Velo-city Global 2010 - Different Gears, Same Destination

Janette Sadik-Khan, Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard, Haixiao Pan and Andy Clarke at Velo-city Global in Copenhagen.
Photo by Troels Heien. 

Velo-city Global 2010 brought for the first time in the history of velo-city urban planners, politicians, NGOs and bicycle professionals from around the world in the city of Copenhagen to discuss the potential and challenges of cycling.
 

The more than 1100 participants came from very different backgrounds, were at different stages with very different challenges, but the vision for all was clear: getting more people to cycle.
 

The aim of the conference was to provide inspiration and ideas to concrete actions, whatever the challenges to cycling were. It was also to create a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences across borders and across disciplines.
 

Please go to the Media page for videos and images from the conference, and see the programme here
 

What is Velo-city?
 

Velo-city is widely respected as the premier international cycling planning conference series in the world. Cycling is increasingly recognised as an efficient, healthy, quick and environmental form of transport, and Velo-city seeks to encourage cycling as a part of daily transport and recreation.
 

The name Velo-city is a small play on words using the French word for bicycle - vélo, and Velo-city can also be read as velocity or speed. The series name is owned by the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF).
 

Velo-city began in 1980 in Bremen with around 300 participants and was heavily involved in the founding of the European Cyclists' Federation three years later. In its almost 30 years of existence, the conference has been hosted by major European cities such as London (1984), Barcelona (1997) and Paris (2003) and smaller forerunner cycling cities alike, such as Groningen (1987) and Basel (1995). 
 
Velo-city conferences attract not just one type of profession, but bring together all those who are involved in the policy, promotion and provision for cyclists. Answering the growing demand for expertise in cycling from cities, ECF has decided to hold an annual Velo-city conference as of 2010.
 

Velo-city Global 2010 in Copenhagen was the first global edition of the velo-city conference series, bringing together participants from 60 countries, including Canada, Slovenia and India.
 
By going global in ‘cycling city’ Copenhagen the conference also celebrated 30 years of Velo-city conferences held by the European Cyclists' Federation and the previous host cities. The next global edition of velo-city will take place in 2012.
 

Velo-city 2011 will be in Seville, Spain. Please check out www.velo-city2011.com for updates on this conference.

For more information on the Velo-city Series, please click here.