Netherlands

On Wednesday June 27th, the Dutch Cycling Embassy organized the symposium: “Cities in transition” at their home base in Delft. A day full of interesting lectures and interactive break out sessions, followed by a sunny bike tour through Delft city and surrounding rural area, with a BBQ & drinks at the end.

The day started with an introductory welcome by Ruben Loendersloot from Loendersloot Groep & Mirjam Bosboom, director of DCE. 

The symposium was kicked off by Geert Kloppenburg who gave a key note presentation on the worldwide mobility transition. Following this, different sessions were held on different topics relating to “cities in transition”. In between sessions there was a coffee & juice break, with fresh orange juice provided by Peter Blesgraaf from Juice on Wheels.

After the various parallel breakout sessions, with a broad variety of themes ranging from – among others - cycling in Iran and the future of e-bikes and cargobikes, to Mobility as a Service and the latest research results of our member organisations, it was time to enjoy the sun the best way possible: by bike! The attendees were split up into 3 groups, 1 of which rode on Dutch city bikes provided by Swapfiets, and one group on road bikes. All groups were guided by Landelijk Fietsplatform volunteers. A beautiful 20 km+ ride through the city and the countryside around Delft. The day was concluded with a nice barbecue just outside DCE’s headquarters, the Yes!Delft building.

A great day full of new connections, insights and ideas to inspire us all. On behalf of the DCE team: many thanks to all speakers, volunteers and attendees! See you next year!

Download presentation here.