BPP: Partner municipalities
In short
- During the BPP, from 2007 to 2010, I-CE supports (or will support) 30-50 cities in Africa, Latin America and Asia in their ambition towards cycle-inclusive town and transport planning through local coaching and training; I-CE therefore puts Dutch and international experts at their disposal with the Cycling.nl network. This support either takes the form of coaching on location and/or the organization of training workshops.
- The BPP, through its partnerships with municipalities, aims at achieving a situation where partner cities integrate cycle planning in their municipal planning process and implement (better) cycle policies under their own responsibility. I-CE's experts do not have an executive role but contribute with a specific BPP information transfer, training and coaching program to greater knowledge, better understanding and know-how of partner municipalities concerning cycling, cycle policies and investments.
- Conditions set by I-CE for city participation are:
. a supportive development policy up to 2010,
. willingness to involve civil society organizations (CSO's) in the bicycle city process,
. a multi-stakeholder approach,
. a commitment regarding local financing.
Context in Asia, Latin America and Africa
Cycling practice and traditions and the necessary know-how to make planning and policies cycle-inclusive differ greatly from one continent to another. A regional focus has therefore been introduced on the 3 continents where the Bicycle Partnership Program is in operation: Asia, Latin America and Africa.
- In Asia, countries like India have a strong tradition of bicycle use for utilitarian purposes. This tradition, however, is being threatened by emerging motorization encroaching on road conditions for cyclists; in parallel, the bicycle is considered in Asia to be a poor man's vehicle and has an accordingly low status. Consequently, unsafe road conditions and increasing income levels are leading to a modal shift from bicycle to car and other motorized vehicles which in turn increases congestion and pollution levels.
Rapid urbanization in Asia and increasing investments in transport projects are creating both the opportunity and the need to ensure that cycle-friendly policies and infrastructure are included in this development.
- The challenge of BPP in Asia is to stop the cycling decline and to maintain or improve low cost mobility.
- Latin America also has a cycling tradition but of a nature closer to recreation and sports than to transport. Cycling facilities, if any, are often to be found in recreational areas such as parks. Consequently, if cycling is to be promoted, the urban road network has to be adapted to provide a safe and comfortable street environment for cycling.
- The challenge of BPP in Latin America is to promote and market cycling as a full-fledged utilitarian transport mode and make people less dependent on walking, public transport and the car.
- In Africa, although bicycles are in use for all kinds of (business) purposes, the bicycle is too expensive to be affordable by large parts of the population. In fact, both bicycle ownership and bicycle use are rather low in most African countries. The introduction of cycling as a common transport mode in these countries would allow a significant increase of low-cost mobility, thus enlarging new income possibilities for many poor people.
- The challenge of BPP in Africa is twofold: bicycles should be made affordable to all and the road environment should be greatly improved to enable safe and comfortable bicycle use.
Focus regions
The demand for support and in particular transfer of expertise exists in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To respond to this demand in the most efficient way, the Bicycle Partnership Program follows a regional approach and matches with regional programs.
Focus countries and regions are:
- India, where the Locomotives program (2003-2006) partners have initiated a collaborative venture of cities and civil society organizations (CSO's) for capacity-building and integrated planning.
- Brazil, with a strong group of CSO's united in a federal organization and where a national program runs for the implementation of cycling policies: "Bicicleta Brazil".
- South Africa, where the national government, cities and CSO's develop programs for bicycle affordability and cycle planning; in South Africa, the World Cup Soccer 2010 provides an opportunity to develop cycle-inclusive infrastructure investments which have to be made in prevision of the event.
- East Africa, where a number of CSO's exist with a strong demand for support, amongst other reasons in view of the definition of a specific African agenda for the development of cycling policies.
Examples of participating cities
- The BPP presently (2008) supports or programs to support 20 cities through coaching on location. Capacity building will take place on location and in workshops. In these workshops, 20-30 other cities will also be involved.
The 20 cities where coaching takes place or is planned are:
. India: Nanded, Pune, Delhi
. South Africa: Cape Town, Pretoria
. Botswana: Gaborone
. Kenya: Kitale
. Uganda: Jinja, Iganga
. Burkina Faso: Ouagadougou
. Ghana: Accra
. Brazil: Florianópolis, Resende, Rio de Janeiro
. Chile: Santiago (3 municipalities)
. Peru: Lima
. Colombia: Bogotá
. Ecuador: Quito
- Coaching on location aims to improve the capacities and performances for the local strategy towards pro-poor cycling policies. Strategies are different according to the nature of the objectives or type of infrastructure aimed for: cycle planning as a stand-alone policy, cycle-inclusive planning, cycle planning in connection with improvement of public transport, a city wide cycling network, a main route, or a feeder route.
