Urban Business Planning: Embracing the Dutch Cycling Model
In Italy, the expansion of roads and the construction of highways often receive unquestioned funding in the billions. However, when it comes to establishing a bicycle lane, every single euro must be meticulously justified. This disparity stems from a longstanding misconception: viewing cycling infrastructure as an “emotional” or political investment rather than a strategic economic asset.
The Dutch Public Sector Approach
The Netherlands has long transcended this outdated perspective. Through the efforts of the Dutch Cycling Embassy—a network uniting public institutions and private companies—the nation has demonstrated that cycling is not a “poor” mode of transport but an infrastructure with exceptionally high economic returns.
From June 16 to 19, 2026, Rimini hosted Velo-city 2026, the global summit dedicated to cycling, bringing together administrators, politicians, technicians, representatives from public and private companies, industry professionals, and associations from around the world.
“Cities must learn to develop true business plans,” explained Paolo Ruffino, a consultant at Royal Haskoning DHV, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious engineering and consulting firms. “This requires an entrepreneurial vision applied to the public sector, capable of translating ideas and objectives into concrete and fundable projects. Everyone knows that European funding cycles last seven years. Instead of starting with funding to create a project to finance, we should do the opposite: start with a long-term project and find the correct call to fund the works. This way, we can support good ideas with data, clear strategies, and a long-term vision for managing available resources.”
The Major Error in Mobility Economics
“The main problem lies in how ministries calculate investment returns,” explained Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager of the Dutch Cycling Embassy. “Traditional evaluation systems are excellent at calculating the construction costs of car infrastructure but fail miserably at quantifying long-term social benefits and avoided costs.”
Investing in cycling yields benefits that extend beyond the transportation sector, cascading into health, environment, economy, and urban planning. The Dutch Social Cost-Benefit Analysis maps what politics often overlooks, such as reductions in diseases related to sedentary lifestyles (like diabetes) and savings for the healthcare system, as well as decreased demand for car parking and costly road expansions (bridges, overpasses) that would cost billions.
When Bicycle Parking Saves Public Transport
To understand the impact of “bikenomics,” consider infrastructure projects that have challenged initial skepticism.
When Utrecht invested €30 million in an underground parking facility for 12,500 bicycles at the central station, many cried folly. A subsequent cost-benefit analysis reversed the narrative: maintaining that structure costs “only” about €1 per day per user. If those same users had to reach the station by bus or tram, the cost to public coffers (in subsidies for local transport) would have been €3 per day per user. Promoting bike-train intermodality saves millions of euros in public funds each year.
What Happens When We Bet on Active Mobility?
To visualize the economic potential of the transition, the city of Rotterdam simulated a 2024 scenario based on very ambitious mobility policies. The numerical results should make any public decision-maker in Italy reflect:
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+1 km/h Speed: If the network’s fluidity allowed cyclists to ride just one kilometer per hour faster on average, the city would gain €26 million annually in productivity.
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Less Diabetes, More Savings: Increased physical activity related to active mobility would save the local healthcare system €13 million annually just on diabetes treatment.
Moreover, data demolish the myth that merchants need cars in front of their storefronts: in Rotterdam, customers who shop on foot or by bicycle spend a total of €818 million annually in the city’s stores.
Therefore, “bikenomics” requires a long-term vision, similar to that of a true urban business plan: clear objectives, data supporting choices, and a strategy capable of intercepting available resources.
The Three Rules of Change
The Dutch model shows that change starts with some fundamental rules.
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Measure the Real Benefits of Cycling: Go beyond a view limited to road traffic alone and include in decision-making processes the effects on public health, local economy, and quality of life.
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Stop Thinking in Isolated Interventions: A bicycle lane alone has limited value, while a continuous, safe, and interconnected network is what allows the bicycle to become a true mobility system.
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Focus on Missing Links: Often, a single strategic intervention—a bridge, a crossing, a connection between two existing paths—can change the habits of thousands of people.
By adopting these principles, cities can transform their urban landscapes, promote sustainable mobility, and achieve significant economic and social benefits.