Part of the She Drives Mobility Academy
This conversation has been available as a video in the She Drives Mobility Academy one week in advance. The first half of this podcast episode is freely available to all listeners, while the final 28 minutes are exclusive to Academy subscribers.
This episode is sponsored by myclimate. If your company’s interested in working together, just give me a shout!
In this thought-provoking conversation, I sit down with Mikael Colville-Andersen, Danish urban designer, CEO of Copenhagenize Design Company, and one of the world’s most influential voices for human-centered urban planning.
Mikael has dedicated over two decades to the endeavour of enhancing urban environments, his oeuvre is predicated on the notion that social transformation is catalysed by community cohesion. We explore the contradictions and possibilities of mobility transformation (in Germany), the power of local action over national politics, and the potential of urbanism as a form of medicine, especially in times of crisis.
Germany’s Mobility Paradox
Mikael offers a surprising diagnosis: Despite the fact that the narrative places significant emphasis on Germany as „Autoland,“ an alternative interpretation of the data is possible. Germany is positioned fourth globally in terms of cycling modal share, surpassed only by the Netherlands, Denmark, and Japan, and outperforming the majority of the world. Cities such as Berlin have a cycling modal share of 25%, while Munich, a prominent centre within the automotive industry, has nearly 20%, and Münster has achieved a rate of 35%.
Mikael highlights the irony: „In the major automotive nations, citizens assert: I am more intelligent, and therefore I will take my bicycle.“ In automotive strongholds, rational citizens are opting for pragmatic solutions, namely bicycles and public transport, due to their superior functionality. A frequently absent element in such analyses is the consideration of the political will.
National Politics vs. Municipal Action
In response to the issue of recent political shifts, such as the conservative governments that have been observed to roll back bicycle infrastructure in cities like Berlin, Mikael proposes a crucial distinction: national politics and municipal politics often fail to align.
He places particular emphasis on the notion that authentic change occurs at the local level. „I don’t care as much about what happens nationally. I focus on what I can influence in my neighborhood, on my street, with people I can talk to in this very well-functioning democracy we have.“
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Pragmatism, Punk, and the Politics of Anger
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Mikael discusses the tension between civil political discourse and the urgency of climate action. He acknowledges the value of anger: „It’s totally fine to be angry. It’s totally fine to be in your face.“
But he also emphasizes that nothing will change unless it is changed. Electric cars aren’t the solution—they’re just a new profit model for the automotive industry (replacing cars every 3 years instead of 12). „We don’t need different cars, we need fewer cars. It’s shocking that we still have to say this.“
Bikes for Ukraine: Urbanism as Medicine
Mikael shares the story behind of „Bikes for Ukraine,“ a project of him that has facilitated the delivery of over 1,300 used bicycles from European cities to Ukraine. These bicycles, far from being luxurious or performance-oriented, are utilitarian in nature. They are equipped with baskets and racks, and are employed by social workers and volunteers to deliver essential goods, including food, water, and medicine, to the most vulnerable members of society.
„I love the poetry of a simple used bicycle from Berlin or Copenhagen changing lives in Ukraine every single day.“
But his work in Ukraine has expanded beyond bicycles. He has designed the first Nordic Therapy Garden for mental trauma and PTSD, the first community garden in Kyiv, and the world’s largest tactical urbanism project on one of Ukraine’s most iconic squares—temporary furniture, trees, shade, and activities for people to experience during air raids and public emergencies.
This work taught him something profound: urbanism is medicine. „When a bicycle, a bench, a garden can give someone relief from the daily Russian terror—even for just 30 minutes or an hour—that is medicine.“
His challenge to us: „If we can do such massive projects with volunteers in a war zone, then I ask: why can’t your city do this on a Tuesday afternoon? We are so far behind the rest of the world when we debate and discuss and argue about bike lanes. As the great Elvis Presley said: A little less conversation, a little more action, baby.“
This conversation blends optimism with urgency, irony with action, and local pragmatism with global vision. Mikael brings both punk attitude and professional expertise, reminding us that transformation doesn’t require perfection—it requires starting.
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