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

Xavier has long believed that how we travel is one of the biggest factors shaping how we live and relate to one another.

So he is thrilled to be leading the UK charity Sustrans, which is working to build a society where the way that we travel creates healthier places and happier lives for everyone. The way that Sustrans does this is to make it easier for people to walk and cycle – as put simply, people do what’s easiest!

This isn’t Xavier’s first time speaking at Velocity. Before Sustrans he spent 10 years at Transport for London and in 2007 Xavier spoke at Velocity Munich, sharing early ideas for the city’s new cycling and walking strategy that he was developing on behalf of the Mayor. This was later implemented, introducing cycle-hire to London and the – then – novel concept of Cycle Superhighways to Europe.

Xavier enjoys cycling whenever he can, and spent last Summer on Eurovelo 1 with his wife, two young girls, two tandems, two tents and too much baggage.

What does cycling for the ages mean to you?

It means that anyone, of any age is able to enjoy cycling to get from a-to-b. Cycling sparks joy, bringing joy into the daily routine. And of course it’s efficient, convenient, and good for us and the world we live in. It’s only fair that such a good thing is available to everyone, regardless of age – or ability. This means developing cycles that work for everyone – and electrification opens up all sorts of new possibilities – and critically, developing the conditions that make it possible for everyone of all ages to cycle. Design for a 4-year-old and an 80-year-old and it’s likely that everything in the middle will also get taken care of.

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

I would like the city of the future to be designed around people. Not technology. Not traffic. Not buildings. They are all means to ends.

Cities are places where people come together. Places rich in culture and history, and where serendipity and chance encounters are as valuable as plans and routines. Cities that work, cities that feed the soul, cities where we would want to live are defined far more by the space between their buildings than the buildings and landmarks themselves. 

This means prioritising space for people – of all abilities and ages and backgrounds – regardless of which bit of the world they are in; providing space for us to be, and space for us to move around on foot or by cycle. Not in a metal box, but in a way that we can communicate with our fellow citizens and move our bodies a bit too.

Cities in the developed world are increasingly moving in this direction. There are plenty of examples of developing cities repeating the mistakes of building multi-lane highways, but I believe that these mistakes will be learned from quickly. The answer will not be autonomous vehicles. Experience and evidence suggests that pursuing automation as the answer to movement in cities will only lead to greater demand for road space for metal boxes, as greater efficiency leads to greater demand, hence more metal boxes, and less human, less pleasant cities. We already know what works, we just need to keep focused on how we want our cities to look and feel for the people who live and work in them.

What do you expect from Velo-city 2019 Dublin?

A stimulating, surprising and fun exchange of experiences, ideas, plans and hopes for a cycling future for all ages – with the people who will make the future happen.

Xavier Brice is a speaker in the fourth plenary session of Velo-city 2019 Dublin, entitled “Infrastructure from the City to the Greenways” to take place on Thursday, June 27th 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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