2-day ACTIVE Walking & Cycling Workshop in Ahmedabad, India

29-30 June
As Ahmedabad prepares to welcome athletes and visitors from more than 70 countries for the Commonwealth Games 2030, the city is investing in active mobility to make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and connect with public transport. Against this backdrop, The Dutch Cycling Embassy, ACTIVE, GIZ India, Iganga Foundation and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs India, joined hands for a two-day ACTIVE Training workshop on active mobility on 29 and 30 June 2026. 

The workshop brought together local practitioners and international experts to explore how Ahmedabad can strengthen walking and cycling as part of a more sustainable urban mobility system. Combining policy, planning and infrastructure design, the programme focused on practical knowledge that can be applied to the city’s streets and mobility challenges. 

The content of the workshop was delivered by experts from the Dutch Cycling Embassy network: Tania Roel Castro (Goudappel / Iganga), Erik Tetteroo (HODWorks), Jeska de Ruiter (Dutch Cycling Embassy) and Sonja Munnix (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). Together with local and international contributors, they covered topics ranging from the role of walking and cycling in Ahmedabad and the integration of active mobility with BRT and other public transport, to infrastructure design and the development of bankable active mobility projects. 

The second day put this knowledge into practice. Participants started with an early-morning cycling tour through Ahmedabad using MYBYK shared bicycles, experiencing the city’s streets and cycling conditions firsthand.

Presentations by Tania Roel Castro, Erik Tetteroo and A. V. Venugopal (ITDP), together with guest contributions from Arjit Soni (Cycledad) and BYCS India on community engagement, broadened the discussion beyond infrastructure to include implementation and engagement. 

Dutch examples provided a range of perspectives, from road and intersection design to the combination of cycling and public transport and the use of bicycles as a last-mile solution during major sporting events, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Zandvoort. 

The final part of the workshop challenged participants to apply these insights to a real situation in Ahmedabad. Working in groups, they developed proposals for the Helmet Cross Road intersection and presented their ideas to the wider group while receiving feedback from the Dutch experts. The final takeaway session provided an opportunity to reflect on the lessons from the two days and compare perspectives. 

The workshop highlighted the value of international knowledge exchange while keeping local context at the centre. For participants, the combination of Dutch cycling expertise, real-world examples and practical case work offered new perspectives on cycling planning, infrastructure, road safety and sustainable urban mobility. 

By connecting the expertise of the Dutch Cycling Embassy network with local knowledge and experience in Ahmedabad, the workshop created a platform for continued learning and for exploring practical approaches to making the city’s streets safer, more accessible and more attractive for active mobility.