Knowledge ITF Summit 2026: resilience, proximity and cycling in practice 9 May 2026 Cycling News General Skadi Tirpak, Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, attended the 2026 ITF Summit in Leipzig to exchange ideas, strengthen international connections and explore how cycling can contribute to more resilient transport systems. The Summit focused on funding resilient transport. Across the sessions, resilience was discussed broadly: not only as stronger infrastructure, but also as flexibility, governance, digital reliability, accessibility and quality of life. One reflection that stood out was the difference in lifespan between physical infrastructure and digital systems. Roads, bridges and railways can last for generations, while digital systems can change within weeks. This raised an important question for transport planning: are our systems not only strong enough, but also flexible enough to adapt when conditions change? Several sessions underlined the need to move beyond a narrow view of transport. Accessibility, proximity and well-being were recurring themes. Transport can help create an “active society by default”, supporting both physical and mental health, particularly in ageing societies. Carlos Moreno captured this clearly during the closing plenary: proximity is resilience. The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026–2035 was also introduced as an important framework for the years ahead. From a Dutch perspective, and presented by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management at the Summit – the integrated approach remains highly relevant. Mobility cannot be separated from spatial planning, housing, health, climate and public services. Access should be the central goal. The Summit ended with a bicycle tour through Leipzig, offering a practical view of the city’s green structure, floodplain landscape, waterways and cycling routes. It was a fitting reminder that resilient transport is not only about finance and infrastructure. It is also about public space, everyday accessibility, green networks and the quality of urban life. It also reinforced a simple but important closing message: cycling is not a side topic in resilient transport systems. It is part of how cities and regions can become more accessible, healthier and better prepared for the future.