What's Being Discussed at Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014?
Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014 will celebrate what’s great about bike riding. This will be explored by conference delegates through three key themes and greater depth will be achieved by looking at these themes through four key lenses.
Themes
Setting the stage – places and spaces - what values do we need our urban landscapes to reflect? How do we design our cities, suburbs, towns, parks and buildings to make it easy for people to choose cycling? What elements need to be included in planning, design and management of public spaces so that bicycles are ubiquitous and more people ride more often to more places?
Tales worth celebrating – people, communities and journeys - what motivates people to ride? What motivates governments, communities and businesses to support cycling? How do we respond to their demands for more sustainable lives - at the macro and micro levels? What experiences do people want and what does it take to provide them? How do we engage with all stakeholders and communities for the most successful outcomes?
Celebrations to come – cultural change - what cultural transformation is required? How will we do it? How do we support and capture the things that are just happening - those dynamic cyclic processes that emerge from interactions between our institutions, new technologies and the diversity of our communities? How can a strong cycling culture help generate creative cities, with social climates that encourage and embrace experimentation,expression, adaptation and economic transformation?
Lenses
The Facts - what makes us so confident that more people cycling will lead to a better future? What are the benefits and for whom / what? How do we make the best decisions for the best outcomes? How will things be different?
Leadership - what does it take to make things happen? Leadership can come from all spheres of government, the community and sometimes just from an inspired individual. Vision, passion and telling a great story are all part of the mix. Who are the next champions? What are their interests? How can they be supported?
Policy, strategy, planning and partnerships - How has cycling successfully been taken from the margins to the centre of policy? The countries that have successfully increased cycling as a mode share have had specific, measurable policies, cross-integration of relevant government agencies, and made major investments into cycling-related infrastructure and education.
Creativity and Innovation –new ideas and their implementation; putting high value on thinking outside the square, challenging existing paradigms, daring to be different and even crazy ideas can all lead to innovative solutions.