Towards Inclusive Mobility in the Dutch City of Amersfoort
A Video Series Shows How Inclusive Mobility Goes Beyond Physical Disabilities
What does inclusive mobility look like and how can we engage citizens more in local policy? In 2023 we carried out a study in five Dutch municipalities to answer these questions (Van Marissing, 2024; Van Marissing & Glaser, 2024). The research showed that there is still a lot unknown about the mechanisms that lead to people not cycling or giving up cycling. In a large qualitative study in Amsterdam, Soares & Glaser (2025) unraveled the factors that contribute to exclusion in cycling systems. Both studies showed that working on inclusive mobility requires civil servants to look beyond their own field of work. To be more precise: an integration of technical and social perspectives is crucial to redesign public spaces into an environment that promotes mobility justice.
Finding the Right Language
Inclusive mobility asks for a broader and more structural engagement of citizens in local policy, especially vulnerable, marginalized and disadvantaged community members. However, local governments are struggling in finding the right language and appropriate ways to reach out to those communities. For example, in the Dutch city of Amersfoort (population 163,298), until recently, inclusion was primarily thought of as an issue concerning residents with visual or physical disabilities. We now know that many more residents are vulnerable for various other reasons and are also at risk of exclusion due to reduced mobility. Limited digital skills, financial difficulties, language barriers, fears, and experiences with discrimination and stigmatization all play a role. With a series of five videos, we are, both literally and figuratively, showing the obstacles Amersfoort residents face, how they feel, and why it is so important to continually address these issues.
Insights From Research, Policy and Practice
In the series, various people express their concerns and share their experiences: people with reduced mobility due to fear and physical disabilities, mobility experts, civil servants, a bicycle mechanic and people advocating for cyclists and pedestrians. They think out loud about the future and the solutions that are needed to prevent people from being socially isolated because they cannot keep up with traffic anymore. Independence proves to be an important value and so is a general understanding of how things work and where you can find help or assistance. Led by their stories, we learn about problems with overcrowded cycle paths, technology, shared spaces, parking issues, walkability and changing behaviour.
The Camera as a Research Tool
The use of video greatly enriches the knowledge in research papers about inclusivity and justice as well as policy documents talking about the desired situations and future plans. Video opens up the possibility to actually see the city through the lens of various citizens. An anxious cyclist who not only talks about fear but also shows a matching facial expression gives a much stronger impression. And so does a senior citizen wearing a helmet and using rearview mirrors, who, on top of that, can hardly get on the bike and rides very slowly and cautiously. The same applies for the pride we see in the eyes of an immigrant mother who has just learnt to ride a bicycle: it shows total freedom. It is exactly these kinds of emotions that make you want to dig deeper into the matter.
However, it is not always easy to capture the right situations and the feeling that comes with it. The camera can be a great research tool, but, as a researcher, you need to come prepared. How do you find the right balance between the stories that activists, policymakers, ordinary citizens, and technical experts will tell you? Where do you find places that reflect challenges for inclusivity or places that are great examples of inclusion? And how do you remain critical and be informative at the same time? Answering all of those questions required a lot of preparation meetings, exploration of the city, and reading about all the existing initiatives that are related to active mobility. Even though we had the luxury of being able to make five episodes and interview twelve people in total, we sensed that it would be no effort at all to find another dozen citizens and professionals that were willing to talk about their experiences, frustrations and dreams. It shows that there are many stories to tell about inclusive mobility, that the topic can be approached from many angles, and, in order to make it understandable, you need to unravel the personal stories.
What Did These Videos Reveal?
The videos show that there is still a large gap between policy and practice. They expose ideas that look good on paper, but sometimes have unwanted (side) effects for people who experience mobility constraints. In addition, they show that it is not only the (local) government that can create the desired change, but it is also about people’s habits and behaviour. Furthermore, the videos show that inclusion is so much more than just being able to get from A to B—it is about feelings, experiences, embodiment, and being noticed and recognized. The message is clear: there is a lot of work to be done, concerning both the small everyday things and the long term policies at different scales. As Meredith Glaser states: “Working on inclusive mobility is an ongoing process that does not end.”
The video series was originally published in Dutch on Nieuwsplein33 and made possible by Gemeente Amersfoort, Nieuwsplein33 and the Urban Cycling Institute. Special thanks to Dylan Power for reviewing the English subtitles.
The next videos in the series will be shared on our social media in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn page to watch them when they come out!
The Urban Cycling Institute offers a full day training on inclusive mobility. This training will be held in Amsterdam and is meant for Dutch civil servants working on the topics of mobility, inclusion and public space who want to get familiar with the topic and learn how to implement this in local policy. All details can be found on our website.
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References
Oliveira Soares, B. & M. Glaser (2025), Beyond infrastructure: Unpacking the complexity of exclusion and implications for just mobility transitions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104202
Van Marissing, E. (2024), “Making the city truly inclusive is about big gestures” https://urbancyclinginstitute.org/big-gestures-for-a-truly-inclusive-city/
Van Marissing, E. & M. Glaser (2024), Advancing inclusion and equity in active transport in Dutch cities. https://urbancyclinginstitute.org/advancing-inclusion-and-equity-in-active-transport-in-dutch-cities/
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So true! I think a lot of immigrant families are not used to cycling because they don't come from bike-friendly nations, so they don't try it out unless a child gets some cycling education at school.