June 24, 2024 - If anyone knows how to throw a party catering to thousands of people arriving by bike, it’s Ghent. We cycled, we danced, we laughed, we discussed the future of cycling, and we ate countless cuberdons… but all good things must come to an end.
As we say goodbye, we look back on four days in the quirky city of Ghent. Dear Velo-citizens, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, and we would like to thank each one of you for making the conference special. Until we meet again on the cycle lanes of Gdansk, keep the spirit of Velo-city alive.
Plenary 5: Teaming up with other sectors & Smart Pedal Pitch Finals
Day three of Velo-city 2024 concluded with a powerful closing plenary titled “Teaming Up with Other Sectors & Smart Pedal Pitch Finals,” which brought together diverse stakeholders from the health to the logistics sectors.
Meredith Glaser captivated the audience with a passionate speech about her transformative experience of moving to the Netherlands. “Driving stressed me out,” Glaser shared. “When I moved to the Netherlands 15 years ago, it was late August, and I was woken up by bicycle bells and laughing children. I was an American in the Netherlands, witnessing the most mundane thing: school drop-off. I was in awe.” In her closing remarks to the audience, Glaser emphasised, “What we are trying to do is so much bigger than building bike lanes. Dance with the system.”
Plenary 6: Reimagining the future – Spinning a new story around cycling & Closing Ceremony
Today, we gathered for the grand finale in the ‘t Kuipke where we reimagined the future of cycling and mobility. Reinventing and challenging how we present cycling is crucial for unlocking its potential.
Grant Ennis, author of “Dark PR,” stressed the importance of framing, noting that cycling is often portrayed as a choice made despite the challenges posed by the built environment. Sarah Mitchell, CEO of Cycling UK, highlighted their strategy focusing on behaviour change and debunking cycling stereotypes. Brian Bell from Strava underscored the need to engage future generations, saying, “You have to think about future generations, so gamification is a big factor in getting people to be active.” While Jamie Clarke, founding director of Engaging Climate, made the important link between cycling and the climate activism perspective. The key take away from this plenary? The cycling story is ours to spin.
After the panel discussion, ECF CEO Jill Warren’s closing remarks provided an outlook on opportunities: “The EU declaration is an excellent roadmap, but roadmaps must be followed.” She also announced ECF’s plans to take the cycling movement to COP29 later this year.
Next up on stage was Filip Watteeuw, who opened Velo-city on Tuesday with the words, “Velo-city means gaining strength,” and closed with, “The goal was to empower you all, to provide you with boldness, stubbornness.” Reflecting on the conference’s impact on Ghent, Deputy Mayor, Bram Van Braeckevel, commented, “Velo-city is THE example of a conference with added value for Ghentians and Ghentian policy. The bike parade with so many Ghentians gave me goosebumps.”
The event concluded with the traditional handover of the Velo-city flag to Gdansk, where the audience was captivated by a modern theatrical performance.
Read the Day 1 report here.
Read the Day 2 report here.
Read the Day 3 report here.
Read the Wrap up report here.
