Advancing Active Mobility for Livable and Productive Chinese Cities

From July 14 to 16, 2026 in Beijing, the Dutch Cycling Embassy was proud to support the World Bank’s workshop, ‘Advancing Active Mobility for Livable and Productive Chinese Cities’. International Relations Manager Chris Bruntlett participated alongside public-private network experts Lennart Nout from Mobycon and Marco Mulder from Arcadis and six Chinese active mobility experts. 

Together with over 40 municipal officials, planners, engineers, academics, and transport professionals from across China, coming from cities with a combined estimated population of over 140-million people, the reciprocal knowledge exchange explored what it takes to make walking and cycling a practical, attractive, and competitive choice for everyday journeys in those contexts.

The programme combined six sessions of classroom learning with four hands-on site visits, allowing participants to connect policy, planning, and design principles with real-world examples across Beijing. From the revitalized Liangmahe Riverfront and Guomao area to the elevated Shangdi–Huilongguan cycling path and Shahe Station’s multi-level bike parking facility, the first of its kind in the country, each visit sparked valuable discussions about how Chinese cities are already innovating to support active mobility.

A few key insights emerged from the presentations and discussions across the week: 

🚲 Cycling is not a transport project; it is a city-building strategy. Investments in active mobility deliver benefits that extend far beyond transportation, including public health, economic vitality, environmental sustainability, improved safety and social inclusion. 

🏛️ Leadership matters. Successful cycling cities are built through coordinated action across different levels of government, supported by clear policies, long-term funding, and institutional commitment and cooperation from the public and private sectors. 

🕸️ Networks are more important than individual projects. Safe, comfortable, direct, and attractive routes only succeed when they form a coherent system that connects people to the destinations that matter most: like school, shops, and everywhere in between. 

🚉 Cycling and public transport are the strongest when they work together. High-quality bike parking, station access, and seamless multimodal connections dramatically expand the reach and effectiveness of public transport networks, especially metro systems. 

🛣️ Design influences behaviour. Streets and intersections designed for safety, comfort, and intuitive movement encourage more people to choose active modes for daily travel. 

🚗 Managing car access, speed, and parking remains essential. Creating space for walking and cycling often requires thoughtful decisions about how limited street space is allocated and prioritized. This means deliberately reducing car volumes and speeds. 

The most encouraging takeaway was the enthusiasm, curiosity, and expertise shared by participants in the workshop. The questions, debates, breakout exercises, and site visit discussions demonstrated a growing recognition that active mobility can play a central role in creating healthier, more productive, and more livable cities.  

A sincere thank you to the World Bank team, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, our Chinese hosts and speakers, and all participants who contributed their knowledge and perspectives throughout the week. The Dutch Cycling Embassy is excited to continue our ever-expanding work with Chinese cities in the months ahead.