Dutch Cycling Embassy Supports Bicycle Mayor of Tehran’s Participation in Velo-city 2024

Earlier this year, the 2024 Velo-city Conference drew over 1,600 advocates, cities, decision- and policy-makers, researchers, and industry leaders from 60 countries to Ghent, Belgium As the annual flagship event of the European Cyclists’ Federation, Velo-city plays a valuable part in promoting cycling as a sustainable and healthy means of transport for all. 

While it is known as the world cycling summit, the rising cost of travel and registration makes it an increasingly inaccessible event for non-profit organizations. To help address that inequity, the Dutch Cycling Embassy has a program to sponsor the attendance of a non-profit organization. We were pleased to support BYCS’ Bicycle Mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Nazarpoor, who travelled from Iran to share his work strengthening the human infrastructure as a driving force to transform space and promote cycling in Tehran. 

Recently, grassroots movements and bottom-up initiatives have emerged in Tehran as a car-dominated city, focusing on cycling to challenge the prevailing car culture and car-oriented paradigm while advocating for inclusive cycling. Nazarpoor’s poster presentation explained that their lessons learned have revealed three interconnected aspects: educating, networking, and advocating. In addition to a poster presentation, he joined the DCE’s session:  

“Especially in low cycling contexts, We need to pay attention to the human and hard infrastructure. The human infrastructure is a valuable framework that pays particular attention to the emotional, social, and educational aspects of cycling.” 

“While it is just a drop in the bucket, the Dutch Cycling Embassy is pleased to bring one non-profit to the table for these critical conversations,” said International Relations Manager Chris Bruntlett. “Not only does this allow them to learn first-hand about best practice from around the world, but it also provides them with a unique platform from which they can share their own valuable perspective and experience with others.” 

“The Velo-city conference has provided me with an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from diverse geographic contexts, and fuel my determination to transform cities into more livable and sustainable environments,” said Mohammad Nazarpoor. “I believe in the transformative power of bicycles to create livable cities. By working together, we can effectively transform our environments.”