Yesterday, on 9 May, I attended the Velo-City conference in Leipzig, Germany. I was joined as a panellist by inspiring speakers from Uganda, Sweden, Chile and Germany. The session, working together towards equitable environments, captured the power and necessity of collaboration in the quest for more inclusive, healthy, and equitable environments. Speakers showcased what a vital contribution a transition to sustainable active mobility can make. With more than 60 countries represented, the conference was a great knowledge-sharing opportunity and very much in the spirit of Cities Changing Diabetes.

Velo-City conference: Working together towards equitable environments

The Velo-City conference is a world cycling summit where advocates, national and city decision-makers, researchers and business leaders meet to shape the future of cycling. It is the annual flagship event of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), which has recently become a collaborative partner of Cities Changing Diabetes. 

In my presentation I talked about the negative effects of poor urban planning on health and how important it is for planners to create opportunities for citizens to live healthier and more sustainable lives on a daily basis. I advocated for cities to prioritise active transport, including walking and cycling, and I shared some of the good examples of our Cities Changing Diabetes network such as Fit with bike, Cycling without age and the concept of a 15-minute city  model.