As trends come and go, simple design stands the test of time. And nowhere is that more evident these days than in urban mobility. With everything from autonomous cars to dockless pogosticks vying to be the next big thing, the bicycle continues to shine as the most efficient, practical, and reliable solution to urban mobility. Many cities are taking note, building infrastructure and expanding facilities to accommodate the bicycle as an everyday mode of transportation while improving urban livability.

Some more so than others.

To track the pro-cycling efforts and initiatives taken by cities around the world, we present the Copenhagenize Index, a comprehensive and holistic ranking of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities. For this fifth edition of the Index, published biennially since 2011, we have evaluated and ranked over 115 cities from around the world using 14 parameters that focus on ambition, culture, and streetscape design. (Read about our methodology here.)

Copenhagenize Design Co. is a Danish urban planning and design firm that works with cities and private developers to implement bike-friendly cycling infrastructure.

The three-horse race at the top is as close as ever, and while Copenhagen retains the top spot, Amsterdam has knocked Utrecht out of second place with recent bold steps. All three remain role models for all of the friendly competition below. And it’s no longer only the Danish and Dutch cities that are really taking the bicycle seriously. The second pack sees a tightening gap between Antwerp, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux. Behind them, Oslo has shot up in the ranking over the last four years, and Index newcomers like Bogotá, Bremen, Taipei, and Vancouver are showing other cities how possible it is to make urban centers better for the bicycle. Just outside the Top 20 sit a number of cities all on the cusp of breaking through, each requiring sustained investment and implementation of bicycle innovations to see better rankings in 2021.

Until then, though, these are the world’s 20 most bicycle-friendly cities.

1. Copenhagen

The Lowdown: The numbers make things easy: 62 percent of inhabitants’ trips to work or school are by bike. Copenhageners cycle 894,000 miles every day. More than $45 per capita in bicycle infrastructure investments. Four bicycle bridges built or under construction. One hundred and four miles of new regional cycle highways. And as we saw in the 2018 municipal elections, parties running on a pro-car platform don’t stand a chance. Now we just need someone to remind the Lord Mayor.

The Fixes: A series of political decisions, at all scales, have put the future of Copenhagen’s cycling reputation in question. Municipal spending limits imposed by the national government have impacted infrastructure expansion, and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, strong political leadership on sustainable mobility has been absent since the latest election, resulting in a lower priority to invest in cycling. Lower in priority, even, than car parking. The city will need to find a way out of this mess if it wants to serve as a global inspiration in years to come.

Copenhagenize

2. Amsterdam

The Lowdown: It’s 2019, and Amsterdam is back in the game. Having dropped down to third place last time around, the Dutch capital shows us how a city can recognize when things are slipping and pull themselves back up. Since the last index, the city has released an ambitious new plan for 2022 that focuses on improving bicycle parking and existing bicycle infrastructure. With 11,000 new inhabitants every year, Amsterdam is creating new “royal routes” to accommodate more bicycles. To reduce stress during rush hour, they’re widening existing cycle tracks to more than eight feet, building more low-speed cycle streets, and redesigning major intersections to allow for more protected cycling space.