Pyongyang, North Korea Makes Room for Bike Lanes

Jessica Leber reports that one of the world's most backward nations has picked up on one of the more forward thinking trends in urbanism. North Korea has bike lanes.

Whereas bike lanes are usually thought of as a way to protect bikes from cars, in North Korea they serve more utility in protecting pedestrians from bikes. "According to a fascinating report in Reuters, major streets in Pyongyang now have bike lanes in an effort to reduce accidents. Since bikes are banned from the street, previously cyclists had to ride on sidewalks with pedestrians, which is usually a bad idea," writes Leber.

Leber also notes that bike ownership is on the rise in North Korea, just as it is in many other parts of the world. The Reuters article that originally reported the new bike lanes in Pyongyang provides more insight into how North Koreans view and use bikes.