Transport is one of the key areas where cities have a direct ability to influence the choices that residents make in how they commute. Sustainable transport planning is very important in order to design the city structure and define which kind of city model residents will live in. According to the European Union Report European Transport Policy and Sustainable Mobility(1), sustainable mobility actives travel modes, with more health and environmental benefits, offering a better quality of life and improves accessibility. In the case of my hometown, Sevilla has investmented in cycling networks together with a subway line and changed the commuting system and improved the image of the city.
But, where is Sevilla? And why the city development in mobility issues has been so successful? Sevilla is the city where I was born. It is part of my childhood and my youth. Sevilla has personality, it is loud (in the Feria de Abril), serious (in the Semana Santa), it is colorful (in spring), charismatic, traditional and modern at the same time. It is a combination difficult to find in other parts of the world.
Sevilla is the capital of the province with the same name. It is the fourth largest city in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia). It is located in southern Spain, in Andalucía, on the east bank of the Guadalquivir River. Starting with the Tartessians, then the Carthaginians and the Romans, later the Almohads until 1248, Sevilla has a multicultural background. Sevilla had the control of the trade with the American Colonies for almost 300 years, but then an economic crisis began. The civil war and the dictatorship of Franco slowed down the development of the city. In 1975 with the return to democracy, new perspectives were possible and with the EXPO 92, Sevilla started to think which kind of city it wanted to be. New highways, the Spanish High Speed Rail System (AVE) and in the last years the subway construction has changed the mobility patterns of the city.
Sevilla has transformed itself into a cycling city, in 2006 the construction started with 12 km, now the bike lanes have a length of 243,8 km, 138 km in the city, and 105,8 km in the metropolitan area. The plan is to build 205,6 km more for the metropolitan area in the next years. Almost 15% of the diary travels are done by bike (72,000 travels) and 20 % by public transport(2).
This bike lane investment was made also with a rent bike service SEVici, is a service from the company JCDecaux that has this contract until 2016. I means that they have 544 publicity locations in the city and in return they are responsible for the installations, management and maintenance of 2.600 bicycles. Bikes are available 24 hours a day and the year season ticket is 33,33 Euros (36 $).
For all of that, Sevilla has suffered a major transformation in the last years. Sevilla is in the top 10 of the bicycle-friendly cities of Europe, and in less than ten years(3), the city has become the cycling capital of southern Europe(4).
(1) Mobility.eu
(2) bicicletas.us.es
(3) Theguardian.com
(4) Coppenhagenize Index
Sense of Place 
I think that it is really great Sevilla, Spain is investing in cycling. Besides a few bikes lanes and bike racks around CSUMB it may look as if there is not much investment in cycling. The present of cyclist seen on average around CSUMB is much smaller than those walking or driving. While thing that many students is that the campus is currently looking to buy a bike counter. From 2010-2011 about 5% of students rode their bike to campus. CSUMB Climate Action plans wants to raise that number. One of the ways CSUMB will raise that number is by having pedestrian-only and bike-only zones.
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Hello! Thank you for your comment Monica!
Also a renting bike system from the University will be a good idea. So you can move around the campus with a bike, what do you think?
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It really is awesome that Spain made a concerted effort to not only improve the transportation issues that the city had faced, but in doing so also made a direct impact on the individual lives of the citizens while maintaining their unique culture and identity. Not to mention the awesome contributions that cycling as a mode of transport would have on health and environmental issues.
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In addition to marveling at the uniformity of intention as a collective of the people of the city of Sevilla, I wonder if these transportation improvements are in response to the people remembering the horrors of the Spanish Civil War (subconciously?) and never wanting to look backwards but look forward and to progress on a macro level? It’s as if we as humans have to experience pain,suffering and experience evil in order to counteract it.
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Prior to reading this entry I didn’t know much about Sevilla, Spain, but with reading this I also did a bit of reading about the city… and historical is such an accurate description! Being an American, I have grown up with a relatively new recorded history that began with Christopher Columbus so I am obviously fascinated that this city is dated all the way back to BCE when it was conquered from the Iberians by the Romans. Besides that, it is completely inspiring that a city with such a rich historical background is so seemingly modernized in its sustainability practices for transportation and has been since 2006! Knowing these characteristics of Sevilla has me wanting to know more about the culture and cultural values of the people in this city and even other cities that have similar transportation practices. America has this mindset that we would rather travel in our cars and pay ludicrously high prices for gas that justifies our petroleum obsession and the very unsustainable practices for extracting it, such as fracking which is absolutely horrible for ecology and the environment. Knowing how unsustainable American practices are has me extremely curious about how much Sevilla has reduced their carbon footprint over the past decade; which is the only “real” way of knowing whether Sevilla is truly as sustainable as it seems.
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Hallo Laila! Thank you for your comment. Yes, it is true, it would be a great way to mesure the impact, and according to the GHG emissions from to 2006 to 2007 they were reduce about a 7%. But it is not oly to thank you to the new bike system and the bike lanes, also new pedestrian areas were created. In 2010, 5,000 Tons of GHG emissions where avoid due to the new mobility planning with the bike lanes, the pedestrian areas and traffic prohibitions in the city center for no residents.
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Prior to reading this entry I didn’t know much about Sevilla, Spain, but with reading this I also did a bit of reading about the city… and historical is such an accurate description! Being an American, I have grown up with a relatively new recorded history that began with Christopher Columbus so I am obviously fascinated that this city is dated all the way back to BCE when it was conquered from the Iberians by the Romans. Besides that, it is completely inspiring that a city with such a rich historical background is so modernized in its sustainability practices for transportation and has been since 2006! Knowing these characteristics of Sevilla has me wanting to know more about the culture and cultural values of the people in this city and even other cities that have similar transportation practices. Americans have this mindset that we would rather travel in our cars and pay ludicrously high prices for gas that justifies our petroleum obsession and the very unsustainable practices for extracting it, such as fracking which is absolutely horrible for ecology and the environment. Knowing what I know about fracking has me curious about just how much Sevillans have reduced their carbon footprint with these practices, which is the only “real” answer to determine how sustainable these practices truly are.
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Dear Marta,
When you describe Sevilla the fourth largest city of Spain it sounds simply beautiful. I want to visit Sevilla now because the image that I created in my brain while reading your post made me imagine Sevilla as a fun, unique, and breathtaking. It sounds like a modern city. Sevilla has changed for the better over time. There have been many improvements that has helped Sevilla thrive. Sounds like people of different cultures, religions, and ethnicities populate this beautiful city.
It somewhat reminded me of University of California, Davis because in Davis most students use bicycles as a way to transport themselves to their classes. It helps reduce pollution and helps students save money. I think that Sevilla is a place where human beings care about the well being of their environment.
I am from Mexico and I have noticed that people usually drive motorcycles, cars, and busses. Only a small percentage use bicycles which is devastating because it would help improve Mexico’s economy and reduce pollution rates. I think that people in Mexico do not use bicycles as a way of transportation because many people that live Mexico drive recklessly. I find it sad that I would not feel safe riding a bicycle to get to one place to another in Mexico because I would have a high probability of getting injured.
Spain has gone through many challenges, but has managed to overcome them. Maybe one day I will study abroad in Spain and if I do I will visit Sevilla. My boss studied abroad in Spain for two years and she told me about Sevilla. She simply loved it. She is a very active person, she likes to exercise, do yoga, and most of all ride her bike. Maybe that is one of main reasons why Sevilla is one of her ultimate favorite cities. When I see her in person I will ask her because know I am curious.
Thank you for your post.
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Hello,
Thank you for sharing! I have never visited Sevilla in the past but it sounds like a wonderful place to vacation. I think it is super cool that it is recognized as the cycling city of southern Europe. The impact that motor vehicle transport has on the environment is substantially negative. Cycling not only lowers the amount of pollution released in the air but it keeps civilians physically healthy. There isn’t much cycling in Monterrey Bay and quite frankly I find bikers who try to cycle alongside cars to be a bit annoying. Perhaps, if we also established specific routes for them it would be more supported in the city. Nevertheless, I am glad to know that at least somewhere in the world a change is being made in the way we commute.
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Hello,
I would like to start by saying that Sevilla sounds like an extraordinary place. It has been a dream of mine since I was very little to visit Spain, and your post made me fall in love with a place I have never even been to! I very much admire that Sevilla encourages bicycles as a mode of transportation. Like you mentioned in your post, cycling is very beneficial to our health, as well as the environment. At California State University Monterey Bay, we also encourage the use of public transportation and bicycles. Our campus is surrounded by a large amount of trails for biking, and many students enjoy them during their off-time. I love that your city has a program available for people to rent bikes at any time of the day, and I can only imagine how beneficial it has been for Sevilla. It is quite incredible that Sevilla has become the cycling capital of southern Europe! I hope that one day I will be able to visit the city of Sevilla and go on a bike ride of my own.
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Hello, I want to start off by saying that I studied in Alicante, Spain for four months in 2014 and readying you post made me miss it soo much. Sadly I did not get to visit Seville while I was there, but one day I surely will.
That being said, I feel like I have a real understanding of what you are talking about. Public transportation and bikes are used on a much grander scale in Spain than they are in the US. I took either a bus or subway everyday to go to school and every time it was so crowded that they would start skipping stops because they could not let anyone else on. However they do not yet (at least when I was there) have the bike rentals areas. In Valencia they did but they were very expensive; around $20 a day for a rental.
In Alicante those that do drive are very “crazy” drivers. So not many people were riding their bikes due to the hazards. Is it the same for those that still drive in Seville?
I think it is amazing how has the city transformed. More places should try ans follow the example that Seville is giving.
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Hello,
Thank you for telling us about your beautiful city. It sounds like an amazing place, and I hope to be able to visit one day. I loved reading about the bike program in your hometown, and I wish my hometown had a program just like it. My hometown is a city about 45 minutes from Los Angeles, CA. On October 10, 2010 LA started a program called CicLAvia. CicLAvia is a program where the city streets are shut down for an entire day so that people can bike or walk through the streets of LA. This event has become a series which happens several times a year. While it is not as constant as your wonderful city’s program it accomplishes the same goal for at least a day.
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Hello,
Thank you for telling us about your beautiful city. It sounds like an amazing place, and I hope to be able to visit one day. I loved reading about the bike program in your hometown, and I wish my hometown had a program just like it. My hometown is a city about 45 minutes from Los Angeles, CA. On October 10, 2010 LA started a program called CicLAvia. CicLAvia is a program where the city streets are shut down for an entire day so that people can bike or walk through the streets of LA. This event has become a series which happens several times a year. While it is not as constant as your wonderful city’s program it accomplishes the same goal for at least a day.
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Sevilla, Spain.
Spain! Wow, the way you describe your hometown is simply delightful. It sounds like a place I would love to visit. You are so right when you say that it is uncommon for places to be loud, serious, colorful, charismatic, traditional, and modern. Some of these things are polar opposites of each other, so for one town to have all of them is amazing. When you started talking about how in 2006 Sevilla turned itself into a ‘cycling city’ it made me happy because exercise is one of the most important things. What’s really cool about bike lanes is that you get to exercise while you are going somewhere. So if you’re on your way to work, why not ride your bike and get a workout in on your way? That is just the coolest thing. Also turning itself into a city where it’s easier to get around, with many ways to do it including walking, biking, probably driving, or riding the bus could attract many tourists. Tourists are important because tourists bring money to a town. Does Sevilla get any tourists? Has Sevilla gotten any more, less, or the same amount of tourists per year since they became a ‘cycling city’?
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I was fascinated to see this post as I have plans to travel to Spain September 2016. Sounds like an amazing place to experience and impressive to learn it’s the fourth largest city in Spain! What I was most impressed with is the cycling lanes and specifically that 20% of public transport is done by bike. Also impressive that it is very affordable to purchase a year season ticket for only $36 USD, and there are 544 convenient locations. In California, there are many places to go ride bikes, however there is a lack of infrastructure for bike lanes specifically. Our bikes lanes often go right next to the road lanes and aren’t ideal for commuting via bike. In Monterey – California State University, Monterey Bay – we have many bike lanes and trails for scenic travel, but not commuting travel. It would be very interesting to experience the atmosphere on the commuting cycling lanes in Sevilla compared to Monterey. On campus specifically, many students ride bikes around from class to class, however it is a very small number compared to cars driven around. It would be much more sustainable if CSUMB made bike paths for students to travel through campus more conveniently. What I am curious about is how these lanes are laid out in relation to driving roads, and what kind of accident rates they have.
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It is great to hear that Sevilla Spain is a city that has successfully transformed their city into a cycling city. That’s so awesome!!!!!!
Many cities in America could improve in a number of ways if vehicle transportation was limited. Many cities in California are so overly populated that people commuting home from work in the evenings spend hours in traffic just trying to drive 20 miles (Los Angeles for example). On top of the traffic, many of the cars only have one driver in them which is burning an unnecessary amount of fossil fuels. If a city like LA was to shift towards public transportation or a cycling city, that could have a number of benefits. Most importantly, air quality would improve, those who live in California know that the LA valley is nototrious for the large smog cloud which hangs over the city. Although it would not be an easy shift because lifestyles currently revolve around cars as a means for travel, it is not impossible and eventually change is going to no longer be a choice. Eventually, either fossil fuels will become scarce or air quality will simply get so poor that car exhaust will need to be eliminated. It is inspiring to know that there are places around the world, like Sevilla Spain for example, who are making changes to eliminate car travel and transform into cycling cities. I would love to live in a city like that! Maybe, with inspiration from Spain, we could eventually turn CSUMB (my university in Monterey Bay), into a cycling university to eliminate car traffic and car exhaust pollution.
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One of the things that drew me to this post is that I have always wanted to travel to Spain and like to know more about its cities. Mobilization throughout a country is so important and it is nice to read about cities who understand the benefits of a good transportation. Currently living in Monterey, a city that I have noticed is full of cyclists, I have become very conscious of things such as our bike lanes; it is nice to see how Sevilla is conscious of that too. Sevilla being one of the top cycling cities in Europe speaks highly not just of the transportation system but of the lifestyle of the people who reside in it. Sevilla sounds like it would be a really nice place to travel to.
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I was drawn to your post since Sevilla, Spain had been very successful in their transportation system. I currently live in Salinas, CA. and of course I attend CSUMB and transportation is hard at times for me since I do live about 30 minutes without traffic from school. The reason why this online class was of my choice because it was online and allowed me not to attend class so far away from home. The good thing as well is being able to save some money on gas and not pollute our air as much since I do drive a big truck. If we adapted this cycling system as your city did it would be a lot healthier for ourselves but as well as for our air. On October 25 we had an event in our city where families and cyclist joined and road their bikes throughout the city in certain streets. It was an even that joined different cultures and allowed us to work as a community perhaps this idea could benefit the city and many other things as well. Even if we had this at CSUMB it would benefit the school and allow us to find parking too.
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Thank you for sharing your city with us! Spain is a place I would love to come visit. Your article grabbed my attention because I love learning about new sustainability occurring across the world. A lot of students ride their bikes to campus and we have a lot of trails along the coast to ride your bike through. However, I don’t see many people biking in town primarily because we are a fairly small town in Marina, CA. Through our campus living we do not have bike paths and I often see students riding their bikes in the middle of the street to get back home. It would be a nice idea for us to add more lanes for bikers. Since you shared your sustainability story with us I thought that I would share one. In San Francisco we actually have garbage trucks that run on methane (a greenhouse gas given off by food) that goes around and collects trash. When they sort out all of the food that has been picked up, they take the food particles and turn it into methane to fuel the garbage trucks! Talk about sustainability! Thanks again for sharing. I love learning and reading about this stuff!
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It is interesting how so many cities around the world have started to focus on alternate forms of transportation. The area I live in has also started spending money on making the area more bike friendly, they have even made it so the bike lanes connect different cities. Only a few years ago there were hardly any bike lanes to be found in my area but they have been popping up everywhere. I think if my city were to start offering bike rentals like yours does more people would ride their bikes instead of driving everywhere. I do wonder if the bicycling and subway system were easily accepted or if it took the community time to accept it and start utilizing the system. It’s extremely important to find alternate forms of transportation so that we can try and improve or reverse the problems that are currently facing our environment. Although we do have public transportation in the form of a bus system and bike lanes are popping up everywhere you look I don’t think many people have changed the way they commute to and from work or even how they get around in general. Maybe it just takes time for this kind of change to occur.
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Hi Marta, as I was reading your post I was reminded of a country somewhere in Europe that had a similar form a sustainable transportation where they used they heavily advocated for the use of bikes as a means of transportation instead of automobiles. Could have been France or Germany, or could have just been Spain. I just remember hearing about bike systems as a sustainable transportation in a documentary, moving on, I wish more sustainable transportation methods where more popular in the United States. There is a movement, especially in California where I am from, but I get the feeling we are the one of few industrialized countries that opts to use fossil fuels even though the destination may be within a mile. It is really depressing, especially since I consider myself an environmentalist. We do not even have to use bikes, we have public transportation which is slowly gaining popularity nationally. We as a country are slowly turning things around though, slowly but surely. It is great that countries like Spain are taking a great interest in sustainability, we are beginning to influence the world in thinking more green alternatives. Hopefully sustainability will gain more support here in the U.S. as environmental issues become prevalent; sooner then later would be really great!
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Reading about the transportation advancements in Sevilla Spain is really inspiring! Something that has been interesting to me is how many countries outside of the US have adopted these practices. More sustainable transportation is definitely something that cities in the US have been aiming to accomplish. Even more locally, at CSUMB the campus is moving forward with becoming more pedestrian and bike friendly. Tis would mean having most of the parking located on the outer edges of campus in order to encourage future students to utilize public transportation and biking to campus and utilizing it once they are there. One program that is being researched is setting up a bike sharing program on campus. This would allow for students who don’t have bikes to rent one and even use it for free for the first few hours and then park it back in its original location. It would be similar to the bike sharing programs that have becoming popular in most European countries. I hope that someday I can visit and see all of this amazing work being put in to action.
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Transportation is instrumental in modern society. We have built our civilizations around a fast transportation network that requires the masses to be moved and carried about. Many of us rely on our cars to transport us to work, school, home, and other activities, but those who do not have a car are facing severe hurdles in my society. For example, America has a good public transportation system, but it can still take a ridiculously long time to just go down the street on a bus. I also have free public transportation provided to me through my university, yet I still opt to use my car because it’s far more convenient. However, I would really like to ride my bike more if it felt safer. Right now, there are cars zipping past at 65mph next to our bike lane that leads to campus; this does not feel safe at all! More investment should be made to improve these conditions. It’s awesome to learn about how Spain has invested so much into its bike lanes. Maybe if we created a system like that here, more of us would leave our cars behind and get some fresh air and exercise while going to school, running basic errands, or just going out for some fun!
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Transportation is a huge issue here in Hawaii more specifically on the island of Oahu. Given the size of this island I don’t really see the current situation getting better even though we are receiving alternative modes of transportation and more recently so a light rail is going up as I communicate with you. The city bus is and has been the most efficient mode of transportation since the early 80s. Its just a obvious situation with the traffic getting worse by the month it seems. Construction of said rail is also slowing down the already pressure cooker type of stand and wait game on the roadways. Total roadway probably spans about a total of 60 square feet. Socially I don’t think Americans are ready to part ways with the lust surrounding big vehicles or the need to constantly update to newer ones. Car culture is the number one reason behind the already long list of inefficient transportation modes today. The highest amount of bike traffic I believe is on the west side of the island and that has mostly to do with economics. There was for a brief moment talk and propositions of a new bike rental system across the island with downtown being the incubator for the experimental transportation shift. I don’t know what happened with that but with the size of this island I believe it has to be either implement bikes or don’t because its pretty dangerous being a pedestrian here let alone a bicyclist. Be encouraged change is a comin.
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Aloha Marta,
I enjoyed reading about your hometown of Seville. Your notes about the city encouraging the utilization of certain modes of transportation, and even having the ability to control which methods are used hits close to home. Currently, there is a monorail system being built on my island of Oahu, Hawaii. As of now, we have a large bus system that allows you to get just about anywhere you could want to go. But the traffic on the highways during rush hour is so bad that a 30 minute drive without traffic, can take hours when traffic is bad. They even open oncoming lanes and the shoulder of the road for traffic to make six lanes during really busy times of day. With the construction of the rail impeding traffic on the highway it is making things worse, but the hope is that once the railway system is complete, commuters will be able to use it to not only reduce highway congestion, but also to reduce fuel usage and vehicle emissions on the island. We also have a bicycle rental program like the one you mentioned, although it isn’t nearly as popular, or as widespread. Thank you for sharing about your city. It is always great to see how even countries apart, our cities aren’t SO different after all.
Amanda
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Hi Marta,
Prior to reading this article, I have never heard of Sevilla. It is interesting to note the advancements that were implanted in the last 5 years. I am from Honolulu, Hawaii. The traffic here on the island is known as one of the most congested areas. With the construction of monorail system, one can only imagine how terrible traffic can be especially during rush hours. I honestly believe that the monorail will be doing more harm than good in the near future. I still think that having this new mode of transportation will cause problems with the people. I don’t think that people will be deterred from driving even if the monorail is readily available. Coming from a much more relaxed island, I was not used commuting hours at a time to get from point A to point B. I can only hope that the transportation systems here in Hawaii will get better. I am hopeful that one day, Hawaii will be similar to Sevilla. A more efficient and effective mode of transportation will be beneficial to all.
Happy Holidays,
Ynah Anderson
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Marta,
I am very interested in your blog for a lot of reasons! First of all, it is very related to my blog in that our goals are to reduce greenhouse gases by targeting the largest contributer, transportation. Secondly, you mention the city’s seriousness as one of its faces during Semana Santa, which I can perfectly visualize, as I spent Semana Santa the year before last in Granada, a neighboring city in Andalucía with similar traditions and processions. Lastly, I am traveling to Sevilla next week, so it’s really beneficial for me to learn the local culture before spending time there myself!
I found it funny that you utilized as your home page cover photo a picture of a metro sign typical of Paris! Does Sevilla have the same?
You mention the lack of a car sharing system in Sevilla. Do you mean just from point to point within the city? If so, I understand the important benefits you argue would come with a “park and ride” system. However, I am sure that Bla Bla Cars, another ride sharing service, offer rides to and from the city, which is not so helpful for daily tasks like grocery shopping, but certainly is an environmental advantage for residents wanting to travel a bit.
Reading your blog on Sevilla has also given me great ideas for the progress of my own! I was unaware of the success of awareness raising campaigns in Brazil, but with their aesthetically pleasing posters and competent methodology, this is an idea I (as well as you) could adapt to encourage biking based on an event that has already experienced proven success.
I like that you highlight in your white paper that transportation is a CHOICE, and everyone has the power to make one. That puts things into perspective for me; sometimes I feel hopeless in helping the world because I’m not a big important decision maker, like a fancy politician at COP21 establishing worldwide goals and objectives. But when it comes to transportation, every one of us is a stakeholder, and we have individual power to bring improvement, voting our opinions through our everyday choices.
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Thank you for your comment! I was reading also your blog and it is really interesting. Like you sais transportation is a choice and you have the opportunity to make a difference.
About the car sharing system I was think more about this cars that are around the city (for example in Graz, Austria zip cars http://www.zipcar.at/is-it (only in German)) And you can rent it for a couple of hours (going to Ikea for example). They are situated around the city, in some main areas, stations, etc. Here in Austria if you have a train card you can combine it with this system (http://www.zipcar.at/oebb only in German). I think that is perfect, because sometimes you only need a car for some hours. About the park and ride system I think it is important to avoid congestion in the city center, you can let your car outside the city center (avoid traffic jams, parking tickets, stress, etc.) and take a bus, a tramway or other public transport to your working place.
About the metro from Paris, I take this foto that I take a couple of years ago when I was in a museum in Paris, we don’t have the same signal but I think it is very beautiful, and I love Paris 😉
If you have another question about Sevilla, please don’t hesitate to write me!
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Seeing this article really piqued my interest because of the classes that I have previously taken regarding transportation infrastructure and sustainability. I think it’s great that Sevilla has taken the initiative to move towards sustainable transportation such as biking and subways. I was pleasantly surprised to see that renting bikes is so cheap! I really hope to see more sustainable initiatives like this happening throughout the world because biking is a great overall benefit to the environment as well as to one’s own health. It would also be interesting to see something like this develop in my own hometown of Orange County.
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