The Legacy of Thirteen Years of ThinkBike Workshops in the U.S. & Canada

A new report examines the outcomes and legacy of the Dutch Cycling Embassy’s (DCE) ThinkBike Workshops® in the U.S. and Canada.

The Dutch Cycling Embassy—a public-private network that exports Dutch cycling knowledge and expertise to regions around the world— is celebrating its thirteen-year anniversary. As part of this milestone, the DCE has released a report looking at the outcomes of its ThinkBike Workshop® program in North America, documenting the many ways they have helped local communities build a more bike-friendly future.

Since its founding in 2011, the Dutch Cycling Embassy has hosted 27 ThinkBike Workshops® in the U.S. and Canada in 23 different cities, assembling teams of Dutch experts to offer support and guidance in implementing Dutch-style solutions. Local participants include policymakers, constituents, city staff, activists, and elected officials, who work with the Dutch experts to help solve specific challenges facing the community in expanding its bicycle facilities. The workshops meld both theory and practice, and are intended to be intensive, interactive, solutions-oriented, and hands-on.

The report uses the conceptual framework deployed in ThinkBike Workshops® to examine their outcomes, reviewing the hardware, software, and orgware legacies of DCE partnerships. Hardware outcomes include modifications to the built environment, such as cycling facilities and cycling network improvements. Software outcomes attempt to change user behavior, including awareness campaigns, education, and outreach. Orgware fosters collaboration between different stakeholders and builds institutional capacity.

As detailed in the report, ThinkBike Workshops® have meaningfully contributed to bicycle infrastructure projects across the United States and Canada through expert recommendations, conceptual and design support, and facilitation of discussion between local stakeholders. Several bicycle facility projects have been directly influenced by collaboration through workshops, and these projects have been implemented in a wide variety of local contexts.

The report also emphasizes the value of having many stakeholders, departments, and organisations participate in ThinkBike Workshops®, pointing to the lasting impact of workshops in developing buy-in and skills among agency staff, encouraging collaboration within their communities, and building political support for expanded cycling facilities.

If you would like to download a PDF copy of this booklet, click here.

If you are interested in organizing a ThinkBike Workshop® in your community, please email the Dutch Cycling Embassy at info@dutchcycling.nl.