European cities dominate 2022 Global Bicycle Cities Index

The 2022 Global Bicycle Cities Index places nine of the world’s top ten most bike-friendly cities in Europe. The Dutch city of Utrecht came out on top. Hangzhou in China, at number seven, was the only non-European city to make the top ten.

Produced by French insurance company Luko, the index looked at 90 cities around the world and ranked them based on six main parameters: the percentage of bicycle users, weather conditions, crime and safety (such as accidents and bike theft rates), infrastructure, bike-sharing opportunities and special events such as “no car days”.

Bristol, at number 15, was the highest ranked UK city, followed by Edinburgh at 54 and London at 62.

Luko says the 90 cities were selected for their willingness to invest and work on initiatives to improve cycling infrastructure and safety. The study, as such, “does not reflect the best and worst cities for cycling, but rather evaluates the cycling climate for these 90 cities based on factors related to bike-users.”

Nevertheless based on the analysis, here’s the top 10 best cities in the world for cyclists:

10. Hannover, Germany

Hannover made it into the top tier of this year’s ranking thanks to its quality infrastructure and events promoting cycling, including “no car days”.

9. Bremen, Germany

Bremen has a very flat terrain and cycle paths that criss-cross the city and connect it to other towns nearby. Bremen is also the first German city to be home to an entire “bicycle zone” in the Neustadt district.

8. Bern, Switzerland

According to the index, the Swiss capital has invested a lot in quality cycling infrastructure, scores particularly high on bike sharing, and regularly organises "no car days". The city also has a very low fatality rate among cyclists.

7. Hangzhou, China

The only non-European city in the top tier of the ranking, around a third of Hangzhou’s residents cycle regularly and the city has good bike sharing services.

6. Malmö, Sweden

The Swedish city of Malmö has an especially low fatality rate among cyclists, thanks to quality infrastructure and regular events promoting bike riding.

5. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Usually considered as the top cycling city, the Dutch capital was marked down on its safety record. Amsterdam is home to over 1,000 accidents per 100,000 cyclists. That’s nearly five times more than the other great cycling capital Copenhagen.

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

The Danish capital has a good safety score and low bike theft rate. The city is investing a lot in cycling infrastructure and organises regular no-car days. The Danes are also notable for cycling all year round, despite challenging weather conditions in winter.

3. Antwerp, Belgium

The Belgian port city doesn’t score strongly on dedicated cycle paths, but has a strong bike-sharing offer and "car-free Sunday" events.

2. Munster, Germany

The German city has a low rate of cycling fatalities, even though more than 39 per cent of residents use bikes on a daily basis. Munster also regularly hosts events promoting cycling.

1. Utrecht, Netherlands

Topping this year’s ranking is the Dutch city of Utrecht. The city boasts high scores for its cycling infrastructure and more than half of its population use a bicycle in everyday life.

See the full index here:

https://de.luko.eu/en/advice/guide/bike-index/