By Eric Berkers, Frans Botma, and Ruth Oldenziel

As the Netherlands’ political and legal center, The Hague hosts a diverse cycling community, ranging from royals to civil servants. More than any other Dutch city, The Hague exemplifies the nation’s cycling story: everyone cycles to get around, commute, or tours the dunes on the North Sea coast.

This richly illustrated book tells the fascinating cycling history of the Netherlands’ third city, when The Hague became part of a rapidly urbanizing region called Randstad. With many other towns at commuting distances, mobility thrived, including suburban commuting by bike.

We see how The Hague—like many other cities—lost sight of cyclists in the post Second World War era of urban planning. Cities were designed to enable motorized traffic to penetrate their centers. Young architects, concerned citizens, and cycling activists succeeded in halting these car-oriented plans. In 1980, politicians agreed on a compromise that marked a turnaround in spatial policy. The New Urbanism ideas mean that livability—and public transit, pedestrians, and cyclists—are now center stage in The Hague’s urban development.

Funding: City of The Hague and Eindhoven University of Technology TIS group, History Section

Publication Date: June 2018
Price: 20 Euro
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