevant.

By Niren J

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May 6, 2020

A well structured course, providing great insights for cycling activists, planners or for anyone else desiring to learn about cycling experiences in urban areas. The course takes one through various perspectives, often through off beaten track when compared to the standard transport planning practices.

By Janene T

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Jul 29, 2020

I really enjoyed the scope of this course. The materials delved into the technical components of what makes a cycling city but also went to great lengths to unpack the historical and social elements. It was surprisingly broad while still being specific and detailed.

By Marian H

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Apr 12, 2023

In this course, I gained an overview of the history of the Netherlands and a better understanding of why it is known as the "land of cyclists". I also became more aware of the topic of cycling and received practical tips on how to improve cycling infrastructure.

By Maxime L

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May 12, 2020

Cours d'une grande richesse. On peut alors imaginer la ville durable de demain, pensée pour l'homme (et le vélo) et non plus pour la voiture.

Great course. I can now think the tomorrow's sustainable city, build for person (and thus bikes) and no more fo cars.

By Tom A

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Oct 5, 2020

Informative and thought provoking. Good insight into why Dutch cycling works so well and what is "missing" in the UK. Will use the content in my day to day work as a sustainable transport engineer developing cycle and walking infrastructure.

By Dan Y

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Dec 16, 2022

I am very happy with the course, the material gave me, among other things, a good and varied insight into conditions that should be taken into account if cycling is to be considered in public transport.

By Robbie S

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Oct 3, 2020

Wide range of content including relevant literature journals, media and videos. Well structured and considered. A course that is both simple to progress through and offers great depth to the subject.

By Ana C

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May 13, 2020

I have to say all the hours of this course are worth it and it was not a waste of time. This is what you want to know when you are surfing on reviews, right fellow student? I hope you enjoy it!

By Brenda V F S

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Aug 8, 2020

I really loved it. I learned so much about cycling and its multiple aspects. I really want to keep learning about this subject and someday visit the Netherlands to experience it.

By Kathryn P

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May 10, 2020

An excellent course on the components that underpin a city with an integrated cycling culture. Good mix of materials, Easy to access, well structure. Lots of ideas discussed

By Mark P

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May 12, 2020

It was a pretty intensive and challenging course, but it has made me think, challenged assumptions and exposed me to new ideas and concepts.

By Michael L

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Feb 17, 2020

Great course by the University of Amsterdam! Really recommend for everybody who is interested in multi modal approach to the biking city.