TOWNPLANNING, WAYS TO STIMULATE BICYCLE USE. HOW TO PLAN URBAN DEVELOPMENTS ---PROCEEDINGS VELO CITY 87 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. PLANNING FOR THE URBAN CYCLIST, MARTINIHAL CENTRE GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS, 22-26 SEPTEMBER, 1987.

In the Netherlands many new urban developments have been completed. Because the bicycle is a very important means of transport, one would expect to see good examples of urban bicycle planning. However, this is not the case. What is the background to these problems? There is a rich cycling tradition and so why are complete facilities for cyclists not always provided? Town planners and administrative offices often have different affairs to be concerned with. What happens when cycle traffic requirements are taken as seriously as other requirements can be seen in the city of houten, a small new town in the centre of Holland. The layout of the town shows a dense network of cycle routes forming the backbone of the city. Cycle ways cross the main roads using underpasses. There is only one main road, an outer ring road. Every quarter has its own connection to the ring road. The new town of houten is in the process of being built. It is not complete and more surveys have to be conducted, but the first results are encouraging. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 816307.