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Footage with Rush Hour in Copenhagen Makes You Want to Move There Now

Remember that video showing a 50-lane traffic jam right outside Beijing? It went viral a couple of weeks ago, as the world wide internet would once again debate what the fastest way to get around in the city was. Well, here comes the counterpart of that clip, footage of what a busy day in traffic looks like in the Danish capital - the city with more bicycles than its inhabitants.
Cycling in Copenhagen 1 photo
Photo: www.copenhagenize.com
Of the intensive use of bicycles in Denmark’s capital we’re pretty sure many of you have heard already, but let’s face it, seeing is believing. And this less than half-minute, fast-forward video is more than enough to showcase the vast differences between northern Europe and the rest of the world.

It was shot from the Larry vs. Harry bicycle shop HQ, and it shows a glimpse of what a typical morning in traffic looks like in Copenhagen - not quite what you’d expect for a European capital city, we can tell you this much. The term rush hour almost gets a different meaning, and that’s the most we’re willing to disclose.

What we will mention, though, are a couple of numbers that may elucidate the mystery in question. And no, people in Denmark are not aliens, nor are they hippies, cheery, metrosexual, hipsters, and so on. Believe it or not, they are human beings much like you and me. Shockingly, most of them actually own a car and drive it often too.

However, the Danish capital is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. Three years ago, 36% of all working or studying city-dwellers cycled to work, school, or university. Official numbers show that Copenhagen’s cyclists cover about 1.27 million km every working day - which includes both residents and commuters. 75% of the residents cycle throughout the year.

Besides cultural and perhaps historical reasons, we assume there are two main reasons why this happens. Firstly, young architect Jan Gehl’s initiative back in the 1960s must be related to it, considering that’s when pedestrian streets and cycle tracks were created in the city center. Secondly, Copenhagen’s municipal authorities pay a lot of attention to promoting health.

As a matter of fact, they even have a program called Long Live Copenhagen, a scheme through which they set a goal to increase the life expectancy of citizens, improving the quality of life through better standards of health, and encouraging more productive lives and equal opportunities.

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