Section 02
A citywide standard for better cycling.
The proposed BCES sets shared design principles for safer, more comfortable and better-connected cycling across Berlin, while allowing solutions to reflect local street conditions.
Core idea
A citywide design logic connecting infrastructure, services and the cycling experience, adapted to Berlin’s local context.
Three principles
The ride, structured
Protect the Route
Feel safe from start to finish, with protected routes, continuous intersections and managed tram conflicts.
Explore principle →IIRemove Friction
Reduce the effort of cycling through smooth surfaces, comfortable waiting, dignified parking and seamless sharing.
Explore principle →IIIEveryday Cycling
Make cycling social and inclusive, with room to ride together, space for cargo and e-bikes, and shared etiquette.
Explore principle →Inspiration, not imitation
Copenhagen is used as a reference for how consistency builds trust. The BCES translates that logic to Berlin's own streets, institutions and mobility services.
Theoretical lens
The cited theory
Boztepe describes user value as emerging in use, shaped by context, and spanning utility, social significance, emotional and spiritual dimensions, not only by the product itself.
The BCES defines value by the lived riding experience, so the standard is formulated around what cyclists feel and do instead of an infrastructure inventory.
Boztepe, S. (2007). User value: Competing theories and models. International Journal of Design, 1(2), 55–63.