Organization

There has never been a better time for cycling. During the COVID pandemic has shown that in times of crisis, cycling is part of the solution. Cycling is a healthy, safe, reliable and fast mode of transport, that has helped keep our societies running during the past 18 months. Everywhere in Europe we see a strong increase in trips by bicycle and bicycle sales reach record highs.  Cycling will equally be a crucial part of the solution if we want to reach our goals to combat the climate emergency and  to achieve a sustainable transport system. The time is now. Citizens and decision makers are ready to change the way we move and live.

Lisbon is one of the forward-thinking cities that leads the way. Lisbon recognised the essential role of cycling for the resilience of our communities and grasped the opportunity to reshape its streets. Velo-city 2021 Lisboa will be a great place to learn and exchange knowledge on the key role the bicycle plays in building a more liveable world. I look forward to welcoming you there in person!

Henk Swarttouw
ECF President

Diversity, inclusion, tolerance, and multiculturalism are part of Lisbon's DNA. Velo-city 2021’s theme could not be, therefore, more adjusted to our ideal of the city. This event is an opportunity for Lisbon. An opportunity to show that we are on the right path, that we are working to transform Lisbon into a fairer, more sustainable and balanced city, where bicycles are definitely part of the options available to everyone and are also part of the mobility solution.

We are living in times of change, of transformation. We are living a new normal, the result of a pandemic that has forced us to rethink the way society is organised, how we live, how we move. In every crisis there are opportunities, and this is our opportunity for change. If we want to leave a positive legacy for future generations, this is the time for a change.

Welcome to Velo-city 2021. Welcome to Lisboa.

Fernando Medina
Mayor of Lisbon (Portugal)

EMEL has been working, together with Lisbon Municipality, so that Lisbon, a city open to the world, increasingly asserts itself in the change of mobility paradigm, to a model that offers greater security and is more environmentally sustainable, essential to the survival of our planet.

We are proud of, but also challenged to organize the Velo-city 2021, at a time when the bicycle has been conquering the deserved public space and people's daily lives, for the evident benefits it provides in terms of preventing disease, reducing pollution and increasing well-being. We therefore welcome you to this international meeting, which we will do everything in our power to make it a great celebration of diversity, people, thoughts and cultures.

Luís Natal Marques
EMEL President