We continue our mini-interview series with the Velo-city 2019 Keynote Speakers! #VC19Keynote #MeetTheSpeakers #CyclingForTheAges

Ninna Hedeager Olsen is Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs at the City of Copenhagen 2018-2022. Ninna has represented the Municipal Council for The Red-Green Alliance since January 2014 and on the 1st of January 2018 she assumed the role of Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs and herein the role of Head of the Technical and Environmental Committee.

Ninna has a Master’s degree in Health and Safety at Work from 2010 and has from 2010 to 2017 been employed as Lecturer and subsequently Senior Lecturer at the Metropolitan University College, where she was also Trade Union Representative.

Ninna’s fundamental political issues are to strengthen Copenhagen’s disadvantaged areas, increase the availability of high-quality and affordable housing for people of average income, improve sustainable and public transportation, as well as create attractive, democratic and accessible urban open spaces.

What does cycling for the ages mean to you?

The bicycle is a fantastic invention that saves on space, carbon emissions and improves public health. But it is also a highly inclusive form of transport. Bicycles are comparably cheap, easy to operate and to maintain, which makes them a mode of transport that can be used by children, students, professionals and older people alike. In short: cycling can get all of us around town – and also get us out and about.

In Copenhagen we have a quite successful bicycle culture. So much so, that we have congestion on the bike lanes. But we have a challenge in making space for the more vulnerable cyclist groups – the elderly and children, who don’t necessarily feel at home in busy rush hour traffic. This is a challenge we need to take head on, because cycling not only gives a lot back to our cities, but also to the individual cyclist. It gives the freedom of fast and easy transport and an easy way to get exercise without a mortgage on a car. Bicycles can allow even more of us to have a better life in our cities.

How will the city of the future look like taking into consideration the gaps in the developing and developed world?

Once we thought of the cities of the future as megacities of glass skyscrapers with flying cars zooming in and out. I think the times are shifting in that respect because cities around the world have shown that a focus on the human scale is necessary to ensure a good life in the cities. I think that cities that are to be successful in the future need to listen to their citizens crying for clean air, less noise and stress and simply a framework for the best possible life. Ensuring a mixed, interesting, comfortable city – all while the number of citizens grows massively.

The bicycle to me is one of the major solutions to this challenge. It provides us with an opportunity to have cleaner air, healthier citizens and urban space that can be used for trees, flowers, spots to hang out in the sun with friends – rather than fill it up with parked cars and diesel congestion. These fundamental wishes for a better quality of life for all citizens are shared all over the world, and link cities together across developing and developed countries.

What do you expect from Velo City 2019 Dublin?

As always from Velo-city I expect an assembly of passionate and knowledgeable people that want to change the world. I expect a forum where we can share our ideas, solutions, successes, and failures in good faith. Where we can learn from each other and help each other towards our common goal.

There is some truth to the concept of “nations talk, cities act” and at Velo-city the feeling is very much that we can go home and change things tomorrow, rather than be bogged down in endless negotiations on words.

In short, I expect Velo-city 2019 Dublin to be packed with inspiration, discussion, and taking action to change the world. 

Ninna Hedeager Olsen is a speaker in the sixth plenary session of Velo-city 2019 Dublin, entitled “Partnership & Collaboration” to take place on Friday, June 28th 2019 at 9.00-10.00.
For more information on the Velo-city Programme, Exhibition and Registration go to: https://www.velo-city2019.com 
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