In a significant global recognition, World Heritage City Ahmedabad has been featured among the Top 100 Cycle-Friendly Cities in the newly released Copenhagenize Index 2025 – EIT Urban Mobility Edition. The internationally acclaimed index, which evaluates cities on their cycling policies, infrastructure, and mobility performance, has acknowledged Ahmedabad’s growing commitment to sustainable and people-centric mobility.
Following an initial global screening, 100 cities were shortlisted for the index. Ahmedabad’s inclusion in this prestigious list is being viewed as an acknowledgement of the city’s progressive cycling policies, expanding infrastructure, and the Gujarat Government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s consistent efforts—supported by enthusiastic citizen participation—to promote sustainable urban mobility. This achievement also marks the acceptance of Ahmedabad’s cycling model on an international platform.
The Copenhagenize Index considers cycling not merely as a mode of daily transportation but as a powerful reflection of a city’s urban efficiency and its prioritisation of people-centric planning. According to the 2025 report, the evaluation this year focused on the presence of safe and well-connected cycling infrastructure, the overall reach and usage of cycling in the city, and the strength of supporting policies and governance. Together, these elements—ranging from protected cycle tracks, bike-parking facilities, traffic-calming zones, and daily cycling trips to women’s participation, bike-sharing systems, and urban planning initiatives—formed the basis for determining each city’s composite score and final ranking.
A total of 13 indicators—including safe cycling tracks, bike parking, traffic-calming zones, daily cycling trips, women’s participation, bike-sharing systems, policy backing, and urban planning—were used to determine each city’s composite score and final ranking.
Among the leading global cities this year were Utrecht, Copenhagen, Ghent, Amsterdam, and Paris. In Asia, cities such as Kyoto, Singapore, Taipei, and Osaka performed strongly, with Ahmedabad representing India with pride. Ahmedabad’s progress in recent years—characterised by the development of new cycle-friendly corridors, traffic-calming zones, and a heightened focus on safety and awareness—has played a crucial role in securing this global position.
According to the Copenhagenize and EIT Urban Mobility teams, cycling-centric policies have proven highly effective in helping cities achieve their environmental goals, improve air quality, reduce congestion, and promote healthier lifestyles. EIT Urban Mobility CEO Marc Rozendal emphasized that the Copenhagenize Index serves not only as a ranking system but also as a practical guide for cities to learn, evaluate, and strengthen their cycling ecosystems.
For Ahmedabad, this achievement signals a major leap in the city’s journey toward sustainable mobility. Rapidly expanding cycling tracks, growing bicycle-parking facilities, traffic-calmed streets, and increasing public awareness are among the key contributors to this recognition. The city’s initiatives to integrate cycling as a mainstream mode of transport underline its commitment to building a healthier, cleaner, and more liveable urban environment.
Regular cyclothons and awareness events—organized with the support of the State Government, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and various organisations including BYCS India Foundation—continue to inspire thousands of citizens to embrace cycling. These ongoing efforts aim to encourage even more people to adopt cycling as an everyday mode of travel.
Ahmedabad’s inclusion in the Copenhagenize Index 2025 stands as an inspiring milestone in the city’s vision for a sustainable, future-ready transportation system.
