The changing role of cycling within Chinese transport policy

Abstract

When green transport planners, cyclists and environmentalists consider the role of cycling in transport policy, many of them often look to cycling provision in China with a mixture of jealousy and encouragement and as an example to hold up to less enlightened, more doubting individuals. However, while it might be true that Europe can learn from studying the role of cycling in China with regard to the state of European policy (Smith, 1994), the situation is perhaps not as exemplary as one might think.