This paper examines some of the problems involved in developing local policies for sustainable transport. Municipal district planning in the Asia-Pacific region nowadays emphasizes the concept of sustainable development. As an environmentally benign form of transportation, cycling promises a change in this direction; but can this be achieved and what role could strategic community planning have to play in the process? Drawing on a New Zealand case study, this paper argues that strategic district plans are necessary to achieve a long-term transformation towards more sustainable transportation. The measures necessary to achieve this aim involve projected changes in land-use patterns and provision for alternatives to the private car. To be effective, a strategic plan must identify these shifts as performance objectives.