Economy and Tourism

"Riding a bike is feeling the wind in your face, feeling the air, listening to the birds, feeling the city, feeling the movement of the city, getting to see better houses, people, walks and trees. All of it. A person has another perception when he is on a bicycle."

- Sonja Weber, Bicycle user in Lisbon for 3 years

"At Velo-city 2012 in Vancouver, I understood that it is not about representing people that cycle, it's about representing and inviting people to cycle, that do not dare to cycle (…) That changed a lot for me and for other organisations. It was really worth the trip."

- Burkhard Stork, Former Director at German Cyclists' Association

"When I have more time, I usually ride calmly by the river. it's much more peaceful and I end up taking time for myself. I use my bicycle to be able to take time for myself, to do what I want with myself and to have time to think and to relax."

- Alberto Rosa, Bicycle user in Lisbon for 3 years

"The most inspiring thing with Velo-city, was in Nantes in 2015, when I realized that there are so many opportunities in cycling advocacy, and not only in Europe but worldwide, (…) so I decided to quiet my regular job and just go into cycling."

- Tena Šarić, Executive Coordinator at Sindikat Biciklista

"I think that was back in 2008, I was the mayor for technical and environmental affairs in the city of Copenhagen, and I was invited to give a talk at Velo-city Munich (…) I remember coming on stage and feeling that enormous interest there was for hearing about the Copenhagen cycling experience."

- Klaus Bondam, CEO at The Danish Cyclists' Federation

"My most memorable moment was (…) when we were cycling along an elevated motorway in Tapei, the little girl next to me told her father “Look papa, I'm flying", as she could see in the people’s houses next to her. I realized then that cycling is (…) also a way to dream & that was a dream come true for her."

- Philippe Crist, Advisor, Innovation and Foresight at ITF - International Transport Forum

"It's not an easy task to prepare a huge bike parade in a city during a weekday, but in Nantes, in 2015, it was really amazing. All the streets were gridlocked, with a huge bike parade, (…) drivers were honking their horns unstoppably, (…) they were cheering to us."

- Ze Lobo, Executive Director at Transporte Ativo

"What really attracts me most to cycling is the efficiency of mobility, because I know that if I leave home or work and get on the bike I can always count on a fixed time that will not be disturbed by traffic or anything else."

- Luis Marques, Bicycle user in Lisbon for 4 years

"What I think really boosted the use of bicycles in Lisbon was the shared bikes Gira. A person takes a bicycle at one station, leaves it at another, does not have to worry about it anymore and is very cheap, not least because you can combine it much better with other public transport."

- Filipa Peres, Bicycle user in Lisbon for 3 years

"The most inspiring [aspect from Velo-city] is not a single moment, but the enduring friendships that have been built. The parade are always exciting, they always remind me that building cycling is not only a technocratic exercise. It's about people, it's about those friendships."

- Peter Cox, University of Chester & Chair, ECF Scientists for Cycling network

"Velo-city conference offers (…) outstanding moments of exposure to policy makers from around the world. It’s also a fantastic networking moment, both internationally and for our network internally. I think Velo-city is without doubt our annual highlight. "

- Lucas Harms, Managing Director at the Dutch Cycling Embassy

"For my first Velo-city conference, I heard a very inspiring sentence: “If women ride bicycles in a city, men and children will try too”. I went back to my country and created one of the biggest cycling movements: Fancy Women Bike Ride."

- Pinar Pinzuti, Marketing Manager at Bikenomist

"(…) We started from the bicycle but actually entered into the city, into the real community life, through the bicycle anyway. We got into public transport, we got into open spaces, we got into parks, squares, so I think that Velo-city played big role in inspiring other cities."

- Amanda Ngabirano, Acting Chairperson at The National Physical Planning Board (NPPB) Uganda

Economy and Tourism

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