Velo-city 2009
The Velo-city 2009 took place in Brussels, Belgium on 12th – 15th May 2009 at Tour & Taxis. The site is a former industrial storage depot which has been fully restored and is now used for all sorts of events from major fairs through music festivals to exclusive parties. The Conference was organized by ECF and Brussels Capital Region and gathered more than 750 participants.
Aims
By organizing this event, ECF aimed at gathering a large range of cycling stakeholders such as local authorities, politicians, industrials, professionals and bicycle users. Being in Brussels added a European value with the implication of European authorities and thus bring cycling on the European Agenda.
The Brussels-Capital Region’s main aims for Velo-city are to present a high-quality cycling infrastructure and to obtain renewed recognition for the role of the bicycle within a sustainable intermodal transport policy (cycling in combination with public transport and journeys on foot), along with the positive impact of cycling on health and the environment.
On a regional level, the authorities intended Velo-city 2009 to increase the number of cyclists in Brussels by getting as many of the city’s inhabitants to participate in the conference as possible. To do this, several high-profile campaigns and events were organised to accompany the conference.
Program
Velo-city 2009 had a promising program to offer. Beside 4 plenary and 28 sub-plenary sessions with well-known national and international speakers, there were two excursions to Liège and Ghent. A permanent exhibition named Velo-city Expo was organized and then on Sunday took place the Brussels traditional bicycle festival, Dring Dring.
Theme-titles of the plenary sessions:
- Visions to transport in future cities
- Intermodal urban transport
- A forerunner city
- A climber city
- Health and cycling
- Climate change and urban transport
- Peak oil and cycling
- Economy and cycling
- City planning and communication
- Successful marketing of cycle use
- Cycling to school
- What can we learn from the advertising world?
- Role of Europe
- Debate with Members of EU Parliament
Plenary speakers:
Antonio Tajani, Pascal Smet, Manfred Neun, Prof. David Banister, George Amar, Jean-Luc de Wilde d’Estmael, Tjeerd Herrema, Mayor Alain Juppé, Mayor Sam Adams, Francesca Racioppi, Prof. J-P Van Ypersele, Jörg Schindler, Philip Darnton, Helle Søholt, Frank van den Eeden, Paul Robison, Guillaume Vanderstichelen, Siim Kallas, Mayor Klaus Bondam, Antonio Rodriguo Torrijo, Margus Hanson, Michael Cramer, Saïd El Khadraoui, Reinhard Rack
Dring Dring
Dring Dring is a cycling event that has been organized for the Brussels-Capital Region since 1995 by Pro Velo, bringing together all the Brussels cycling associations (Gracq, Fietsersbond, les Ateliers de la rue Voot, Cyclo). The objectives of this all-bicycle week, taking place in May, are to encourage people to use bicycles more regularly, even inordinately, when travelling in Brussels, and to ensure better standing for cyclists in the city.
The organization of Dring Dring 2009 was connected with the Velo-city Brussels and took place from 11 to 17 May. It was the last Dring Dring to be organized as the event was replaced by the Bike Experience.
Velo-city 2009 Expo
The Velo-city Expo and the Velo-city Conference 2009 in Brussels gave an overall idea of all the topics worldwide, with regard to the cycling world. The exhibitors, speakers and participants formed a large forum for all cycling issues. The exhibition was the biggest demonstration of the members of the cycling world, with representatives from the industry, urban and transport planning institutions, volunteers and politicians. The Expo was divided into 4 sections:
- Products
- Cycling infrastructure, expertise + information
- Cycling friendly world
- Cycling policy – European bodies, umbrella federations and alliances
A full list of Exhibitors goes as follows:
1. Brussels International Tourism And Congress
2. Belgian Pavilion: Brussels Capital-Region, Walloon Region, Flemish Region
3. European Cyclists’ Federation – EuroVelo
4. CIDUV - French Pavilion
5. Beliris
6. Transport Pavilion: B-Holding, TEC, SNCB-NMBS, STIB-MIVB/Cambio, De Lijn
7. Ayuntamiento de Sevilla
8. United Nations
9. City of Copenhagen
10. European Commission
11. Belgian Associations: Cyclo, Fietsersbond, Gracq, ProVelo, Voot
12. WattWorld
13. Batavus
14. Giant
15. Cycle Works
16. NSA urban products
17. Gepida
18. Dahon Personal Mobility
19. Dutch Pavilion
20. Alta Planning and Design
21. VelopA
22. ECO counter
23. Galli Verlag
24. ORION Bausysteme
25. Falco
26. Next Bike
27. Poma
28. Josta
29. Cycling Embassy of Denmark
30. CittaSlow
31. Toyota Motor Europe & UNICEF
32. Paris -Dakar No Oil
33. Police
34. IBSR/BIVV - Belgian Road Safety Institute
35. HMTI - Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle
37. Pedal
38. Shopper Day
40. Jan Kuipers Nunspeet
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