Ghent has been working hard on a smart bicycle strategy ever since 1992, but the traffic circulation plan in 2017 was what really got people cycling.
Every two years, researchers and mobility experts from the Danish company Copenhagenize Design Company evaluate the bike-friendliness of large cities in the world. No wonder that the Danes came up with this idea, when you know that their capital has come first for years. But “things can change” the Dutch must have thought, because, in 2025, it was Utrecht who took the gold, and the Danes who had to be satisfied with a still impressive silver.
No-one less than our very own Ghent now stars in 3rd place, thanks to a general score of 67.6 out of 100, just a breath away from numbers one and two. Above all, this great achievement can be attributed to the consistent bike policy. Safe cycle paths remain a top priority for the city and users can see it. And, with 64.4 out of 100, Antwerp is at Ghent's heels in 8th place. Ghent pays great attention to inclusivity. ‘The entire city’ on their bike, you could say. No easy matter in a closely populated centre with little room for bike storage.
Who'll put a spanner in the works for today's leader Utrecht in two years’ time? Ghent, Antwerp or a third Belgian city which is still prepping in disguise?
