With Access to Life at the center, Velo-city 2018 had inclusion as one of its main themes. Both plenary and parallel sessions touched upon important topics such as the role of bicycle in social inclusion, gender equality, diversity etc.

The first day of the conference kicked off with the inspirational plenary “City for All”, which discussed sustainable urban development and how it results in the inclusion of all people in a city; children, elderly, women, and disabled. The first day also featured the session “Access to life”, which tackled the topic of using cycling as a tool for accessing economic and social life.

During the second day, exceptional speakers explored subjects such as gender inequality and gender inclusion in cycling and mobility, while day three featured sessions that talked about infrastructure as a promoter of social inclusion, generating accessibility and equality; cycling inclusion and public transportation in South America; the connection between bicycles, inclusion and public participation. Day three also included the stimulating plenary “Advocacy for Inclusion”, which explored how advocacy, through social entrepreneurship, can be a trigger to economic and social inclusion.

Finally, during the fourth and final day of Velo-city 2018, we discussed how can cycling be a tool to help social inclusion, overcoming racial barriers and gender inequality.

Visit the links below to check out the articles from some of the program highlights, related to social inclusion:

Velo-city day 1: Opening Plenary “City for All”

Velo-city day 1: Access to life

Velo-city day 2: Gender inequality is still too prevalent in cycling (and mobility)

Velo-city day 3: Inclusive Infrastructure

Velo-city day 3: Metropolitan areas Governance - Governance, inclusion and transportation as one system

Velo-city day 3: The Public Space Realm

Velo-city day 3: Advocacy for Inclusion

Velo-city day 4: Cycling as a tool for social inclusion