Velo-city 2017

Author: Casey Gale       

35246217156_3bf2c6a986_oOVERVIEW

Attendees of the four-day Velo-city 2017: The Global Cycling Summit, co-organized by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF),the Dutch province of Gelderland, and the cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen, had the opportunity to pedal through the policy and promotion of cycling facilities and programs.

CHALLENGES

Velo-city 2017 faced a number of logistical question marks because it was held in the Dutch cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen — separated by a little more than nine miles. (Read our Pre Con profile at convn.org/pre-con-velo.) But ECF had shuttle buses at the ready for big transfer moments. The rest of the time, attendees could take part in the spirit of the event by bicycling from one destination to the other, “therefore experiencing the cycle highway between the two cities,” said Zoé Kruchten, ECF’s Velo-city series and global policies coordinator.

INITIATIVES

This year’s event featured not only a theme — “The Freedom of Cycling” — but five sub- themes: “People,” “Urban Planning,” “Bikenomics,” “Infrastructure,” and “Governance.” These smaller themes allowed attendees to connect with specific ideas. “I think there was really something for everyone,”Kruchten said.“We have such a variety of backgrounds in our delegates, so it is always a challenge to cater to different types of experts.”

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