Cycling Through HEAT and Snow

The Cycling Roundup

Today we conclude the amazing work of our scholarship recipients of 2024: researchers Juliana DeCastro and Isabel Scherer dive into the many dimensions of cycling, going beyond conventional, technical and statistical considerations. Let’s explore cycling as a pathway to healthier urban spaces, and as a cultural practice rather than just a mode of transport. Come bike with us through HEAT and snow!

---

How can cycling help cities move toward healthier futures?

By Juliana DeCastro, Sustainable Mobility Coordinator

The future of cycling doesn't start with cycling but with creating more humane cities.
- Meredith Glaser

Cities are like living organisms, with mobility at their core. Yet, despite global calls to promote active urban mobility, progress often stalls, especially in the Global South, where car-centric priorities dominate.

This article explores how to break free from car-dependence and reimagine cities as healthier, more inclusive systems. By integrating gender, accessibility, social justice, and infrastructure equity into mobility planning, we can create tailored, context-sensitive solutions. Cycling emerges as a standout strategy - accessible, empowering, and transformative - paving the way for more sustainable and vibrant urban environments. Dive in to discover how cities can (using tools like HEAT) chart their unique paths toward health and sustainability.

Juliana at Velo-City (Credit: Mohammad Nazarpoor)

---

Oulu’s Winter Cycling Phenomenon: What’s the Secret?

By Isabel Scherer, Master graduate Sustainable Mobility in Transformation

Each city has a unique context that needs to be considered. What’s often missing is an understanding of the city’s cycling identity.
- Isabel Scherer

In Oulu, Finland, cycling doesn’t stop when winter arrives - it thrives. Far from being a sport or leisure activity, winter cycling is a way of life for residents of all ages and genders, defying the stereotype of cycling as a male-dominated, sport-oriented practice.

What makes Oulu’s winter cycling culture so unique? Is it just about good infrastructure and maintenance, as local planners claim? Or is there something deeper at play? This article uncovers how a deeply ingrained cycling culture sustains high levels of cycling, even in freezing conditions, offering insights for cities looking to promote active mobility year-round.

Cycling in Oulu, Finland (Credit: City of Oulu)

---

Urban Cycling Institute’s scholarship program was founded with an aim to give voice to researchers from the Global South and underrepresented communities at international conferences. We want to continue supporting them for Cycling Research Board Annual Meeting in Amsterdam and Velo-City in Gdansk. Become a sponsor and help us awarding even more scholarships in 2025!