Cultureisadynamicprocesswherebyintendedandunintendedefectsaswellascomplexfeed-backmaybegenerated;theideaoflineartrafccontrol is therefore no longer adequate (Gtz et al.2009). Against this background the built environ-ment,vehiclesortransportinfrastructuredonotjust exist as such. They are also symbols and sub-jectsofthepublicdiscourse.Inbrief,culturecanbeseenasacombinationofentities andtheirsymbolicmeaning createdbysocieties.Agoodexampleofthisisbicycletrafc.Thesymbolismattached to the bicycle, the way in which it is per-Institute forSocial-Ecological ResearchISOE Policy Brief No. 3/2015There is huge potential in urban areas for cycling as sustainable transport mode. Capacity development for cycling as an integral part of transport planning in the context of either academic education or advanced training is a basicpillar from which to foster effective, high-qualityknow-how.The current cycling boom in Europe can also be seenas a result of a turnaround in the training of urbanand transport planners after three decades of more integrated training, new generations of planners arenow beginning to modify planning processes.The increase in cycling calls for well-designed andsafe public spaces, roads, and bicycle infrastructure.A broader understanding of what else is entailed inthe effective integration of cycling into transport andurban planning can be subsumed in the term sustain-able mobility culture.It takes highly skilled planners to design for a sus-tainable mobility culture in urban areas.Findings and recommendationsIncreasing bike trafc in many European countries is a sign of a shift in planning paradigmstowards more sustainable mobility cultures. It is also the result of 20 to 30 years of evolutionandrenementinthetrainingofurbanandtransportplanners.Capacitydevelopmentistherefore key when it comes to changing mobility cultures. Nevertheless, the day-to-day workoftransportplannersstillfocusesmostlyonmotorisedtrafcandthetasksofcreatingasmoothtrafcow,improvingaccessibility,andmaintaininginfrastructure.Cyclingplaysonlyaminorrole,withefortsoftenstillconcentratedonthebuildingofcyclelanes.Thebroader strategic goal of how to make urban mobility culture more sustainable and withinthis the need to focus on cycling as an everyday mode of transport is often neglected. Directregulation is not possible when it comes to mobility cultures. Instead they represent a commu-nity-wide (communication) process that calls for a new planning paradigm: Besides the politi-calwilltoestablishasustainableurbanmobilityculture,emphasismustalsobeplacedonskills and training for urban and transport planners.Sustainable mobility cultures and therole of cycling planning professionalsSustainable mobility cultureFigure 1: Urban everyday cyclistsISOE Policy Brief No. 3/ 2015: Sustainable mobility cultures and the role of cycling planning professionals 2ceived, and the degree of respect shown to it varyinsocialandculturalmilieus.Onecaninuencethepublicsrespectforbicycletrafceitherviarulesandrestrictionsorviaashiftinmeaning.Thetermmobilityculturetodayisusedinanumber of contexts in the current debate on sus-tainable mobility and livable cities. Theintroductionoftheeconomic,ecologicaland social triad determines the regulatory frame-workwithinwhichtransportandmobilityoughttodevelop.Accordingtothiswayofthinking,amoresustainablemobilitycultureincludesalltransport modes and is multioptional. This meansthat there is no single universal mode of transportwhich fulls all travel needs and demands. Multi-optionalitymeansthatcitizenshavemanyop-tions as to which transport mode is the most suit-able, efective and enjoyable for their trip (Defneret al. 2014). Oneishighlyunlikelytondtheitemsustain-ablemobilitycultureamongtheeverydaytasksofmunicipaltransportplannersanddecisionmakers. The focus is still to achieve a smooth andsafetrafcow,organizevehicleparking,andmaintain trafc infrastructure. Cycling as a prior-ity often comes a poor second and is mostly lim-ited to the construction of cycling lanes. However,new bike lanes as a sole measure will not changecitizenshabits.Instead,plannersneedtoaskthemselveshowtogetpeopletousethebike.Sowhatismissinginordertomoveinthatdirec-tion?Wefoundtwoimportantaspectslacking:aplanningapproachtowardsamoresustainablemobilitycultureand skilledstafinurbanandtransport planning.There are diferent pathways leading to a sustain-ablemobilityculture.Thepromotionofeverydaycycling is a continuous process which needs morethan just carefully considered investments in safebicycle infrastructure. As mentioned above, a per-sonsdecisiontousethebicycleasaneverydaymeansoftransportisnotinuencedbyinfra-structurealone.Itisthereforecrucialtounder-stand that travel behaviour is inuenced more bylifestylesandlong-termmobilityhabitsthanbyshort-termrationalchoices.Communicationandparticipationarethemainparametersforrmlyestablishing a sustainable mobility culture.Respecting the three following levels of communi-cation is essential if one is to achieve a change inthe mobility culture and promote the urban use ofbicycles in the middle term: Providing possibilities of self-regulation in traf-cviaadequateinfrastructurewhichinvitescommunicationoftrafcparticipants.Anex-ample would be self-regulation within a specialtrafcspaceundernewrulesassetoutinshared space concepts.Flow of information and presentation and stag-ing of news - for which public relations and so-cial marketing methods are applied. New trans-portpossibilitiesmustbeconveyedassome-thingmeaningfulandpractical,buttheymustalso be aesthetically and coherently designed toensure their sensuous and emotional appeal.Feedbackandexchange:Here,cityadministra-tionsortrafcprovidersinvolveusersinrele-vant aspects of planning. But this also refers toCommunication and participation are crucialFigure2:Factorsthatinfluencemobilitycultures(adaptedfrom Gtz/ Deffner 2009: 41)Figure 3: Mobility culture cycling and pedestrian bridge inBolzano.Functionalinfrastructuresymbolisingadequatelythe need for cyclists and pedestrians to reach the city cen-tre directly and safelyISOE Policy Brief No. 3/ 2015: Sustainable mobility cultures and the role of cycling planning professionals 3channelswhereusershaveopportunitytopro-videfeedbackontheirexperiencesandneeds.Anexampleisfeedbackarisingfromare-de-signed trafc space.Forthisintegratedapproach,itisnecessarytostrengthenthecapacitiesofcyclingplannersre-sponsible for cycling planning at the municipal orregional level in terms of their engineering skills,strategic policy thinking and communication skills: Adoptingaprogressiveandtosomeextentin-novativeoutlookontransportconstructionintheabsenceofready-madesolutionsorade-quate regulations for bike trafc;Understandingcyclingasasystemnotonlymanifestedincyclinglanesbutasa)partofstrategic urban and transport planning, b) infra-structureandc)servicessuchasbicyclepark-ing,goodintegrationwithpublictransport,signing and route panning etc.;Usingcommunicationskillsforparticipatoryandinformationalprocessestoincludecitizensand other stakeholders in the planning and im-plementationofcyclingmeasures(e.g.healthsector, youth work, retailers).Seven reasons why cycling encourages a sustainable urban mobility culture(cited and adapted from Urbanzcyk 2011 in Deffner et al. 2012)Quality of life & public spaces.1. Cycling makes cities more livable places. It enables people to notice and interact withtheir environment. It helps create a sense of place and belonging, and positively influ-ences community spirit. 2. Urban living conditions today are severely affected by trafficnoise. Improved cycling conditions invite people to substitute the car for silent modes oftransport over short distances and so contribute to reduced noise levels.Cycling is costeffective.1. Replacing some short car trips contributes significantly to cost savings for fuel, parking,and maintenance in private households. It is estimated that leaving the car at home couldsave around 90 euros per week for an average commuter (e. g. UK). 2. In many cities andtowns the bike is the quickest mode of transport. For distances up to five kilometres in anurban environment, the bicycle is generally faster than any other mode of transport. 3. strengthens local small and medium retailers, as cyclists shop for smaller amounts butare more flexible, dropping in at stores more often. Overall studies have revealed a finan-cial return on investment from implementing cycling measures. Both infrastructure andpromotion measures produce a positive return.Cycling is healthy. According to WHO, physical inactivity is the most important health risk in industrial soci-eties after tobacco consumption. Cycling increases fitness and can be integrated into daily activities such as commuting or going shopping. It improves resistance to minor ailments and can thus play a key role for public health.Cycling is safe. In cities with few cyclists, cycling is often perceived as dangerous. The presence of hel-mets, reflective vests, etc. emphasises the dangerous image of cycling. Over time, theincrease of cyclists is accompanied by a decrease in cycling accidents.Cycling preservesthe European urban heritage.European cities are unique. They have compact structures which enable living, workingand recreation to take place within close proximity. The paradigm of dense and mixed settlement structures and short distances is perfect for cycling. It supports a reduction in trip lengths and in the use of motorised transport. European cities lack space andtherefore need spatially efficient transport systems. Bicycle infrastructure fits easily intodense or historic city patterns and does not necessarily require large scale building andinvestment in the urban centres.Cycling is a greentechnology.While climate change and oil depletion are ongoing topics of global debate, the environ-mental effects of emissions from motorised transport at a local level also continue to represent an urgent issue. Even a modest increase in the cycling share of the modal splitcould rapidly reduce transport emissions by 6%.Cycling is fun andflexible.Cycling is fun as it allows flexibility and freedom, and stimulates our motor senses.ISOE Policy Brief No. 3/ 2015: Sustainable mobility cultures and the role of cycling planning professionals 4Typicalobstaclesthatmayhinderthedevelop-mentofsustainablemobilityculturescouldbeovercome with the following key measures:Givecyclinglegislationandpolicyanudgebyestablishingnationalworkinggroups: Manycountries are just starting to set up such groupsdesigned to bring about a national exchange ofexperience.Theyhelppromotecommunicationbetween decision makers.Focusonthelevelofcyclingdevelopment: Thisinuenceswhichmeasuresshouldbetaken.IntheEUprojectPRESTO(www.presto.eu)atoolwasdevelopedtohelpclassifythestageofde-velopment. Starter, Climber and Champion citiesrequireadiferentpolicymixofinfrastructureand promotion eforts.Beastrongstakeholder: Changesinmobilityculturesareoftentriggeredbykeymultipliers.Such actors are able to reach political consensussothatefortscanbecontinuousratherthanstoppingafterthenextelectionperiod.Anon-goingpoliticalwillinfavourofcyclingisthebest way of acquiring and securing the nancialbasis from diferent local, national and interna-tional sectors (transport, health, education).Take care of capacity development by means of:nTraining: The education of engineers or plan-ners in many European countries does not re-ectthedepthofskillsandtheeldsofex-pertiseneededtoformagoodsupportbasisfor cycling policies. However, many initiativesand organisations now ofer such training.nComprehensivematerial (currentlyoftenavailable in English only).nVisiting the planners and politicians responsi-bleforgoodexamples.Suchexamplesfromfront-runnercountriesareinspiring.Asitisnot possible to transfer these examples one toonetoanothercountry,itisimportanttolearnaboutthesuccessfactorsandthecon-texttondanalogiesandcomparablesolu-tions for the local context.Allowparticipation tobringaboutgreatertransparencyofstakeholdersviews,needsanddemands, which can then be taken into consid-eration. Users, ofcials, and decision makers areessential elements when it comes to changing amobility culture. Usesocialmarketing togetpeopleonthebike:Rationalandemotionalcommunicationcanboostawarenessofinfrastructureorservices,thus promoting their use. Just do it: Sometimes simple and in a way nonpermanentchangesallowtrafcparticipantstolearn about and adopt a new type of service orarrangement.How to overcome main obstaclesTheEU-fundedprojectMobile2020focusedoncapacitydevelopment in Central and Eastern European countries.Duringtheprojectslifetimemanynationalworkinggroups for cycling policy were established or revived.Multipliers in 11 countries were trained over 7 monthsandvisitedgoodexamplesinfourEuropeanfront-run-ner cities.Acomprehensivehandbookoncycling planningwaspreparedandexistsin12Europeanlanguages.Thehandbookreferstotheconceptofurbanmobilitycul-turesandincludestechnicalplanning,communicationandmarketingtopics.Insomecountriesitisthefirstcompilation of know-how in the national language.ObstaclesMissing legal frameworkMissing strategy/ policy (local, national)Missing financial resourcesMissing skillsMissing spaceMissing cyclistsISOEisoneoftheleadingnon-universityinstitutesforsus-tainability research. For 25 years, the institute has been de-velopingthescientificfoundationfordecisionmaking,aswellasfuture-orientatedconceptsforpolicymakers,civilsocietyandeconomyonaregional,national,andinterna-tional level. Among the research foci are water, energy, cli-mate protection, mobility and urban spaces, as well as bio-diversity and people.ISOEPolicyBriefsarepublishedbyISOEseveraltimesayeartohighlightnewandpracticalapproachestosustain-able development professionals. ThePolicyBriefsareavailableonlinefreeofchargeathttp://www.isoe.de/en/publications/isoe-policy-briefs/CreditsEditing: Nicola Schuldt-BaumgartDesign & Layout: Harry KleespiesPhoto credits: Laiotz@fotolia.com, J. DeffnerComments and questions are welcome. Please contact us at:ISOE Institute for Social-Ecological ResearchHamburger Allee 45, 60486 Frankfurt / Main, GermanyFon +49(0) 69 707 69 19-0 E-mail: info@isoe.dehttp://www.isoe.de/en/isoe/https://twitter.com/isoewikomISSN: 2365-1148ISOE Institute for Social-Ecological ResearchISOE Policy Brief No. 3/ 2015: Sustainable mobility cultures and the role of cycling planning professionals 5AcknowledgementsTheauthorsthankKonradGtzandallcolleaguesinvolvedintheformerMobile2020project,especiallyMathiasGrtzfromBEF Germany and Christian Rudolph from DLR Berlin for devel-oping and discussing together the concept of mobility culturesand its practice.SourcesThisissueofISOEPolicyBriefisbasedonresearchcon-ductedbyISOEonmobilityculturesandcapacitydevelop-ment,thelattertogetherwiththepartnerinstitutionsBaltic EnvironmentalForum,TUHamburg-HarburgTransportPlan-ningandLogistics,IBC,Utrecht,TheCityofZwolleandthe RegionalEnvironmentalCentresandAtgajaCommuneintheMobile2020 pro ject. The content is also based on the followingpublications:Deffner,Jutta/TorbenZiel/TomasHefter/ChristianRudolph(eds.)(2012):Handbookoncyclinginclusiveplanningandpromotion. Capacity development material for the multipliertrainingwithinthemobile2020project.Frankfurt/Hamburghttp://www.mobile2020.eu/get-trained/download/capacity-development.htmlGtz,Konrad/JuttaDeffner/ThomasKlinger(2014):Mobili-ttsstileundMobilittskulturen.Erklrungspotentiale,Re -zeption und Kritik. Handbuch Verkehrspolitik. WiesbadenDOI 10.1007/978-3-658-04777-1_34-1Urbanczyk, Rafael (2010): PRESTO consortium cycling policyguide. Promotion of cycling.www.presto-cycling.eu/en/policy-guidelines-a-fact-sheets/promotion-of-urban-cycling Deffner, Jutta (2012): How to reshape trends and policies to-wards more sustainable mobility? Presentation at: RESPON-DERMultinationalbrokerageeventintheareaofsustain-able mobility. Bratislava, 23rdof March 2012CitationDeffner, Jutta/Tomas Hefter (2015): Sustainable mobility culturesand the role of cycling planning professionals. ISOE Policy Brief,No. 3/2015. ISOE Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ed.).Frankfurt am Main, GermanyKeywordssustainablemobilityculture,bicyclepolicy,bicycleplanning, capacity development