"The city would come to a standstill. There would be no economy. Because of traffic, you could not get from point A to B." <--- Isn't that really the key lesson, here? I've been to several of those cities, and it's true. The streets are tiny, there's no parking, and people just physically CAN'T drive anywhere. So why hold them up as experts? Their citizens aren't necessarily any different than ours, they don't necessarily WANT to ride bikes any more than ours do - it's just the only option for them. Maybe the reality is just: "If people can make a choice, about 6.4% will choose to ride bicycles. If it's impossible to drive for short distances, up to 55% will give in and ride bicycles."
Please wait...
and remember to be decent to everyone all of the time.