When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 5 modules in this course
Obscured by its apparent simplicity, cycling is a complex phenomenon. Being an almost perfect human-machine hybrid, cycling is deeply rooted in a plethora of socio-technological systems. Around the world cycling is embraced as an important ingredient to tackle a wide variety of individual and societal challenges. The Netherlands is often seen as an ideal living lab, because cycling has retained its significant share of mobility throughout the country. At the same time, there are large differences in developments across time and space, that allows for a better understanding of potential causal relations. This is also increasingly recognized by (inter)national top tier researchers from many different academic fields. They are uncovering reciprocal relations of cycling with spatial, ecological, historical, social, cultural, economic, biological and political structures. Unraveling the Cycling City bundles the state-of-the-art knowledge that emerges from research and practice on the Dutch cycling system. As such, it provides an easily accessible platform to learn about important causes and effects, to open minds for the complexity of the entire system and to support group deliberations around the world.
Obscured by its apparent simplicity, cycling is a complex phenomenon. Being an almost perfect human-machine hybrid, cycling is deeply rooted in a plethora of socio-technological systems. Around the world cycling is embraced as an important ingredient to tackle a wide variety of individual and societal challenges. The Netherlands is often seen as an ideal living lab, because cycling has retained its significant share of mobility throughout the country. At the same time, there are large differences in developments across time and space, that allows for a better understanding of potential causal relations. This is also increasingly recognized by (inter)national top tier researchers from many different academic fields. They are uncovering reciprocal relations of cycling with spatial, ecological, historical, social, cultural, economic, biological and political structures. Unraveling the Cycling City bundles the state-of-the-art knowledge that emerges from research and practice on the Dutch cycling system. As such, it provides an easily accessible platform to learn about important causes and effects, to open minds for the complexity of the entire system and to support group deliberations around the world.
Week 1 Intro: A Historical Perspective - Is cycling in the Dutch genes?•4 minutes
How the Dutch got their cycle paths•6 minutes
Paper discussion with Marco te Brömmelstroet•2 minutes
Why We Cycle: Egalitarian Society•17 minutes
Paper discussion with Marco te Brömmelstroet•4 minutes
Week 1 wrap-up with Pascal Boontje•2 minutes
13 readings•Total 151 minutes
Meet the team•5 minutes
Keep notes to prepare for your final assignment!•3 minutes
Ace academic reading and note-taking•2 minutes
Content of Unraveling the Cycling City•5 minutes
Learn in Spanish and Italian •10 minutes
Support and feedback•3 minutes
Follow cutting-edge research and news •3 minutes
First, a bit of history...•5 minutes
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world•10 minutes
Contested Spaces: Bicycle Lanes in Urban Europe, 1900-1995•45 minutes
Top down or bottom up?•5 minutes
The Prime Minister bikes to work•10 minutes
The rise and decline of national habitus: Dutch cycling culture and the shaping of national similarity•45 minutes
8 assignments•Total 45 minutes
The Historical Perspective•10 minutes
Is cycling in the Dutch genes?•5 minutes
How the Dutch got their cycle paths•5 minutes
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world•5 minutes
Contested Spaces: Bicycle Lanes in Urban Europe, 1900-1995•5 minutes
Why We Cycle: Egalitarian Society•5 minutes
The Prime Minister bikes to work•5 minutes
The rise and decline of national habitus: Dutch cycling culture and the shaping of national similarity•5 minutes
4 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
Was cycling once mainstream in your city?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Bicycle Lanes in Urban Europe, 1900-1995•10 minutes
How do public figures influence you?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Dutch cycling culture•10 minutes
Week 2: The urban environment
Module 2•4 hours to complete
Module details
A four-part module alternating between academic articles and popular content examining the relationship between cycling and the environment on a macro scale.
Week 2 wrap-up with Marco te Brömmelstroet•3 minutes
7 readings•Total 116 minutes
Cycling by the numbers•3 minutes
Comparing Cycling in European Countries•20 minutes
Urban development without more mobility by car – Lessons from Amsterdam, a multimodal urban region•30 minutes
Cycling, the long and short of it•3 minutes
Synergies from Improved Cycling-Transit Integration•20 minutes
As Easy As Riding A Bike: The Dutch supermarket•10 minutes
Spatial and social variations in cycling patterns in a mature cycling country exploring differences and trends•30 minutes
7 assignments•Total 40 minutes
The urban environment•10 minutes
Why the Dutch ride bikes•5 minutes
Comparing Cycling in European Countries•5 minutes
Urban development without more mobility by car – Lessons from Amsterdam, a multimodal urban region•5 minutes
Synergies from Improved Cycling-Transit Integration•5 minutes
As Easy As Riding A Bike: The Dutch supermarket•5 minutes
Spatial and social variations in cycling patterns in a mature cycling country exploring differences and trends•5 minutes
5 discussion prompts•Total 50 minutes
How do you move?•10 minutes
Why is cycling NOT popular?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Urban development without more mobility by car?•10 minutes
Where are the small wins for cycling?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Spatial and social variations...•10 minutes
Week 3: The street within a network
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
A four-part module alternating between academic articles and popular content examining the relationship between cycling and the environment on a meso scale.
World's biggest bicycle study: The Bike Study Week in Amsterdam Region•4 minutes
Paper Discussion with George Liu•19 minutes
Presentation by George Liu•13 minutes
Week 3 wrap-up by Meredith Glaser•2 minutes
8 readings•Total 97 minutes
Behaviour on routes and at intersections•3 minutes
What happens if you turn off the traffic lights?•10 minutes
Urban Design: Is there a Distinctive View from the Bicycle?•10 minutes
Space, speed, and fairness•3 minutes
Arrogance of Space•15 minutes
Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ distribution of road space?•25 minutes
Street design compared (optional)•1 minute
Practitioners' perspective on user experience and design of cycle highways•30 minutes
6 assignments•Total 35 minutes
The street within a network•10 minutes
World's biggest bicycle study: The Bike Study Week in Amsterdam Region•5 minutes
What happens if you turn off the traffic lights?•5 minutes
Urban Design: Is there a Distinctive View from the Bicycle?•5 minutes
Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ distribution of road space?•5 minutes
Practitioners' perspective on user experience and design of cycle highways•5 minutes
4 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
How do you cycle?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Urban Design: Is there a Distinctive View...•10 minutes
How would you measure "fairness"?•10 minutes
Quote from literature: Practitioners' perspective on user experience...•10 minutes
Week 4: The co-evolution of design and behavior
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
A four-part module alternating between academic articles and popular content examining the relationship between cycling and the environment on a micro scale.
A modern university with a rich history, the University of Amsterdam
(UvA) traces its roots back to 1632, when the Golden Age school Athenaeum
Illustre was established to train students in trade and philosophy. Today,
with more than 44,000 students, 6,000 staff and 285 study programmes
(Bachelor's and Master's), many of which are taught in English, and a
budget of more than 900 million euros, it is one of the largest
comprehensive universities in Europe. It is a member of the League of
European Research Universities and also maintains intensive contact with
other leading research universities around the world.
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Learner reviews
4.9
254 reviews
5 stars
91.73%
4 stars
7.08%
3 stars
0%
2 stars
0.78%
1 star
0.39%
Showing 3 of 254
A
AC
5·
Reviewed on May 12, 2020
I have to say all the hours of this course are worth it and it was not a waste of time. This is what you want to know when you are surfing on reviews, right fellow student? I hope you enjoy it!
S
SH
5·
Reviewed on May 3, 2020
Great course with a mix of self directed learning and videos. Thank you for putting it together
T
TA
5·
Reviewed on May 24, 2022
The course took me to further distance with diffent angles in making cycling city works. Good different perspectives with good examples and cases.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.