Manifesting Change, Measuring Impact 🌸🚲
Newsletter | Fresh Publications
As spring unfolds, we’re excited to share what’s blooming at the Urban Cycling Institute. This month brought two major milestones: the release of our Manifesto for Cycling Futures and the launch of our Annual Impact Report 2024, showcasing the work and collaborations that shaped the past year. You’ll also find updates on upcoming events, bike tours, and a special look at our ongoing Streetlife Book Project. Dive in for fresh publications and cycling stories.
🌸 Today’s agenda:
📢 Manifesto for Cycling Futures: e-book now available 🎉
📊 Annual Impact Report 2024 — Our Year in Review
📅 Register for our next Webinar!
🚲 CRBAM’25: Admission fees & attractive discounts revealed
📖 Streetlife Book Project with Alison Sant
🚴♂️ 🚴♀️ Updates from Amsterdam Bike Tours
💌 Cycling News From Your Hometown: Salt Lake City
📢 Manifesto for Cycling Futures: e-Book now available!
After months of collaboration and refinement, the Urban Cycling Institute proudly presents the Manifesto for Cycling Futures — co-authored by 64 contributors from around the world. That’s 57 alumni of Planning the Cycling City Summer School and 7 Urban Cycling Institute members. Born from an intensive two-day process of collective thinking, this manifesto is a unique, living document that reflects a shared vision for cycling-centered urban futures.
Available as an e-book (and soon also in paperback), the manifesto was launched during a special webinar featuring four of its co-authors. Listen to the podcast here (or on youtube) to dive into the conversations that shaped the manifesto — and the impact that the act of co-writing had on its participants.
💡 Curious to learn how this unique publication came to life? Read the full article by co-author, editor, and interviewer , who also explores its companion publication, Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide to Learning for Transitions.
🛍️ Order your copy of the Manifesto here and join the movement for more sustainable, human-centered streets.
🎁 Urban Cycling Institute Change-Makers receive the e-book as a gift — our way of saying thank you for supporting our work! 🔗 Become a Member
📊 Annual Impact Report 2024 — Our Year in Review
2024 marked an exciting chapter for the Urban Cycling Institute as we wrapped up a year of growth, collaboration, and new beginnings. From launching fresh initiatives to building partnerships and deepening our global community, we’ve worked hard to advance cycling as a key part of sustainable, equitable cities.
We’re proud to share the highlights, milestones, and moments that shaped our year. Explore the snapshots or dive into the full Impact Report to see what we’ve accomplished — together.
📅 Webinar - The Turning Point for Dutch Streets: 50 Years After the Nieuwmarkt Riots - Register now!
Join us on April 8th as we reflect on the pivotal Nieuwmarkt riots of 1975, when fierce protests against urban renewal plans in Amsterdam’s city center sparked major clashes with police. These events became a turning point in the city's approach to land use and mobility, shaping Amsterdam as we know it today. Mark Ames (Strategic Cities) will share insights from his recent study on the riots and their lasting impact. Co-organized with Strategic Cities and The Lab of Thought, this webinar explores why these moments still matter — 50 years on. Sign up now!
🚲 Cycling Research Board Annual Meeting 2025
Today marks the final day to submit your abstracts for CRBAM'25! We’re thrilled by the interest so far and look forward to carefully reviewing all submissions. Selected abstracts will be announced by 23 April, which is also the day the Registration opens.
🎓 Scholarship applications also open on 23 April — we encourage students and early-career researchers to apply! More information about the scholarship program is available here.
💶 Registration Fees (23 April - 15 July)
€450 for Academia / Non-Profit / Civil Servants
€650 for the Private Sector
🌟 Urban Cycling Institute Annual Members & Change-makers receive a €100 discount on both rates! 🔗 Become a Member to unlock this exclusive discount and support our mission to advance research for sustainable, healthy, and equitable cycling cities. Members enjoy discounts, exclusive content, and special gifts!
🗓 Stay on top of all important dates by importing our Cycling Calendar.
📖 Streetlife Book Project with Alison Sant
We are honored to collaborate with Alison Sant, a renowned author in urbanism and social activism, best known for From the Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities (Island Press, 2022). In this project, we are supporting her book research by conducting in-depth background studies, identifying compelling case studies, and connecting with key stakeholders for interviews. As part of this collaboration, the Urban Cycling Institute provides academic support, helping to draft research materials and facilitating Alison Sant’s visits to cities that will be featured in the book. Our research focuses on uncovering grassroots initiatives that reclaim streets for people and create critical public spaces that will be necessary to managing the extreme weather ahead. Launched in November 2024, this ongoing two-year collaboration has already been an enriching experience, offering not only deep insights into transformative urban movements but also the opportunity to engage with inspiring communities around the world. Keep an eye out for more updates!
For now, enjoy the view of one of our case-study-cities: do you recognise this place? Write your guess in the comments 😏 Video by Alison Sant, 2025.
Interested in collaborating with the experts at the Urban Cycling Institute? Reach out to us at partnerships@urbancyclinginstitute.org!
🚴♂️ 🚴♀️ Bike tours through Amsterdam’s cycling infrastructure
Our Amsterdam Bike Tours provide an in-depth exploration of the city’s world-renowned cycling infrastructure, guided by our knowledgeable experts, Asaf and Pedro. With a variety of dates and times available, these tours have become a favorite among participants who consistently describe the experience as both insightful and enjoyable.
One of our enthusiastic riders, Douglas Leroy, shared his experience and some great moments from the journey. We’ve put his clips together in the video below — take a look, and if you’re inspired, book a tour with us here!
An absolute must for anyone passionate about cycling!
It was an absolute delight to go on this tour with Asaf and Pedro. Both are incredibly knowledgeable about the history, impact, and current state of cycling in Amsterdam, and their insights made the experience even more enriching.
What makes this tour truly special is how it helps democratise the world of cycling, making its impact accessible to those who might not otherwise be aware of it. It brilliantly communicates the power of cycling to transform an entire city for the better—a message that is more relevant than ever.
So whether you're into cycling or not, I cannot recommend this tour enough!
💌 Cycling News From Your Hometown
📍Salt Lake City 🇺🇸
Lucas Matelich shares the story of Unplugged, a group of local riders in Salt Lake City who have mapped over 60 miles of hidden urban bike routes. Their mission? To make city biking fun and get more people on two wheels. By using existing infrastructure, these low-stress routes transform the city into a dynamic cycling space. Unplugged hosts weekly group rides and has even added signage to guide riders. It’s a grassroots effort—built and maintained by the community—to reclaim streets for people, not just cars.
The routes are safe, flowey, and better when ridden with others! Utilizing existing city infrastructure– back-alleys, business foyers, parking garages, cut-throughs, vacant lots, whoopdees, sneak routes, and connector trails– the lines take you on an explorative urban cruise. Along the way, they meander through the lowest-stress, highest-flow bike zones– transforming the rigid grid-like city into an open canvas for expression.
Want to ride or help out? Just grab your bike and join in - read more details in this article. A big thanks to
for introducing this inspiring group to our global community!
Hey there, thanks for sticking with us! If you’re enjoying what we do, why not support us and snag some cool perks along the way? As an ✨ Annual member or a 💫 Change-maker, you’ll get event discounts, free e-books, and access to exclusive Substack content. Every membership helps us keep creating the content you love. 💪 📚
Thank you for your support! 💙 Team Urban Cycling Institute 🚲