CyclingScore: Shaping today’s buildings for active transportation

There is an exciting movement brewing in the U.K. that is transforming the ways buildings support cycling and active commuting. It’s a leading certification for cycle-friendly buildings called CyclingScore. Developed by experts in cycling, active commuting, design and cycle services, CyclingScore delivers a rating system and service that places active living and commuting at the center of building design and operations.

Active commuting (e.g., biking to work) is an evidence-based strategy that can replace more sedentary (and less environmentally sustainable) forms of transportation with more active forms. And this shift comes with important public health benefits. Specifically, cycling to work has been associated with:

• Lower risk of all-cause mortality.^1,2
• Lower risk of cardiovascular disease.^3,4
• Improved aerobic fitness.⁵
• Lower rates of obesity.^6-10
• Lower risk of diabetes.^4,6

Through the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL™), building projects are encouraged to provide end-of-trip facilities including bike parking, showers and lockers through Feature V04: Active Commuter and Occupant Support. WELL is designed specifically to evolve alongside the pace of the industry, and we’re excited to debut a new strategy for projects to demonstrate leadership in active transportation.

With the release of a new alternative adherence path (AAP) in the Q3 2019 Addenda to WELL, projects are rewarded for above and beyond leadership in active transportation. Projects that achieve CyclingScore Certification at the Gold level may be awarded three points (the maximum available for this feature) through the published AAP. Inspired by experts from CyclingScore, including James Nash and David Farr, and in collaboration with the WELL Movement concept advisory, this AAP recognizes the growing movement to deliver better buildings that foster active lifestyles.

Overview of CyclingScore

CyclingScore Certification, which launched in 2017, is an accreditation that indicates how cycle-friendly a building is. The program and service was co-developed by the founders of the NipNip bike service platform and the cycle facility experts, Bike Dock Solutions. To date, over 100 buildings in the U.K. and U.S. have adopted CyclingScore.

Like WELL Certification, the achievement of CyclingScore Certification demonstrates a building’s commitment to the health and well-being of the people within it. CyclingScore aligns with the broader intent of the Movement concept, and Feature V04 in particular, and brings a targeted focus to design and operations that support cyclists and active commuters.

Projects that leverage the strategies and expertise housed within the CyclingScore program don’t just provide better spaces that promote cycling; they promote all forms of activity by creating people-centric environments. The program encourages projects to infuse good design throughout their space and promote active transportation through easily accessible end-of-trip facilities, programs like challenges and workshops, and aesthetic design that grabs your attention and elegantly compliments the space’s overall design.

What makes a CyclingScore Certified building?

CyclingScore criteria and strategies benchmark against leading international standards and local borough planning guidelines in the U.K. There are three core strategy categories: 1) infrastructure, 2) services and 3) future proofing.

Infrastructure
Infrastructure makes up for approximately 60 percent of the overall scoring process and considers in/out access, surfaces, wayfinding, routes in and out of the building, showers, lockers, changing areas, drying rooms and other amenities.

Services
Uniquely, 30 percent of the overall scoring process is driven by engagement with the end users of a space: the people within the building. It is vital that projects engage with the end users of their space to continually support both existing and potential active commuters. A cycling club, for example, is a great way to increase tenant engagement and encourage ‘would be’ cyclists to buddy-up and take their first ride to work with a colleague. Other strategies such as on-site repair events, safety trainings and police bike tagging events also help foster a strong community of cyclists.

Future proofing
CyclingScore is future-focused. Ten percent of the overall scoring process is focused on ensuring that the building’s cycling facilities are catered to growth. London has seen exponential growth in cycling numbers over the last five years. Existing buildings even just 6-7 years old already see every bike rack in use, and finding new space to allocate for additional cycle parking numbers can be tricky for existing buildings.

Projects and cities looking toward the future include the likes of 2 Bishopsgate, an office building that will feature 1,750 bike parking spaces. This project is a fantastic example of how projects are getting ahead to accommodate growth in cycling. The borough of Manchester is also preparing for growth following a £1.5BN infusion of funds to develop new pedestrian and cycle paths. Projects in the region are already earmarking space for future cycle parking capacity in anticipation of a growing number of active commuters.

Future-proofing the space helps ensure the building is designed for health throughout its life cycle and reduces costs to retrofit existing spaces in the long-term.

Project example: Tishman Speyer

During a trip to London, IWBI’s Movement Concept Lead Vienna McLeod toured a 318,000 sq. ft. building owned by Tishman Speyer that achieved CyclingScore Platinum. Amenities for cyclists and active commuters include:

• 400 bike parking spaces
• 400 lockers for clothes and accessories
• Independent cycle route in and out of the building featuring a curved ramp into the bike parking area with slip resistant flooring
• 30 showers distributed across two changing rooms
• Daily spin glasses and an on-site gym
• Monthly pre-paid bike servicing
• CyclingScore Community Cycling Club

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1. Matthews CE, Jurj AL, Shu X-o, et al. Influence of exercise, walking, cycling, and overall nonexercise physical activity on mortality in Chinese women. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007;165(12):1343-1350.

2. Østergaard L, Jensen MK, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Grøntved A. Associations between changes in cycling and all-cause mortality risk. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2018;55(5):615-623.

3. Gordon-Larsen P, Boone-Heinonen J, Sidney S, Sternfeld B, Jacobs DR, Jr., Lewis CE. Active commuting and cardiovascular disease risk: the CARDIA study. Archives of internal medicine. 2009;169(13):1216-1223.

4. Dinu M, Pagliai G, Macchi C, Sofi F. Active commuting and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2019;49(3):437-452.

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7. Wen LM, Rissel C. Inverse associations between cycling to work, public transport, and overweight and obesity: findings from a population based study in Australia. Prev Med. 2008;46(1):29-32.

8. Bassett DR, Jr., Pucher J, Buehler R, Thompson DL, Crouter SE. Walking, cycling, and obesity rates in Europe, North America, and Australia. Journal of physical activity & health. 2008;5(6):795-814.

9. Lindstrom M. Means of transportation to work and overweight and obesity: a population-based study in southern Sweden. Prev Med. 2008;46(1):22-28.

10. Flint E, Cummins S. Active commuting and obesity in mid-life: cross-sectional, observational evidence from UK Biobank. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2016;4(5):420-435.