The impact of cycling on architecture

Cycling continues to gain popularity around the world and has the potential to completely change the architecture of busy urban areas in the future. The topic is a hot one, and has seen many exciting proposals for large cities across the globe. In London, Norman Foster, a renowned architect and bicycle enthusiast, even created a plan entitled SkyCity which would have seen a cycling highway built above the railway network in the capital. Foster's firm is also designing high rise residential properties in the city with more cycle parking spaces than car spaces to encourage residents to choose bicycles.It is no wonder then that the 2015 RIBA Normal Foster Travelling Scholarship was given to an architecture student examining the impact of cycling on urban development. The prize has been awarded to Charles Palmer, a student at Sheffield University to research his proposal about 'Cycling Megacities'. The study will take him to four cities in developing countries to see what challenges there are to bicycle usage and how it shapes the urban architecture of the areas. The cities he will visit are Mexico City in Mexico, Lagos in Nigeria, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Shenzhen in China.The winning proposal was chosen by a jury chaired by Lord Foster. They felt that the topic of cycling and its impact on public spaces in urban areas deserved further examination. It is thought that the information could help to shape plans and policy in the UK, particularly because the study will look at the policies, investments and campaigns used in the four cities. The findings will also fit nicely alongside the research that is being conducted by RIBA regarding healthy cities.At Coffey Architects we share the same passion for cycling and the benefits it can bring to urban areas and societies. We would love to see more focus on promoting it in London and the UK as a whole. It is great to see that fellow architects are looking at the topic and planning how they can improve cities. We look forward to reading the findings of the 'Cycling Megacities' research when it is finished. When it comes to commercial and residential architecture in London and the rest of the world, sustainability is key, and developments like this will contribute greatly.