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

Karina Vestergård Madsen is the functioning mayor of technical and environmental affairs in the City of Copenhagen. 

Karina has been part of the Municipal Council of Copenhagen since 2014 for the Red-Green Alliance, where she also serves as group chairwoman. She has been a member of the Economy Committee and the Social Committee of Copenhagen since 2017.

Karina has a master’s degree in Communication and works in IT and Communication – before taking leave in order to function as mayor. Karina is a native Copenhagener and has lived in Copenhagen her entire life – with only a few breaks for studying in the US and Pakistan. She has no drivers license and takes the bicycle wherever she goes – unless the distance dictates public transport.

Karina’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 grow massively.

The bicycle is one of the major solutions to this challenge. It provides us with an opportunity to have cleaner air, healthier citizens and an 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?

This is my first time at Velo-city, but I have only heard good things and I’m very much looking forward to it. 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 I expect a feeling of agency and purpose. 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.

Karina Vestergård Madsen 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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