Is your city ready to boost cycling and make it the preferred travel mode?
Cities across Europe are looking for ways to reduce congestion, improve air quality and create healthier, more liveable urban environments. Cycling has the potential to play a much larger role in everyday mobility — but turning ambition into reality requires the right policies, infrastructure, data and collaboration.
In this panel discussion, leading experts and city representatives will explore what it really takes to make cycling a mainstream and preferred mode of transport. From safe infrastructure and smart integration with public transport to behaviour change and inclusive design, the discussion will highlight practical lessons, challenges and success stories from cities that are already making progress
Speakers
Tobias David has been a senior consultant in the Mayor's department for many years. His focus is on sustainable urban development, future-proof mobility and international cooperation.
As an urban planner, Claire has been working on mobility, public space, and parking strategies for eight years. She joined the City of Paris administration in 2023 as a member of the ‘Bike Mission’ team, the department in charge of developing cycling infrastructure and coordinating the City’s cycling policy across the various departments of the municipal administration.
The team is fully committed to implementing the Paris Bike Plan, which aims to make Paris a 100% cycle-friendly city. This plan has driven a profound transformation of mobility and public space policies over recent years, leading to a dramatic increase in cycling since 2020.
As a member of the Bike Mission team, Claire is responsible for bicycle parking policy. She coordinates all topics related to the City’s bicycle parking strategy, ranging from on-street bike racks to public bicycle parking facilities, intermodal parking, and the mobilization of a wide range of public and private stakeholders.
Herbert Tiemens has worked for 27 years in public service at the intersection of spatial planning and mobility policy. He has spent much of his career improving the integration of cycling networks with public transport networks. By leveraging the advantages of both systems, he reduces car dependency and makes society more resilient to climate change. In addition to a technical approach, he believes that social change is essential for truly making an impact.
Henk Swarttouw is President of the Brussels-based European Cyclists’ Federation since 2021 and served on the EuroVelo Council 2019-2025
Before joining European cycling advocacy, Henk has been a professional diplomat in the Dutch foreign service for 30+ years, serving in the US, France and the UK as well as at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Henk was Dutch ambassador to Finland 2012 - 2015 and to Denmark 2015 - 2019. He is now an independent advisor on sustainability and international cooperation.
Henk has been cycling to school and to work for over 50 years. Since his arrival in Finland in 2012, he has been actively engaging in cycling diplomacy. In 2019 Henk joined the board of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), advocating for more and better cycling for all in Europe and beyond. When not on the road, Henk divides his time between Amsterdam and Southern Sweden.
