‘Lüleburgaz bisiklete biniyor – Cycling for a better city’ is a roadmap for the conception of an Inclusive Bicycle Masterplan. It investigates how to activate the full potential of cycling for the improvement of various aspects of urban development. The project explores cycling as a catalyst for change towards a more sustainable, healthy, vital, inclusive and democratic urban environment and society.
The result of the study is much more than a bicycle masterplan for a specific city. It represents not only a traffic engineering approach, but a holistic vision addressing Hardware, Software and Orgware aspects in order to improve cycling and urban live at the same time. On the example of the city of Lüleburgaz, this book formulates recommendations and general principles for cycling in (midsized) Turkish cities. Yet the content is also relevant for smaller towns and larger metropoles in Turkey and other countries that do not (yet) have well-developed cycle infrastructure and culture.
As part of an open call of the Dutch Creative Industries Fund, the project was run by an international collaboration between designers, experts, public administrations, NGO’s and private market players. This open inclusive approach offered the opportunity to combine Dutch expertise in the field of cycling and urban planning with profound knowledge of the local Turkish context and stakeholder involvement. The design proposals and recommendations are made specific for the local context. They inspire municipalities in Turkey and abroad and function as an accelerator for the improvement of the urban realm.
In 2022, the municipality began constructing the town’s first cycle lanes. The strategic target was to construct 5 km of new cycle paths annually, but last year’s goal was exceeded: especially by creating a separate, bidirectional bicycle track that connects the train station to the city center.
Place: Lüleburgaz, Turkey
Client: Creative Industries Fund, Municipality of Lüleburgaz
Partners: Novusens, Sustainable Solutions
Year: 2019-20