Barcelona wants to build 500 superblocks. Here's what it learned from the first ones.

A community-led nonprofit restarted New Orleans’ bike-sharing program Blue Bikes with a focus on affordability and equity after a for-profit company ended it during the pandemic. The founders used the bike stands and tools left behind from the original program, the city provided spaces for the bike racks, and the funders provided money for a fleet of bicycles.

In an attempt to address liver disease, diabetes, obesity and other health issues, Brownsville has launched a comprehensive, cohesive approach to promoting health, being named a model for other communities across the country.

The city of Lancaster invested nearly $12 million to create a walkable mixed-use development area along a main thoroughfare, with nine blocks of businesses and community spaces such as a library and a museum. The development has generated more than $270 million in economic output and residents say the area is now welcoming and encourages a sense of community.

The bike bus is a group of kids and families that bike to school together. With the help of social media, one former school teacher created several viral moments that turned the bike bus concept into a widespread phenomenon. There are currently more than 200 bike buses across the U.S., offering health benefits, cutting down on car use and building community.

Guerrilla urbanism by groups like Chattanooga Urbanist Society develop low-cost, short-term interventions to community problems, like installing bike lanes and painting crosswalks, to fill gaps left by local government. Chattanooga Urbanist Society is focused on making the city more pedestrian-friendly and has installed more than 60 benches in the area. The group also accepts service requests from locals to handle issues the local government hasn’t touched.

The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that encourages planners to develop neighborhoods that are easily accessible within a 15-minute walk, bike or public transit ride. The 15-minute city idea promotes health and wellness by encouraging residents to walk and bike more, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fosters a sense of community among locals.

The Dutch city of Eindhoven was built around the car, even into the 1970s, but as part of remaking itself after its main industries declined or moved away, it has made a dramatic shift to emphasizing cycling. City officials took steps to improve infrastructure as a way to elevate the city’s image internationally and also meet the needs of locals through high-profile projects that proved so popular the city was emboldened to revamp a major motorway into a public greenspace.

Milwaukee is poised to pass a complete streets policy that would advance current efforts to make the city more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. But even without this policy in place, projects to widen sidewalk and improve bike infrastructure are paying off with more business openings and plans by developers who chose the city because of those efforts. The city council is supporting complete streets but it will need cooperation from state highway officials for some of those thoroughfares.

Most people in Holland ride a bicycle every week thanks to a widespread public commitment to a biking culture and infrastructure where everyone feels welcome. That includes very visible dedicated bike paths designed for the most sedate cyclist, courses teaching children safe cycling skills, and connections to combine biking and transit. Most Dutch don't need helmets because rather than making bicyclists dress to confront danger, the country has made the environs safer for cyclists.

Bellevue’s pilot bike lane project is starting slow and ready for feedback. By beginning the project with less than a mile of bike lanes downtown, the city made sure to brand it as a pilot, hoping to measure results and adapt accordingly. Also, the Bellevue Downtown Association had a clear voice in expectations for any bike lane project, all of which were met in the initial pilot. The city hopes that bringing on board urban planners, city council, and the downtown association will increase chances of long-term success.