Velo-city 2024: Ghent was the host to this year's annual cycling conference

The Belgian city of Ghent was host to the Velo-city 2024 conference between 18-21 June, which is organised each year by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). The 4-day programme of over 80 events brought together research, industry and advocacy stakeholders from other 60 countries to discuss and share solutions on active mobility, sustainable urban planning, cycling economics and industry, and political action and activism. 

Host city Ghent became the first Belgian city to introduce a bicycle plan in 1993, with the pedestrianisation of the old town in 1997, paving the way for the largest car-free city centre in Belgium. Over the past decade, Ghent has taken bold steps to improving cycling and wider public mobility, including creating the “Mobility Plan 2030” in 2015, introducing stricter speed limits and restrictions for on-street parking, and installing over 13,000 public bicycle spaces across neighbourhoods and the city centre. In 2017, the city implemented a “circulation plan” to reduce through-traffic in the city centre. As a result, over 35% of the population were cycling by 2018, surpassing the 2030 city target.

Day 1 - 18 June

On 18 June, the conference kicked-off with an opening ceremony and the first Plenary session focussing on the Velo-city 2024 theme, “Connecting through Cycling”, attended by over 1,600 people. During the session, Matthias de Clercq (Mayor of Ghent) and Janette Sadik-Khan (former transport commissioner of New York City) described the steps taken to make cycling more accessible within their respective cities and how cycling-friendly cities benefit everyone. 

The second Plenary session of the day, “Rethinking traffic to change cities”, explored ways to address car traffic in cities to recover public space. 

The day ended with the presentation of the ECF Awards 2024, with Ghent awarded the ECF Cycling Infrastructure Award in recognition of the 500+ km of cycling infrastructure and over 60 bike-friendly bridges and underpasses within the city. The cities of Bologna and Lyon were also recognised for their promotion of road safety and cycling improvement, respectively. 

Other sessions throughout the day included: 'Tackling poverty through access to cycling' and 'Improving gender equality in the bike sector to increase women cyclists'.

Day 2 - 19 June

Day 2 began with the third Plenary session of the conference on “Cycling strategies - Joining national and international forces”, where Georges Gilkinet (Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium) and other panellists discussed the impact of the adoption of the European Declaration on Cycling in 2023 on future cycling policy, and the wider societal and economic benefits this could deliver. 

At other events throughout the day, speakers discussed how to tailor cycling solutions in rural contexts, and strategies to increase the visibility of cycling benefits in elections. 

The day ended with around 3,000 cyclists taking part in the traditional bike parade along Ghent’s cycle paths and bridges.

Day 3 - 20 June

On the 3rd day, panellists discussed the future role that private cars and parking will play in increasingly crowded cities during the fourth Plenary session on “Mixing and matching modes for sustainable cities”. The speakers advocated for a gradual shift from private to public transport modes through the design of multifunctional infrastructure and space for all users. Simona Larghetti, a councillor from the City of Bologna, added that: “You are not just a cyclist, a pedestrian, or a car driver, but you can be all.” 

At another panel, the challenges for cyclists using trains were highlighted, with train service operators currently failing to meet the practical needs of cyclists despite recent changes to European Regulations. 

Day 3 concluded with a closing Plenary session titled “Teaming up with other sectors & smart pedal pitch finals” which brought together diverse stakeholders ranging from health to logistics to discuss the potential in partnering with people outside of our usual circles of interaction. Panellists agreed that collaboration between a range of sectors is needed to develop innovative cycling solutions.

Day 4 - 21 June

The final day of Velo-city 2024 saw discussion on reinventing and challenging how cycling is presented to unlock its potential during the sixth Plenary session of the conference, titled “Reimagining the future - Spinning a new story around cycling”. 

The conference came to an end with the closing ceremony, where Jill Warren, ECF CEO, concluded that although "the EU Declaration is an excellent roadmap, […] roadmaps must be followed.”

The next Velo-city conference will be hosted in 2025 by Gdansk, Poland. More details on the event and the city can be found here.

More information on Velo-city 2024 and full daily briefings can be found on the ECF website here. 

Author: Andrew King

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.