Utrecht has surpassed Amsterdam as the second most cycle-friendly city in the world according to the Copenhagenize Bicycle Friendly Cities Index 2017.

About Copenhagenize

Copenhagenize is an urban design consultancy with offices in Copenhagen, Barcelona, Brussels and Montreal. They advise cities and governments on how to build more bicycle friendly urban landscapes.

During an international bike conference called Velocity, held in Arnhem and Nijmegen, they announced the defeat putting Utrecht in second place and Amsterdam in third.

About the study

Copenhagenize has been publishing the index every two years since 2011. The index measures the cycle friendliness of 136 major cities based on 14 factors. It assesses the bicycle policies, facilities and infrastructure of a city. 

Amsterdam slipping

In the first two studies, Amsterdam came first. In 2015, it slipped down one space to second place. This year was no different.

Amsterdam is still a great city for cycling the jury believed that it’s losing face because of lack of investment and innovation compared to Copenhagen and Utrecht.

Furthermore, the jury expressed a concern about the rise in scooters on the cycle paths of the city.

"There are more and more, and it threatens the safety of cyclists on the paths - the sense of security among the inhabitants' decreases. The city seems powerless in the battle to turn this around." 
 

Copenhagenize Design Company

Top 20 cycle-friendly cities

Here are the top 20 most cycle-friendly cities in the world:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark  
2. Utrecht, the Netherlands
3. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
4. Strasbourg, France
5. Malmö, Sweden
6. Bordeaux, France
7. Antwerp, Belgium
8. Ljubljana, Slovenia
9. Tokyo, Japan
10. Berlin, Germany
11. Barcelona, Spain
12. Vienna, Austria
13. Paris, France
14. Seville, Spain
15. Munich, Germany
16. Nantes, France
17. Hamburg, Germany
18. Helsinki, Finland
19. Oslo, Norway
20. Montréal, Canada