Knowledge Dutch Cycling Embassy Delegation at the Velo-city 2026 Conference in Rimini, Italy 29 July 2026 General From June 16th to 19th, 2026, the Dutch Cycling Embassy led a delegation of Dutch cycling professionals, public officials, researchers, and industry leaders to Rimini, Italy for the 2026 Velo-city Conference, the world’s leading international event dedicated to cycling and sustainable mobility. Hosted by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), this year’s conference brought together more than 1,400 delegates from over 60 countries under the theme “Delivering the Urban Dream.” The conference was held in Rimini, a city that has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Once heavily oriented around private vehicles, Rimini has invested significantly in public space, active mobility, and urban regeneration, becoming an inspiring example of how cities can improve quality of life through sustainable transportation. The Cities and Regions for Cyclists (CRC) Network Day brings together cities and regions working on cycling policy, with a focus on exchange and learning between local and regional governments. It’s the kick off before Velo-city and provides a great way to connect and on this occasion, have a beautiful morning cycling tour of Rimini with city representatives. In the afternoon, we facilitated a session together with Decisio using their bikeconomics game. Participants were asked to take on different stakeholder roles and respond to a set of policies presented by “City Council”. It was interesting to see how quickly everyone got into their role, and how much input came forward from the different perspectives in the room. In the end, the public transport group won with a strong and convincing speech, a nice result from a Dutch perspective, where cycling’s success is closely linkedto its integration with public transport. The official programme began on Tuesday morning with an opening ceremony led by the European Cyclists’ Federation and local hosts from the City of Rimini. Shortly thereafter, the Dutch Cycling Pavilion officially opened its doors, showcasing the expertise, products, services, and innovative solutions of organizations from across the Dutch Cycling Embassy network. Throughout the four-day conference, Dutch experts featured prominently in plenary sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and technical exchanges. Representatives from municipalities, consultancies, knowledge institutes, and advocacy organizations shared practical insights on cycling infrastructure, behaviour change, traffic circulation, public space design, and the role of cycling in creating healthier, more resilient cities. Beyond the conference halls, delegates experienced first-hand the transformation of Rimini through technical visits, study tours, and networking events. These exchanges provided valuable opportunities to connect with practitioners from around the world and to demonstrate how Dutch expertisecan support cities seeking to accelerate their own cycling transitions. One of the highlights of the week was the opportunity to engage with hundreds of city leaders, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners at the Dutch Cycling Pavilion. The pavilion served as a meeting point for international collaboration and knowledge exchange, reinforcing the Netherlands’ position as a global leader in cycling and sustainable urban mobility. It was a privilege to contribute to another successful edition of Velo-city and to strengthen relationships with partners from around the world. Our sincere thanks go to the European Cyclists’ Federation, the City of Rimini, the local organizing committee, our pavilion partners, and everyone who visited us throughout the week. We look forward to continuing these conversations and helping more cities make cycling a viable, safe, and attractive option for everyone, everywhere.