ACTIVE Mobility Mission from Colombia, Chile and Brazil to The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht

From June 23rd until June 26th, 2026, the Dutch Cycling Embassy (DCE) had the pleasure of organising the first ACTIVE Mobility Mission for a delegation from Colombia, Chile and Brazil. The programme was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sustainable Mobility between the Netherlands and Colombia and was made possible through collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Colombia and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Across The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, the delegation exchanged knowledge and experiences on active mobility, cycling policy, infrastructure, communication and governance in practice.

The delegation included participants connected to The World Bank Group, Cundinamarca, Metro Bogotá and other Colombian partners involved in the ACTIVE Capacity Building training programme. From Brazil, participants joined from Niterói de Bicicleta, the municipality of Niterói and Cycling Union Brazil. From Chile, a delegate connected to the Chilean Sustainability Agency joined the group.

Day 1: The Hague

On the first day, the delegation met each other and shared the context of their own localities, including the projects they are currently working on and the challenges they face. Arlette van Gilst, Director of Cycling and Walking Policy at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, welcomed the delegates to the Netherlands with a short presentation. This was followed by a presentation from Paula Godoy of ARUP, who introduced the Hardware, Software and Orgware approach to cycling in the Netherlands. Afterwards, the group went outside for a cycling tour through The Hague, guided by Paula, to connect the examples from her presentation to practice on the street.

Day 2: Rotterdam

The following day, the delegation travelled to Rotterdam to discover a city with different characteristics compared to other cities in the Netherlands, and with infrastructural challenges that are similar to those in Latin American cities. The day started with a cycling tour by Mirjam Borsboom of Movida, who also works for the municipality of Rotterdam. She shared the current projects Rotterdam is working on and how the city is in constant change, growing towards a more cycling-friendly environment.

After the tour, the group visited the office of Humankind for a presentation by director Lior Steinberg on how trials and small-scale experiments can transform places from brick and asphalt environments into green oases in the city. He shared examples such as the transformation of parking spaces into green hangout spots for people. Afterwards, Melissa Bruntlett of Modacity Creative, shared how to effectively communicate the cycling narrative to different stakeholders and how to tell a story successfully to inspire people to cycle.

Day 3: Utrecht

On Day 3, the delegation explored Utrecht, starting off with a tour of Utrecht Central Station by Hugo Bustamante and Alejandro Montes from Goudappel/Iganga, who shared insights on the multi-modality of the station and the mix of functions it houses. Of course, the world’s biggest bicycle parking garage was also visited to showcase what effective cycling policies over longer periods can bring. Afterwards, the delegation cycled to the DCE office. There, Hugo and Alejandro gave a deep-dive presentation on the multi-modal numbers and transport systems the Netherlands has built, how steps were taken to increase cycling levels, and the role multi-modal hubs play in this transition.

Ruben Loendersloot of Loendersloot International, then took over and taught the delegation about the technical measures behind successful bicycle infrastructure, showcasing Dutch examples. Afterwards, the group got back on their bicycles for a tour to see these technical measures in the real world, visiting projects where the bicycle has been given a central role, such as the Daphne Schippersbrug and the Willem-Alexanderpark on top of the A2 highway.

Day 4: The Hague

On the last day of this hot weather week, the group held its final sessions at New Babylon in The Hague, zooming in on the political and governance differences between the Netherlands and the countries represented in the Latin American delegation. Isabela Ledo, who is connected to Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and formerly worked for the municipality of Niterói in Brazil, teamed up with Dirk de Jager of Sustainable Solutions, who has experience as mobility deputy mayor of the South-East city district of Amsterdam, to facilitate a session exploring these political differences per country.

Lastly, the group played the serious game “Bikonomics,” with Lucas Harms of Transforming Mobility and Kees van Ommeren of Decisio. In this game, delegates learned about the financial benefits of cycling on a micro, meso and macro level in society. Afterwards, a town hall meeting was replicated: delegates each played their role and tried to fulfil their goals.

Looking ahead

The ACTIVE Mobility Mission showed that knowledge exchange goes both ways. While the Dutch approach to active mobility was showcased through presentations, site visits and cycling tours, it was equally valuable to learn from the experiences, innovations and perspectives of the delegates from Colombia, Chile and Brazil. These international exchanges help partners move forward together towards safer, healthier and more sustainable mobility for everyone.
This mission was made possible through close collaboration between the ACTIVE programme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Colombia, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Dutch Cycling Embassy. DCE looks forward to continuing this collaboration and strengthening active mobility across continents.

A warm thank you to all delegates, partners and experts who made this inspiring week possible.