The historical city Zwolle is the provincial capital of Overijssel. It has about 115.000 inhabitants and 65.000 jobs, 450.000 movements each day, for 46% by bicycle. From 1975 onwards the city actively stimulates cycling. It has a lot of cycling facilities: an almost finished cycle network, consisting of many cycle lanes, ‘bicycle streets’ and guarded and unguarded bicycle parking. Zwolle is a top level cycle-city!

1. www.mobycon.nl
Prestige cycling in Zwolle (NL), increasing
cycling in a top level cycle-city ’
Author: Angela van der Kloof, Mobycon, Theme: Mobile Living
Let me introduce the city of Zwolle
The historical city Zwolle is the provincial capital of Overijssel. It has about 115.000 inhabitants and 65.000 jobs, 450.000 movements each day,
for 46% by bicycle. From 1975 onwards the city actively stimulates cycling. It has a lot of cycling facilities: an almost finished cycle network,
consisting of many cycle lanes, ‘bicycle streets’ and guarded and unguarded bicycle parking. Zwolle is a top level cycle-city!
From top level to prestige level • Inspiration from abroad
What do you do when you’ve reached the top level of a game? Do you To reach the prestige level you need inspiration from abroad.
stop playing? No, you play again and aim for the prestige level! Playing Playing a game on the prestige level does not have to be very
this advanced game is more difficult. It is no longer enough to work different from playing the former levels. It is just that the ‘enemies’
on even more infrastructure for cyclists. It is time to go out there and are harder to beat.
raise the number of trips per cyclist. In 2009 Zwolle started the project Pilot projects as a result
‘Het Nieuwe Fietsen’ (The New Cycling), together with the consultancy Brainstorming sessions have been held with a group of officials and
Mobycon. The aim was to explore new, non-infrastructural, ways to with the new partners. Five promising concepts were chosen and
raise the level of cycling. Three pillars of the project: transformed into two pilot projects:
• Link with other fields of policy ‘Overtaking the car with the electric bicycle - stimulating commuters
Cycling is not an aim in itself. It is a means to get to places. To to switch from car to electric bicycle’.
school, to work, to the shops, to the pub, etc. If infrastructure is no ‘School Travel Plans, not just for the children and parents but also for
longer the aim, then there is room to link with other fields of policy, the employees’.
e.g. environmental, health, educational and socio-economic
policies. Angela van der Kloof, (Senior Consultant)
• Cooperation with partners in the city e-mail: a.vanderkloof@mobycon.nl
Stimulating current cyclists to cycle even more is not easy. The Angela: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/angelavanderkloof
municipality needs the cooperation of partners in the city. You www.mobycon.nl
can think of people representing shops in the city centre, bicycle
shops, the Cyclist Federation, a mobility manager, the province
and schools.