During the Velo-city conference a multitude of sessions addressed pertinent topics for cities and regions that are committed to promoting bicycle use.

A popular notion raised by many Velo-city speakers drew attention to how greater levels of cycling has the potential to address prevalent urban problems, such as congestion, inactivity and pollution. In line with the conference’s theme, cycling as access to life, speakers from across the world outlined how cycling also facilitates social inclusion and accessibility in their city, from providing regional connectivity to integrating immigrants and addressing governance issues.

Proposals on how to achieve a greater modal share of cycling in an urban area was discussed at length, and many centered on introducing bike sharing schemes, and upgrading city infrastructure to make cycling safer, drawing on case studies such as the infamous Dutch and Danish design standards. A current buzzword ‘intermodality’ was not left off the agenda, with sessions dedicated to exploring how cycling and bike sharing systems can be effectively integrated into existing transport systems. 

Innovative projects that are trialing the use of bicycles to deliver city services in a more sustainable way were introduced, such as waste management, deliveries and freight transport.

Visit the links below to check out the articles from the program’s cities and regions highlights:

Velo-city day 1:  Stuck in Traffic

Velo-city day 3:  Inclusive Infrastructure

Velo-city day 3: Inter-modality plenary

Velo-city day 3: Shopping by bike

Velo-city day 4: Will cycle logistics change the face of our cities?

Velo-city day 4: Governance

Velo-city day 4: Copy & Paste Infrastructure