Internationally In 2018 the United Nations General Assembly designated 3 June as
World Bicycle Day, after it had been proposed by
World Cycling Alliance.
Europe Bicycle embassies In Europe,
Bicycle embassies have been set up to communicate established
bodies of knowledge concerning
cycling infrastructure, bicycle promotion and cycling advocacy techniques to other national, state and municipal governments. Established bicycle embassies include the
Dutch Cycling Embassy, the
Cycling Embassy of Denmark and the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain.
Copenhagenization Copenhagenization is a design strategy in which
urban planning and
design are centered on making a city more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians and less car dependent. The term was popularised by
Danish urban design consultant
Jan Gehl, who has been instrumental in the promotion and implementation of the policy in
Copenhagen. For more than 40 years, Mr. Gehl has systematically studied public spaces to see how they really work, using
Strøget and Copenhagen as a laboratory for his research. He has advised cities around the world, including Melbourne, London and New York, on how to improve the quality of urban life—in his words, how to "Copenhagenize" their cities. Independently of Gehl,
Danish urban design consultant
Mikael Colville-Andersen coined and popularized the phrase the term in this meaning to a broader audience, starting in 2007 with the
Copenhagenize.com blog', that highlights how the bicycle can be an important tool in the creation of liveable cities. The term has since spread to Britain, to Europe, and elsewhere internationally. The
Copenhagenize.com blog has inspired the creation of other blogs with the same focus for cities such as
Amsterdam,
Portland,
Lisbon,
Hamburg and
Munich.
Ireland In
Ireland the direct action group,
I BIKE Dublin advocates for improved conditions for cycling in
Dublin through direct action campaigns.
North America In North America the term
Bicycle Ambassador arose to describe cycling advocates tasked with promoting bicycling in a community. Such advocates can be employed by the national, provincial or city government and their tasks include
networking extensively with other municipal offices whose activities effect cycling. Early
Bicycle Ambassador programs began in
Toronto in the late 1990s. Other cities picked it up over the following decade,
Chicago being the largest.
Portland, Oregon,
San Francisco, California,
Seattle, Washington, and
Arlington, Virginia, also have programs.
Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C., and New York City began programs most recently. Some programs are entirely youth focused, while others become a de facto part of the city
Department of Transportation or other government agency.
Latin America The
World Bike Forum was organized in 2012 after the
Critical Mass events in Porto Alegre in which an automobile driver deliberately collided with and injured around 20 cyclists. During the Forum bicycle-based urban mobility is discussed and strategies to spread the use of bicycles in the hosting city are promoted. The Forum has taken place in the
Southern Brazil cities of
Porto Alegre (2012 and 2013),
Curitiba (2014), as well as
Medellín,
Colombia (2015) and
Mexico City in 2017.
Asia Thailand Thailand has a plethora of bicycle advocacy groups including Thai Cycling Club, the Thai Cycling for Health Association, and the Bangkok Bicycle Campaign. These advocacy groups participate in activities such as campaigning, influencing cycling policy outcomes, leading political discussions, organize events, and conduct cycling related research. The Thailand Bike and Walk Forum was formed by the Thai Cycling Club (TCC) and the Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation (TWCI) in 2013. The forum meets annually to bring attention to cycling and walking as viable solutions to
global issues including health-related and environmentally-related issues.
The Philippines The World Cycling Alliance, a global cycling advocacy group, founded an NGO in 2000 in the Philippines called the Firefly Brigade. The Firefly Brigade's mission is to promote cycling and to empower to citizens to get involved in cycling advocacy.
Africa Lebogang Mokwena Lebogang Mokwena is a Bicycle Mayor for Cape Town. She contributed to an event called 'Co-create My City', an information exchange between South Africa and the Netherlands. She spoke on topics including how cycling can break down racial barriers and offer citizens unique perspectives of their cities. ==List of cycling advocacy groups and individuals==