Promoting and enhancing active mobility

throughout Europe

In partnership with the European Cyclist Federation (ECF) Sport and Citizenship organised the fourth and last workshop of the European PACTE project (Promoting Active Cities Throughout Europe) in Brussels (October 4).

Following workshops on Active Cities, Active Education and Active Workplaces, the Active Mobility event brought PACTE’s workshop cycle to a close. The transversal topic of “Active Mobility” was tackled from several perspectives and in different manners. The day started by presenting some present-day context through a roundtable discussion bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds, making for thrilling conversations between Christophe Najdovski (Deputy Mayor of Paris for Transportation, Mobility, Roadway and Public Space / ECF President), Heather Allen (Walk 21), Haya Douidri (Bird) and moderated by Holger Haubold (ECF). The day then gave way to 3 parallel workshops, all focusing on how to promote and enhance active mobility but each from a different perspective. Participants were thus divided into 3 different groups and rotated between the workshops.

Florinda Boschetti (POLIS Network) and Laurent Dupont (PRO Velo) moderated the session on the role of cities, invited participants to share initiatives they know of and consider as best practices, and to further suggest how such practices, or new ones, could be improved. From small, simple, but life changing initiatives like communal bike rental options to initiatives such as bicycle highways a wide panel of solutions was brought to the table during fruitful exchanges with various stakeholders with different backgrounds.

“An online digital tool”

The second session was animated by Marcio Deslandes (ECF) and Michael Brennan (UCI). This offer groups the opportunity to play the part of civil society actors building a project to enhance and promote active mobility. As you don’t have the same possibilities or range of action when you’re acting as a group of citizens, this impersonating work allowed participants to swap roles and imagine what they would do, what they would encourage citizens to do or even, what they would start doing themselves as citizens in their home town.

To conclude these group workshops, Jesus Freire (ECF) and Dieter Snauwaert (Fietsersbond BE) questioned the PACTE workshop participants on initiatives they know of or have experienced and that are initiated by companies and the private sector. The goal was to share knowledge and good practices in order to spread them to the present stakeholders so that it can inspire the multiplication of such initiatives.

After a quality event, the PACTE project is now turning towards the creation of its online digital tool, that is set to be trialed by municipalities early 2020.