Watch out, folks! Oxford is upgrading from version C15 (or thereabouts) to version C21. The planning applications are flying thick and fast - Oxford looks set for a £2bn building boom before the 21st century is out.

However, unless the regeneration plans put transport at the top of their agenda, with cycling identified as the No 1 growth mode, the city is doomed to a miserable car-locked future. And I, for one, am going to move to a sensible country, somewhere in northern Europe where civility and cycling go hand-in-hand.

The city's two universities and its hospitals have ambitious plans for a huge increase in workplaces and accommodation. On the face of it, the plans aren't all bad. There is the odd instance where an application is, to my mind, misjudged. At Warneford Meadow, between Headington and East Oxford, a hospital trust owns land that was bought by public subscription more than 100 years ago.

The land has been enjoyed by local families for generations and survived a century of threats. Why they think now is the moment to snuff it out is beyond me. But Warneford Meadow, Grenoble Road and a few other sites besides, most areas earmarked for development are uncontroversial brownfield sites.

Uncontroversial, that is, apart from the surge in car traffic they'll attract. County council leader Keith Mitchell was spot on when he said of the new Oxford: "It's exciting, although we are going to have to be careful about the transport impact." Now if Mr Mitchell is concerned, I am very concerned. And for good reason.

Just look at how both councils sold us short on the Westgate shopping centre, which promises customers in numbers equivalent to Christmas "every day". Great, but how are they going to get there? Cyclists who brave the jams may be disappointed to find little available parking.

Some will choose the bus, but the city centre is already clogged with half-filled buses and the prospect of more is unthinkable. Tens of thousands will prefer to use the already-gridlocked Abingdon and Botley Roads to access the new multi-storey car park. Councillors should hang their heads in shame for allowing a development that not only adds to existing congestion but which fails to remove buses from Queen Street. We can expect queues along Oxford's arterial roads from 6am daily come 2020 - unless more of us get on our bikes.

People who are ill, disabled or pregnant may, it is true, be unable to cycle, although many cyclists do fall into these categories. For the non-goods-delivering majority, however, the only reason not to cycle in the city is ignorance and "other vehicles". Most non-cyclists fail to realise the speed, economy, comfort and flexibility of cycling. Some think it's hard work! But the commonest reason cited for not cycling is (sadly) fear. But give cyclists the right training, and they'll be equipped to cycle happily in all situations.

Everyone in Oxford should have access to training so they can enjoy the freedom of the city by bike. With the children in tow, with the shopping in panniers and with the dog in a trailer, cycling is Oxford's only future.