Challenges

Rembrandtplein bike parking – Closed



Amsterdam welcomes a huge amount of foreign tourists and Dutch visitors. These two groups mix with local residents, who also want to experience the benefits of the City. At the Rembrandtplein (amongst other places), these three groups come together, especially during the weekend nights. A lot of tourists arrive by foot, but some come by bike, taxi or public transport.

Almost all residents from Amsterdam arrive by bike. The municipality wants to keep the square safe, open and welcoming, but it is often filled with bikes. Parking spots just outside the square are available, but not used extensively, even on the very crowded weekend nights. This is understandable because the unique selling point of bikes is that they bring you from door to door. This does not mean, however, that people are unwilling to park their bikes a bit further away. We simply have to find a way to stimulate this small step. If an extra effort, such as the use of parking spots just outside the square, is somehow rewarded, people may be willing to take the short walk to their favourite club or pub.

The issue:
Find an effective way to reward desired behaviour, starting with a reward system for cyclists to encourage them to park their bikes a bit further from their destination in designated spots.
Note: The Rembrandtplein is a place to start experimenting, but of course, the problem occurs elsewhere, too, such as at train stations, events, shopping areas. Furthermore, making people park their bike is just one example of desired behaviour that may be stimulated by relatively small incentives.

Specific criteria that the startup should take into account in devising its bid:

  • The solution has to be scalable and multipurpose: if it works for parking bikes, it can be scaled to reward other types of desired behavior;
  • Proof of effect: thorough monitoring of the effects is key for scalability and for finding other goals for the same system;
  • The definition of a ‘reward’ is open, and multiple incentives can be used, depending on the goals and the target group. We favour rewards from outside the government, such as sponsored rewards, intrinsic personal rewards etc.

Issued by: Programma Rembrandtplein, Verkeer en Openbare Ruimte