Yichen is the Bicycle Mayor Network Intern at BYCS, focusing on the process of onboarding new Bicycle Mayors, communicating with them, as well as reporting on the status of their activism.
Originally from Beijing, Yichen is familiar with all kinds of transportation modes and her favorites were the metro system and dockless bike-sharing services. She also developed some insights on the challenges and opportunities of global megacities. When obtaining her BA in Urban Studies and Planning in Southern California, Yichen experienced the extreme car dependency of American suburbs and decided to move to Amsterdam for the walking and cycling lifestyle. She is currently doing a research master in Urban Studies at the UvA and studying the potential of non-motorized means of transportation and the pathways to achieve sustainable cities. Yichen now advocates for transforming mobility from always emphasizing speed and efficiency into a form of social interaction and collective good.
At BYCS, Yichen hopes to foster communication and knowledge exchange between Bicycle Mayors from the Global North and Global South and from different geographical conditions, and shed light on grassroots efforts targeting underrepresented groups in traditional urban planning such as women, children, and disabled people.