Use and Promotion of Bicycles for Sustainable Urban Mobility: The Case of Bizkaia

María Jesús Monteagudo (), Fernando Villatoro, Roberto San Salvador del Valle and Nerea Aranbarri
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María Jesús Monteagudo: Deusto Cities Lab Katedra, Faculty of Social and Human Science, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain
Fernando Villatoro: Deusto Cities Lab Katedra, Faculty of Social and Human Science, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain
Roberto San Salvador del Valle: Deusto Cities Lab Katedra, Faculty of Social and Human Science, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain
Nerea Aranbarri: Deusto Cities Lab Katedra, Faculty of Social and Human Science, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: In today’s global scenario, any aspiration for sustainable development centers around cities. Decades of a hegemonic motor vehicle culture have led to unprecedented levels of noise and environmental pollution, urban congestion, sedentary lifestyles, and increased vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Mobility, thus, becomes a cornerstone in transitioning toward more sustainable urban models, where active mobility is unquestionable. More and more cities are focusing on promoting urban cycling, not only as a leisure practice, but also as an alternative mode of transport. This article delves into the progress and current situation of cycling in Bizkaia, a city in the Basque Country in northern Spain. Based on the insights from and knowledge of seventeen experts, it explores the main challenges and strategic actions necessary to promote its expansion as a sustainable urban transport mode. The study employs a qualitative methodology, with results affirming the importance of some of the “key factors” identified in the literature as essential for any transition toward sustainable urban mobility through cycling. Among these key factors, sports leisure is highlighted due to its central role as a facilitator in the acquisition and consolidation of these new mobility habits. The study concludes by advancing five fundamental premises, the main contribution of this work, that encapsulate essential knowledge, without which any strategy to promote cycling as an alternative mode of sustainable urban mobility may falter.

Keywords: cities; bicycle; uses and promotion; leisure; sustainable urban mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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