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Shift Into Gear®

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Planning Tools

Shift Into Gear®

Bicycling

The benefits of cycling are extensive; it benefits people’s health and fitness, promotes societal and community capital, provides economic benefits to the area, enhances the transportation alternatives individuals can choose, and protects the environment. Today, advocating for and building cycling infrastructure is more important than ever.

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A crosswalk with people riding bikes across it as the cars sit idle in the road >
A group of people riding bikes on a road as one person in a grey sweater point towards the direction they were coming from >
A group of people riding bikes together down a street >

The Science

The benefits of cycling are extensive; it benefits people’s health and fitness, promotes societal and community capital, provides economic benefits to the area, enhances available transportation alternatives, and protects the environment. Today, advocating for and building cycling infrastructure is more important than ever.   Cities are growing rapidly, and in the United States alone, urban dwellers account for approximately 62.7% of the population. The bicycle represents an increasingly attractive tool for cities to transport a significant number of people in a healthy, convenient, economical, and sustainable way.  

Investing in active transportation is about building more inclusive communities. Walking and bicycling are the only means of mobility for all children and youth and for many older adults.  The opportunity to move safely around our communities should not be limited to only those with access to a car. The emissions created by motorized transportation, and the obesity rate, continues to grow. Bikeable cities and neighborhoods are increasingly seen as essential tools in competing for workers and residents. Biking has many diverse health benefits.  The research is clear, bicycling is a key factor in creating sustainable cities that promote healthy lifestyles and economic vitality, and redistributing public space that has been dominated by cars can help build more inclusive and people-friendly communities. 

A group of people biking down a sidewalk with palm trees and more people riding bikes in the background >
A man riding a bike down a street in a green colored biker's lane. There are also cars beside the person on the road >

Why Request Shift into Gear?

Planning our cities in a way that encourages people to ride bicycles just makes sense. The research, planning tools, and case studies in Shift Into Gear® can assist cities and communities in advocating for, building, and maintaining cycling infrastructure that is an increasingly attractive tool to help transport a significant number of people in a healthy, convenient, economical, and sustainable way. We are proud to have partnered with 8 80 Cities on this resource, whose guiding principle is framed by the simple but powerful idea that if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, then it will be better for all people. They aim to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people.

Contributing Scholars

Our Scholar Network
G penalosa 6

Gil Peñalosa, PhD

Founder & Chair, 8 80 Cities; Chair, World Urban Parks

Program Request

Fill out the form below to request your copy of Shift Into Gear®