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How Cycling Can Save the World
Peter Walker — reporter at the Guardian and curator of its popular bike blog — shows how the future of humanity depends on the bicycle.
Car culture has ensnared much of the world—and it's no wonder. Convenience and comfort (as well as some clever lobbying) have made the car the transportation method of choice for generations. But as the world evolves, the high cost of the automobile is made clearer—with its dramatic effects on pollution, the way it cuts people off from their communities, and the alarming rate at which people are injured and killed in crashes. Walker argues that the simplest way to tackle many of these problems at once is with one of humankind's most perfect inventions—the bicycle.
In How Cycling Can Save the World , Walker takes readers on a tour of cities like Copenhagen and Utrecht, where everyday cycling has taken root, demonstrating cycling’s proven effect on reducing smog and obesity, and improving quality of life and mental health. Interviews with public figures—such as Janette Sadik-Khan, who led the charge to create more pedestrian- and cyclist- friendly infrastructure in New York City—provide case studies on how it can be done, and prove that you can make a big change with just a few cycling lanes and a paradigm shift.
Meticulously researched and incredibly inspiring, How Cycling Can Save the World delivers on its lofty promise and leads readers to the realization that cycling could not only save the world, but have a lasting and positive impact on their own lives.
Car culture has ensnared much of the world—and it's no wonder. Convenience and comfort (as well as some clever lobbying) have made the car the transportation method of choice for generations. But as the world evolves, the high cost of the automobile is made clearer—with its dramatic effects on pollution, the way it cuts people off from their communities, and the alarming rate at which people are injured and killed in crashes. Walker argues that the simplest way to tackle many of these problems at once is with one of humankind's most perfect inventions—the bicycle.
In How Cycling Can Save the World , Walker takes readers on a tour of cities like Copenhagen and Utrecht, where everyday cycling has taken root, demonstrating cycling’s proven effect on reducing smog and obesity, and improving quality of life and mental health. Interviews with public figures—such as Janette Sadik-Khan, who led the charge to create more pedestrian- and cyclist- friendly infrastructure in New York City—provide case studies on how it can be done, and prove that you can make a big change with just a few cycling lanes and a paradigm shift.
Meticulously researched and incredibly inspiring, How Cycling Can Save the World delivers on its lofty promise and leads readers to the realization that cycling could not only save the world, but have a lasting and positive impact on their own lives.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
102 people are currently reading
1714 people want to read
About the author
Peter Walker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
March 26, 2017
As a committed urban cyclist this was preaching to the converted, but it still gives an excellent argument to the fact that more bicycles on the road would benefit not just those riding them but everyone else as well.
March 25, 2017
I'm convinced, but how do I get non-cyclists to read this? It's a great dive into the importance of bikes, but it's also a necessary call to rethink our roads and cities. Putting people at the center of city life requires getting them out of 50-mph, half-ton metal cages, and governments need to realize that. The personal and public health benefits are enormous, and so are the economic benefits. Walker does a great job translating all the research and academic arguments into clear language that anyone can use to learn and advocate for more infrastructure and resources at the local level.
March 1, 2021
This book was so interesting! The writing was good and I stayed interested throughout. I loved that the topic was pretty unique. I also found myself wanting to talk to people about it all the time. Good signs of a good book.
Essentially, the author argues that cities should create protected lanes and specific laws to encourage bicycle use as an alternative to driving. The benefits of bicycling are many and huge. Health, the environment, the economy, the perceived attractiveness of a city, and more can be improved by increasing bicycle use.
I was definitely persuaded. This is an easy (but not quick) read which changed my perspective.
Essentially, the author argues that cities should create protected lanes and specific laws to encourage bicycle use as an alternative to driving. The benefits of bicycling are many and huge. Health, the environment, the economy, the perceived attractiveness of a city, and more can be improved by increasing bicycle use.
I was definitely persuaded. This is an easy (but not quick) read which changed my perspective.
May 7, 2017
I'm part of the choir here, but this was a great book. lots of research, lots of facts, fairly even-handed (I think; again, i'm already onboard), and well-written without any superfluous bits. really enjoyed this one. so much so that I read it in one 3 hour stretch (standing up for most of it, thanks to some advice early in the book), something i'm not prone to doing.
April 27, 2017
An engrossing portrait of what a relatively car-free, cycle-safe world would look like.
Particularly interesting are the ways in which technology will change the flow of traffic in cities in the near future: ride-share apps, driver-less cars, electric-assist cargo bikes, and cycle share programs. Multiple sources quoted in the book say that personal vehicle ownership will be a mostly-obsolete concept within 15 years. Seems overly-optimistic but I do see urban areas trending that way.
I have a feeling that the people who would elect to read this book are people who are already pro-cycling.
Like a lot of good books, the people who need to read it most are the people most disinclined to pick it up based on its title.
Particularly interesting are the ways in which technology will change the flow of traffic in cities in the near future: ride-share apps, driver-less cars, electric-assist cargo bikes, and cycle share programs. Multiple sources quoted in the book say that personal vehicle ownership will be a mostly-obsolete concept within 15 years. Seems overly-optimistic but I do see urban areas trending that way.
I have a feeling that the people who would elect to read this book are people who are already pro-cycling.
Like a lot of good books, the people who need to read it most are the people most disinclined to pick it up based on its title.
June 3, 2017
A terrific international review of cities becoming more cycling friendly; this book may have changed my life. There were two key insights for me:
1) Requiring helmets significantly reduces usage of bikes; people are robbed of the terrific health benefits of biking if usage is reduced; and the helmet may or may not help most folks avoid injury, so that the best solution overall for the community is to encourage but not require a helmet.
2) 'Livability' means people having a more one on one relationship with their city; a synonym would be "walkable" or "bike-able." Biking creates a statistically measurable difference in one's relationship with your hometown: relationships with retailers and city services; greater involvement in the life of the city; knowing more neighbors; more support for local charities and institutions.
SO, for the last 4 days of work, I have cycled to work 4 times, all of them without a helmet on the trip going in to work, but wearing one on the trip home. (Hair etc.) It's a start! I feel like I have a whole new way to describe why I love where I live and, though very late to the game, I am ready to be militant in pushing for more support on the roads for bikes because it not only is better for me -- it is better for the local economy!
1) Requiring helmets significantly reduces usage of bikes; people are robbed of the terrific health benefits of biking if usage is reduced; and the helmet may or may not help most folks avoid injury, so that the best solution overall for the community is to encourage but not require a helmet.
2) 'Livability' means people having a more one on one relationship with their city; a synonym would be "walkable" or "bike-able." Biking creates a statistically measurable difference in one's relationship with your hometown: relationships with retailers and city services; greater involvement in the life of the city; knowing more neighbors; more support for local charities and institutions.
SO, for the last 4 days of work, I have cycled to work 4 times, all of them without a helmet on the trip going in to work, but wearing one on the trip home. (Hair etc.) It's a start! I feel like I have a whole new way to describe why I love where I live and, though very late to the game, I am ready to be militant in pushing for more support on the roads for bikes because it not only is better for me -- it is better for the local economy!
December 29, 2023
This has sat 3/4 finished on my bedside table for months and glad to finally polish it off! Great book with a mix of technical, political and advocacy lenses. Just wish any talks of health benefits for cycling doesn’t talk about weight and size - fat shaming is not helpful to the cycling cause!!! Star lost for that soz
May 25, 2024
this book is so important!! fast paced and interesting for non fiction. everyone go read it🔫
August 21, 2022
A good look at how bikes can help reshape the urban fabric that we live in and just generally make life better. The book reads like an engaging news article and I wasn't really bored during any of it
June 4, 2024
Lots of statistics and data (as well as anecdotes) that are absolutely staggering. It’s amazing to see how other countries with good cycling infrastructure seem to just have everything right and have so many benefits that I do not get to enjoy where I live.
To me, one point that is driven is that good cycling infrastructure and more people on bikes seems to be good for literally everyone. I hope for a future where Miami can get some good cycling infrastructure.
To me, one point that is driven is that good cycling infrastructure and more people on bikes seems to be good for literally everyone. I hope for a future where Miami can get some good cycling infrastructure.
November 18, 2024
how could i forget to mention the bicycle is a good invention?
April 12, 2023
A fun read, and I learned a lot, but I also had to stay on my toes watching for biases and misleading statements. The later half of the book cites additional sources and seems more trustworthy than the first half, but a large portion of those sources are other journalists. Not sure I can recommend this book just based on that and the mildly inflammatory language used.
March 22, 2020
This book. This book. This book!
Obviously, it is preaching to the choir for me, but it’s such straightforward and pleasant read that I recommend it to everyone! Yes, bikes will save the world and I can only encourage others to read this book if they want to know why and how.
A few days before I finished this book, one of my coworkers told me to put “my bike shit” away because my helmet, yellow vest and e bike battery were sitting on a desk and could hinder a business deal (the client was visiting the office and would see my “mess”). What??? This comment summarizes pretty well this book, it speaks to people’s view of bike riders (not just “cyclists”), how bike riders are not the norm and the fact that very little accommodations is made for them in our country. Well, do not remain hopeless, this book shows us the way, how we can become more active advocates for bike riding.
Obviously, it is preaching to the choir for me, but it’s such straightforward and pleasant read that I recommend it to everyone! Yes, bikes will save the world and I can only encourage others to read this book if they want to know why and how.
A few days before I finished this book, one of my coworkers told me to put “my bike shit” away because my helmet, yellow vest and e bike battery were sitting on a desk and could hinder a business deal (the client was visiting the office and would see my “mess”). What??? This comment summarizes pretty well this book, it speaks to people’s view of bike riders (not just “cyclists”), how bike riders are not the norm and the fact that very little accommodations is made for them in our country. Well, do not remain hopeless, this book shows us the way, how we can become more active advocates for bike riding.
December 29, 2020
How do you feel about riding your bike? Would you say you’re “strong and fearless”? “Enthusiastic and confident,” “interested but concerned,” or “no way no how”? Whichever your self-ascribed category, check out How Cycling Can Save the World by Peter Walker. Find out why British police officers assert that “if you want to get away with murder, do it in a car,” how “The Bicycle Makes the Eyes Smile,” and what we can do to make cycling a safe way to improve our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our communities.
June 6, 2018
Super factual . Learned a good deal from reading this book. Man I love biking!
August 1, 2022
Pretty good, unfortunately gets technocratic at times and praises Boris Johnson and Michael Bloomberg. But there are plenty of good tidbits in there - would like to find a book with a deeper analysis of the whiteness and maleness of those who are brash enough to challenge cars on the road, and how this vehicular view of cycling excludes others - a very good point raised briefly in this book and more extensively elsewhere.
July 17, 2017
Enjoyable read. I've read a lot of books about bikes so a lot of this was not new. The chapter on helmets was a good overview of a controversial topic. Calgary sounds like a decent biking town compared to Australia and Britain according to this book.
May 23, 2023
A decent primer to learning about the political side of cycling. Debates over infrastructure, safety equipment, road design, and how much government should be involved in promoting cycling.
It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, because all signs point to cycling increasing when cities build better cycling infrastructure, but in order to build it, you need hard data showing that lots of people are asking for it. But, people don't always know how to ask for things they don't have categories for (see Malcolm Gladwell's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIiAA... ), and they often need someone to lay that out for them. This book is an attempt to awaken the masses to a that "higher" consciousness.
The arguments come down to:
1) cycling infrastructure is lacking because of a lack of political will and a pro-car bias entrenched in "the system" of city planning.
2) Cities can overcome this through political action. Societal awareness helps, but at the end of the day this kind of action may just need to be enacted by politicians because it's what's "best for society." This is a technocratic solution. At a basic level the author believes in a Marxist antithesis, in which the societal conditions in increasingly-crowded city centers will inevitably result in cars being banned and the deployment of alternative-transportation "solutions" becoming necessary. His book is meant to help cities get a head start on this.
3) Cycling is "good for society" because (and this is the usual litany trotted out in these types of books) it gets people more active (he argues that the costs of more cycling infrastructure are dwarfed by the healthcare costs incurred by sedentary lifestyles), increases mental well-being, makes neighborhoods more people-centric (thus increasing social connection), gets polluting and noisy cars off the road, and helps combat that nebulous cthulhu of climate change.
I appreciated his approach to wearing cycling safety gear: helmets and day-glo gear is fine if you want to wear it, but mandating it is silly, and having debates about wearing it isn't helpful, as it sidesteps the issue of inadequate cycling infrastructure that can keep cyclists safe.
I disagreed with Walker's technocratic approach to save the world through cycling. While he doesn't quite tout cycling as a healthcare panacea, he excludes discussion of other ways that people can stay active and healthy. He doesn't give any room for people giving reasons for why they might not want to cycle or have more cycling infrastructure (i.e. he doesn't address the question of "do people actually want this?).
Some things that contribute to less-crowded city centers (like COVID and working from home) he obviously couldn't have foreseen, and so it would be interesting to read a book written post-covid that tries to address city-center congestion.
Overall it was an interesting read that gave me some knowledge of the popular arguments for more cycling infrastructure, but I finished the book less-than-convinced of his solutions.
It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, because all signs point to cycling increasing when cities build better cycling infrastructure, but in order to build it, you need hard data showing that lots of people are asking for it. But, people don't always know how to ask for things they don't have categories for (see Malcolm Gladwell's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIiAA... ), and they often need someone to lay that out for them. This book is an attempt to awaken the masses to a that "higher" consciousness.
The arguments come down to:
1) cycling infrastructure is lacking because of a lack of political will and a pro-car bias entrenched in "the system" of city planning.
2) Cities can overcome this through political action. Societal awareness helps, but at the end of the day this kind of action may just need to be enacted by politicians because it's what's "best for society." This is a technocratic solution. At a basic level the author believes in a Marxist antithesis, in which the societal conditions in increasingly-crowded city centers will inevitably result in cars being banned and the deployment of alternative-transportation "solutions" becoming necessary. His book is meant to help cities get a head start on this.
3) Cycling is "good for society" because (and this is the usual litany trotted out in these types of books) it gets people more active (he argues that the costs of more cycling infrastructure are dwarfed by the healthcare costs incurred by sedentary lifestyles), increases mental well-being, makes neighborhoods more people-centric (thus increasing social connection), gets polluting and noisy cars off the road, and helps combat that nebulous cthulhu of climate change.
I appreciated his approach to wearing cycling safety gear: helmets and day-glo gear is fine if you want to wear it, but mandating it is silly, and having debates about wearing it isn't helpful, as it sidesteps the issue of inadequate cycling infrastructure that can keep cyclists safe.
I disagreed with Walker's technocratic approach to save the world through cycling. While he doesn't quite tout cycling as a healthcare panacea, he excludes discussion of other ways that people can stay active and healthy. He doesn't give any room for people giving reasons for why they might not want to cycle or have more cycling infrastructure (i.e. he doesn't address the question of "do people actually want this?).
Some things that contribute to less-crowded city centers (like COVID and working from home) he obviously couldn't have foreseen, and so it would be interesting to read a book written post-covid that tries to address city-center congestion.
Overall it was an interesting read that gave me some knowledge of the popular arguments for more cycling infrastructure, but I finished the book less-than-convinced of his solutions.
May 27, 2023
Well, if you can get past the extremely ableist and fatphobic first chapter the rest of the book is...fine. I did enjoy it, despite getting a bit lost in some of the circular arguments at times. But Walker [I just now noticed the irony of a bike advocate's last name being "walker" -- heh] makes one excellent and overarching point: cyclists shouldn't have to adjust themselves to transportation infrastructure -- transportation infrastructure should be going above and beyond to make itself safe for cyclists. And pedestrians. And skateboarders. And rollerbladers. And people in wheelchairs. And basically, everybody who isn't in a car. This is a grievance I share with Walker and am in full agreement: why are we still putting the onus on cyclists to "be visible" and "share the road"* instead of making roads safer for them?
This especially hits home because my current home (as it were) is Miami, one of the worst cities for traffic accidents and cyclist fatalities. The city is coming up on completing an $80 million+"linear park" whose major feature is a 10-mile bike path that runs from downtown to a terminus just a mile or so from my house in the 'burbs. But that bike path not only winds its way through recreational spaces (allowing cyclists the supreme joy of having to dodge soccer balls and dog walkers) -- it crosses major, MAJOR intersections at some of Miami's busiest traffic corridors. In other words, not only is it totally impractical for people who want to use the bike path as a form of transportation, but it is also useless for anyone who would like to ride more than .25 miles without having to negotiate a busy intersection crowded with some of the world's worst drivers. (That's a statistical fact. Look it up.) The city is so busy patting itself on the back for creating ONE bike path they failed to notice that they didn't actually create cycling infrastructure. The mind -- it boggles.
/rant
Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to spend this beautiful Saturday morning riding my bike on an indoor trainer because Walker is correct -- it's not safe for cyclists out there, and until it is who's gonna want to go for a ride?
*Public service announcement: "share the road" means that cars need to share with cyclists -- not the other way around, which is how most non-bike-riding car drivers interpret it.
This especially hits home because my current home (as it were) is Miami, one of the worst cities for traffic accidents and cyclist fatalities. The city is coming up on completing an $80 million+"linear park" whose major feature is a 10-mile bike path that runs from downtown to a terminus just a mile or so from my house in the 'burbs. But that bike path not only winds its way through recreational spaces (allowing cyclists the supreme joy of having to dodge soccer balls and dog walkers) -- it crosses major, MAJOR intersections at some of Miami's busiest traffic corridors. In other words, not only is it totally impractical for people who want to use the bike path as a form of transportation, but it is also useless for anyone who would like to ride more than .25 miles without having to negotiate a busy intersection crowded with some of the world's worst drivers. (That's a statistical fact. Look it up.) The city is so busy patting itself on the back for creating ONE bike path they failed to notice that they didn't actually create cycling infrastructure. The mind -- it boggles.
/rant
Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to spend this beautiful Saturday morning riding my bike on an indoor trainer because Walker is correct -- it's not safe for cyclists out there, and until it is who's gonna want to go for a ride?
*Public service announcement: "share the road" means that cars need to share with cyclists -- not the other way around, which is how most non-bike-riding car drivers interpret it.
December 9, 2020
This was a great book to read at the start of the pandemic when everything seemed so out of our control. One of the author’s central points is that infrastructure choices, and specifically those that make cities and even suburban and rural areas more livable, are very much in our control. Cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam were not always cyclist and pedestrian utopias. Rather, urban planners made conscious decisions to favor people and safety over profit. The author argues that the “vehicular cycling” mentality (that many hard-core cyclists espouse) actually keeps roads from becoming more safe. Studies in Europe, Asia, and the US demonstrate that the single factor that leads to increased road safety for cyclists (and by extension lower morbidity and mortality) is separated bike lanes. While it may not sway the most hardcore libertarian road knob, there is plenty of helpful and inspiring information within these pages.
November 16, 2020
Wbrew pozorom nie jest to książka dla fanatyków rowerowych. Powinien ją przeczytać każdy, kto dba o swoje miasto i otoczenie, począwszy od młodzieży na włodarzach kończąc.
Książka pełna danych statystycznych, faktów, badań i przypisów. Istna encyklopedia rozwoju infrastruktury, która daje do myślenia.
Mimo, iż opisuje głównie rowerowo wysokorozwinięte miasta, pozwala przełożyć wnioski na własne podwórko i sprawić, że zupełnie inaczej spojrzymy na ten złożony problem, szczególnie zza kierownicy roweru jak i samochodu.
Po przeczytaniu tej książki, konflikt między "samochodami a rowerami" staje się pojęciem abstrakcyjnym i aż dziw bierze, jak ktoś jest w stanie tak jednoznacznie stanąć po jednej stronie barykady...
PS Szybko i przyjemnie się czyta, biorę się za kolejną z serii.
Książka pełna danych statystycznych, faktów, badań i przypisów. Istna encyklopedia rozwoju infrastruktury, która daje do myślenia.
Mimo, iż opisuje głównie rowerowo wysokorozwinięte miasta, pozwala przełożyć wnioski na własne podwórko i sprawić, że zupełnie inaczej spojrzymy na ten złożony problem, szczególnie zza kierownicy roweru jak i samochodu.
Po przeczytaniu tej książki, konflikt między "samochodami a rowerami" staje się pojęciem abstrakcyjnym i aż dziw bierze, jak ktoś jest w stanie tak jednoznacznie stanąć po jednej stronie barykady...
PS Szybko i przyjemnie się czyta, biorę się za kolejną z serii.
October 26, 2020
“Not everyone on a bike is a cyclist.” Great assessment of the potential benefits of widespread bicycling use. Also some interesting history. Turns out roads actually weren’t made for cars. The “good roads” movement was spearheaded by American and British cycling groups.
Very UK-centric. I wish someone would write an American-focused companion book.
Very UK-centric. I wish someone would write an American-focused companion book.
November 29, 2025
The most comprehensive writing on bikes in the world I have read to date. From health / stoke benefits to economic valuation, I appreciated the mile wide and deep nature of this. There are some outlandish arguments that I am willing to look past for this.
"It makes you feel good, both physically and men-tally. This is no small thing, to feel well with oneself," said Ernesto, sixty-one.
"It makes you feel good, both physically and men-tally. This is no small thing, to feel well with oneself," said Ernesto, sixty-one.
January 22, 2019
Riepiloga moltissime discussioni seguite anche nel tempo, ma le correda di tanti link e articoli.
Da leggere sia da chi già è 'attivista' e ciclomobilista che da chi vuol capire meglio perchè investire in ciclabili e ciclabilità deve essere ai primi posti nelle scelte politiche, contrastando un ulteriore aumento dell'uso del mezzo privato. Meglio incentivare il car sharing o il moto sharing.
Da leggere sia da chi già è 'attivista' e ciclomobilista che da chi vuol capire meglio perchè investire in ciclabili e ciclabilità deve essere ai primi posti nelle scelte politiche, contrastando un ulteriore aumento dell'uso del mezzo privato. Meglio incentivare il car sharing o il moto sharing.
August 23, 2020
Awesome book - details how cycling can benefit the economy, public health and way more. My only criticism is that I think the title may be a bit off-putting to non-cyclists, but I don't think you need to be that enthusiastic about cycling to find the book interesting!
February 24, 2024
Preaching to the choir
August 24, 2024
5 stars for the title and goal.
2 stars for how well I think it would convince Brook to bike commute.
2 stars for how well I think it would convince Brook to bike commute.
April 30, 2024
Przewyższyło moje oczekiwania. Ciekawy punkt widzenia, sporo historii i przykładów z całego świata, dużo danych. Wiele się dowiedziałem nowego nawet jako osoba znająca już rowerowych aktywistów, ich postulaty i metody działania.
May 24, 2023
Polecam każdemu, kto interesuje się rowerami, a jeszcze bardziej tym, którzy się nimi nie interesują.
May 21, 2017
An excellent book clearly setting out the benefits of mass cycling and how all countries should take the steps needed to implement it. The benefits far outweigh the costs. The Netherlands and Denmark act as case studies. Please elsewhere need only visit these countries and see for themselves the benefits.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews