Can Cycling and Micro-Mobility Deliver a Modern and Sustainable City?

Drawing on academic research, international case studies, and professional experience, transport expert Giles Bailey examines the rise of cycling and wider micro-mobility as central components of 21st-century urban transport. The book explores how cities confronting climate change, affordability pressures, and liveability challenges are integrating these modes—often in ways that diverge sharply from the well-known Dutch model.

Through examples from cities across Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and Africa, Bailey analyses both the opportunities and limits of cycling-led transport strategies. While the focus is urban, the discussion extends to suburban, exurban, and rural contexts, highlighting how low-cost micro-mobility can support broader social and economic goals.

Addressing themes including urbanisation, public health, the cycling economy, velo-tourism, and local freight, this book offers a rigorous yet accessible assessment of micro-mobility’s evolving role in shaping modern, sustainable cities.

Core features of the book:

• Strategic, accessible, globally informed narrative
• Case studies from the Netherlands, Paris, and beyond
• Deep dive into mobility justice, urban space, and economic development
• Insight into rural cycling, cargo bikes, velo-tourism, and freight
• Explores links between cycling and public transport, health, and city control
• A clear call to action: rethink how we build and move through urban space.

About the Author

Giles K Bailey is a transport strategist and urban mobility expert with over three decades of experience across public transport, mobility strategy, and urban innovation.

He previously held senior roles at Transport for London, including Head of Marketing Strategy, and is Director of Stratageeb Ltd, advising clients on future mobility.

Giles has lectured on transport innovation at Master’s level for more than a decade and has published extensively in trade media across Europe and North America. With experience spanning the public and private sectors in Europe, North America, and Africa, he brings both analytical rigour and practical insight to the study of cycling and micro-mobility.