Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012.pdf - Fietsberaad

COLLABORATIONS AND NETWORKS
Establishing the Cycling Embassy of
Denmark
Ever since 2005 the interest in daily cycling has
been growing slowly but surely all over the world.
This has put a certain amount of pressure on
Denmark (and Holland), where the cycling modal
share is high. Journalists, city planners, architects,
students, and politicians travel to Denmark to
discover why this is so. At the same time, Danish
embassies and agencies abroad have started to
take an interest in promoting Denmark as a bikefriendly
nation.
In 2009 a number of Danish players in the field
of cycling launched a new network called the
Cycling Embassy of Denmark. The network
saw the light of day at the European cycling
conference Velo-city, in Brussels. At the time it
consisted of 13 members and both the Danish
Road Directorate and the Foreign Ministry
were – and still are – involved in the network.
In 2009-2010 seven members jointly initiated
a large number of activities and were granted
DKK 500,000 by the Ministry for Business and
Growth’s Marketing Fund.
There are currently 17 members in 2011,
including 6 municipalities, 6 private companies
(consultant as well as production) and other
types of organizations, such as VisitDenmark,
DSB, the Danish Cancer Society, the Danish bike
shop trade association, and the Danish Cyclists’
Federation.
How the Cycling Embassy of Denmark
works
Although the Cycling Embassy is a network
in practice, it has a formalized structure with
a board of directors, articles of association,
dues, and a work plan. The network is open
to everyone who meets the requirements of
the articles of association, which means that
you have to be actively engaged; nothing takes
place except at the initiative of the membership.
Task groups are established as new projects and
events are defined, including media activities,
annual prize awards, biking tours for cycling
enthusiasts, and booths at cycling conferences.
Other activities include preparing publications
aimed at Danish and non-Danish readers, and
arranging bicycle game events and presentations
abroad in collaboration with Danish embassies
and other agencies.
The Danish Cyclists’ Federation has assumed the
function of the Cycling Embassy’s secretariat; it
prepares the meetings, draws up the minutes,
and coordinates many of the activities while
the Cycling Embassy ensures that the many
international enquiries are handled professionally.
3 annual meetings are held for the membership
as a whole, and the Board holds 3-4 additional
meetings annually. The members host the
meetings on a rota basis, and also have a say in
the agenda. Members pay dues which primarily
finance secretariat work. In addition they invest
the time and resources that they find meaningful.
You can read more at www.cycling-embassy.org.
CYCLING AT CONFERENCES
AND OTHER PLATFORMS
Since 2008 the Danish Road Directorate has
held an annual, two-day national conference
at which projects, promotional campaigns, and
new knowledge are presented and discussed.
The event provides an excellent overview of
the many activities taking place. Furthermore,
cycling is increasingly becoming a subtopic at
conferences on other themes, such as health, the
environment, mobility, urban planning, children
and physical exercise.
EUROPEAN COLLABORATION
It is possible to apply for EU funding for crossmunicipal
or cross-national cycling projects.
Among other things, this has given rise to
such projects as Nordic Cycle Cities with the
participation of 4 Danish municipalities, and
Cykler uden grænser (“Bikes without Borders”),
a collaboration between 4 Danish and 2 German
cycle cities. The Danish Cyclists’ Federation is
part of the European Cyclists’ Federation based
in Brussels, and is in an on-going dialogue with
the European Commission, among others.
Lobbying the Commission has important
consequences at the regional and local level as
the European Commission has an impact on
municipal development through the so-called
Green Books, which describe challenges, offer
recommendations and propose solutions. The
Commission also has the power to develop or
establish subsidy schemes promoting innovation
and development.
The EU can fund cycle projects across national
and municipal borders