Summary of "Webinar Urban cycling – A smart move! How to integrate cycling into sustainable urban transport systems"

Summary of “Webinar Urban cycling – A smart move!
How to integrate cycling into sustainable urban transport systems”

December 21^st, 2017
Background

In the light of ongoing urbanisation and climate change, the need for sustainable and liveable cities today is stronger than ever before. To tackle local air and noise pollution and urban congestion as well as to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, we need to focus on the development of sustainable transport systems, giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists and strengthening public transport. Cycling in particular is an indispensable part of the story and cities like Copenhagen or Aarhus even take a step further – Cycling is not only a sustainable means of transport but a lifestyle and an indicator of the liveability of a city!

To raise awareness for the importance of cycling-friendly cities, a webinar on urban cycling was organised by the GIZ sector network TUEWAS Working Group Transport & Environment (T&E) in cooperation with the Sino-German Cooperation on Low-Carbon Transport project (CLCT) and the GIZ Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP). The 90-minutes webinar was held on 21^st December, 2017 in Beijing, moderated by Mr. Sebastian Ibold, project manager of CLCT, who was joined by about 30 participants from Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Two guest speakers, Mr. Liu Daizong, China Transport Program Director of World Resources Institute (WRI), and Mr. Pablo Celis, Project Manager of City Road Division of Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, presented their perspectives on how cycling can be sustainably implemented into urban transport systems based on the understanding of cycling for five reasons:

1. Cycling for sustainable transport! 
2. Cycling for the environment!
3. Cycling for personal health!
4. Cycling for tourism!
5. Cycling for better cities!