Yaqoub Azadehdel
I am Yaqoub Azadehdel, an urban planning and sustainable transportation expert specializing in cycling infrastructure and policy development. As the former Head of the Cycling Department at the Tehran Municipality, I led strategic initiatives to promote urban cycling and improve the city’s transportation landscape. In 2022, I graduated from the Summer School at the University of Amsterdam, which deepened my expertise in sustainable urban mobility and innovative planning approaches.
My work focuses on integrating Brainware—specialized expertise, governance, and decision-making—into urban planning frameworks to create bike-friendly and sustainable cities. I am passionate about sharing my experiences and insights to inspire collaborative solutions for urban challenges, particularly in the Global South. Through my research and practical initiatives, I aim to contribute to the development of inclusive, livable, and environmentally friendly urban spaces.
Session
Cycling in Tehran has experienced various fluctuations over different periods. The most significant era, during which bicycle trips gained a larger share in the city's transportation, was when Tehran implemented a strategic plan emphasizing three dimensions: hard, soft, and organizational. Executed from 2018 to 2022, the program prioritized three sectors and increased bicycle trip share from 0.01 percent to 0.87 percent. However, the plan's goal in 2022, the set goal aimed to reach 1 percent of trips, which was not achieved.
While Tehran faced challenges in accomplishing the quantitative target during this period, significant progress was made. Upon evaluating the program in the last year, an essential and notable point emerged: the Tehran City Development Document required a brainpower component to complement and coordinate the hardware, software, and organizational measures. The document should not be limited to three aspects; instead, a fourth aspect must be added. Tehran's experience revealed that planning for cycling development requires a model encompassing hardware, software, organizational measures, and, importantly, Brainware.
Brainware should hold a relative position in the structure of the development document and the organizational chart of municipalities or local governments related to transportation. This Brainware consists of a specialized group comprising managers, experts, and consultants with high authority, governance, and expertise in urban decision-making and transportation.
In my presentation, I will discuss the crucial elements of this Brainware component and elaborate on how it can effectively contribute to developing urban cycling. Key points will include:
- The roles and responsibilities of the specialized group within the Brainware component.
- The importance of authority, governance, and expertise in decision-making to achieve successful urban cycling development.
- How Tehran's experience highlights the need for a comprehensive model incorporating hardware, software, organizational measures, and Brainware.
- The potential impact of integrating Brainware into cycling development plans for other cities.