Welcome to a digital lunch seminar about Copenhagen – the cycling city with Malene Freudendal-Pedersen from Aalborg University
Wednesday November 11 at 12:15-13:00
Cycling in Copenhagen is everyday transport for many but also contains a number of emotional, embodied identity and cultural aspect. Whereas in many other places, cycling in a city is seen as a hazardous activity Copenhagen offers a different perspective. ’Copenhageners’ use of bikes is not defined in terms of risk, but rather in terms of urban everyday life on the move, with the sensuous, kinetic, and emotional power of biking emerging as a key to urban spatiality and vitalism. Copenhagen is often described as a model cycling city, whose approach should be duplicated throughout the world, and Copenhagen is without a doubt a city that prioritizes velomobility. However, the downside is a somewhat self-satisfied cycling narrative in Copenhagen, which, Malene argues, could also be a barrier to further development of Copenhagen as a cycling city.