The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our cities in monumental ways with no sector likely being more severely impacted than transport. Lockdowns, physical spacing, transport restrictions and stay-at-home guidelines have transformed personal mobility and highlighted the mistakes of an unbalanced pro-car culture that defined a century of urban planning. One immediate effect of the virus in relation to travel demand and supply was the emergence of active travel modes because of their unique ability to provide a socially distanced way of transport. Cycling is one of the modes that has enjoyed significant attention. Numerous cities have reallocated street and public space to cyclists and introduced pro-bike interventions like pop-up cycle lanes, e-bike subsidies, free bike-share use and traffic calming measures. This newly found outbreak-induced momentum creates an opportunity to establish a new ethos that allows the promotion of potentially permanent strategies that may help cycling to be (re-)established as a robust, mainstream and resilient travel mode for inner city trips and not as a second-class alternative operating under the automobile’s giant shadow. This paper provides a state-of-the-art description of the anti-COVID cycling-friendly initiatives that have been introduced globally, the successes and failures of these initiatives, the lessons learnt that can help us redefine the bicycle’s role in local societies today and a best cycling practice policy guide for planning a more bike-centric future.

Cycling tourism is an environmentally friendly way to explore a destination. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more popular worldwide, since it permits an in-depth communication both with nature and people. In this context, the aim of this paper is to explore, in detail, mainly the environmental motivators of cycling tourists, and their significance, in Greece, by using qualitative social research (in-depth interviews and focus groups) and participative analytical hierarchical process. The results show that regarding physical environment, the element which attracts cycle tourists the most is the variety of scenic views along their route. Existence of lakes, rivers and beaches were also valued. On the contrary, “Biodiversity” and “Untouched natural landscapes” were ranked low as a description of the quality of the natural environment. However, the rise of cycling tourism depends considerably on the appropriate infrastructure, namely roads with low slopes, appropriate quality of surfaces and cycling infrastructure. Planners, policy-makers, and competent authorities should give emphasis on the critical factors in order to enhance cycling tourism, thus resulting in positive multiplying effects such as environmental protection and economic growth.

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Shifting from a fossil-fueled to an eco-friendly vehicle fleet in cities could pave the way towards a more sustainable future. Electric Vehicles (EVs) should thus be prioritized, so that they could replace conventional vehicles gradually. In this context, an EV-accommodating infrastructure, which ensures the functionality of the entire system, is essential. This study aims to develop a methodological framework to identify suitable locations for the deployment of EV charging points in urban environments. To meet this objective, we acquired a mixed method approach including a systematic literature review, 12 semistructured stakeholder interviews which were thematically analyzed, and an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The outcome is a spatial model function, which consists of parameters and weights for estimating the suitability of each urban road link that will allow the establishment of EV charging points. Results show that the key location selection factors are: transport hubs, marked or controlled parking spaces, and points of interest. The less significant factor is public services. Therefore, there is a preference, in stakeholder level, for transport features over the land use ones (69% over 31%). Although this research is conducted in Greece, we intend to suggest methods and generate valuable findings that may be valid and generalizable for a more global context.

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