In this third and final chapter of our mini-series exploring the three subthemes of Velo-city 2020 Ljubljana, we take a closer look at the meaning of “Policy of the Future”.

The fast advancement of technology and disruptive innovations are affecting every aspect of society and everyday life. Tying in with the main theme, “Smart Cycling Inclusion”, the subtheme “Policy of the Future” will reflect on current policies and regulatory frameworks that are available today and evaluate if they are in line with the progress of technology. Will they be able to keep up with technological disruptions appearing in the mobility and public sector? And how will intelligent transport systems, and artificial intelligence re-define mobility in the future?

The Role of Policy in Inclusion, Sharing Space, and Technology

The subtheme “Policy of the Future” seeks to explore policy developments, policy areas and policy implementations in relation to mobility, public spaces and cycling-friendly innovation. Velo-city 2020 invites conference attendees to discuss whether changes in governance will be necessary to catch up with technological developments and to debate possible solutions to the resulting challenges.

Cycling is part of the solution to many global challenges including climate change, social inequity, and health. These aspects are reflected in the subtheme, “Policy of the future”. The conference will discuss how a cross policy and inter-multidisciplinary approach on a local, regional, national and supranational level can make cycling safer and truly accessible to everyone. This will lead to the question of how cycling-friendly innovations can boost these developments.

Velo-city 2020 also opens the stage for debates on building the right regulatory framework for micro-mobility. How will these change in the future when technology will set trends and develop much faster? Even more so, how will these translate into people-centered policies?

Overall, the conference programme will tackle different issues in connection with the allocation of public space, social innovation and technology through the prism of policy and regulations. Following the submission of more than 500 abstracts from 49 different countries, a rich programme of over 60 sessions has been put together. Sessions on topics such as “Policy for Inclusion”, “Multi-level Governance for Cycling” or “Vehicle Regulations for Safer Cycling” will expand on the subtheme “Policy of the future”.  These are but a few examples, have a look at the conference programme.

Velo-city 2020 Ljubljana is the perfect platform for the global cycling community to exchange best practices, influence decision-makers, and improve cycling policies. Discover how we can build inclusive cities, communities and mobility systems to prepare them for the next decade and help to define what cycling advocacy looks like in modern society!