Velo-City 2026 Rimini: Our Lookback!

From June 16 to 19, 2026, we were thrilled to join the global cycling community in Rimini, Italy, for Velo-City 2026—the world’s premier conference for cycling development. This year’s edition was a whirlwind of innovation, collaboration, and celebration, bringing together local authorities, advocates, private companies, and urban planners to shape the future of cycling. As always, we were very happy to be at the heart of the action, sharing insights, learning from peers, and championing the power of data-driven decision-making for cycling infrastructure.

🌟 2026 Highlights

A flagship theme from the Plenary Session this year was "Kindness as Mobility"—the idea that empathy and human-centered design should guide our approach to urban planning. Whether it’s designing safer intersections for children or ensuring that touristic routes serve commuters too, the conversation underscored that data must serve people.

Data at the Core: Presentations & Workshops

This year, we took the stage three times to showcase how data can transform cycling policies and infrastructure:

• 🔹 "How many commuters use touristic cycle routes? The power of data insights into route usage." Speaker: Laurent Guennoc (Urban Market Specialist)
  This session dove into how real-time data can uncover usage patterns on cycle routes, turning monitoring into actionable insights for planners. From commuter habits to tourist traffic, we explored how cities can optimize networks for all types of cyclists.
• 🔹 "Leveraging data for improved infrastructure and policies" Speaker: Véronique Watelle (Data Fusion Specialist)
  A deep dive into how robust, reliable data strengthens policy evaluation and guides infrastructure investments. We shared case studies where data helped cities justify expansions, prioritize safety, and measure impact—proving that what gets measured gets improved.
• 🏆 Celebrating Excellence: European Cyclists' Federation Awards (ECF)

We were proud sponsors of the ECF Awards, and had the honor of presenting the "Best Cycling Improvement" prize to Oslo Kommune! Oslo’s commitment to cycling—from expanded bike lanes to winter maintenance and incentive programs—has set a new standard for urban mobility. With great success: Oslo’s modal share for cycling has doubled in the past decade, thanks to all of this! Their data-driven approach, including automated counting and public dashboards, aligns perfectly with our mission at Eco-Counter. 

Exchange & Advocacy

And we know that Velo-City is as much about learning as it is about connecting. This year, we engaged in great discussions with:

• Institutional lobbying partners: Exploring how to amplify cycling advocacy at the EU and national levels.
• Technology innovators: Collaborating on the next generation of smart mobility tools, for even smarter data collection.
• Women in Cycling: we were glad to co-host a powerful exchange on gender equity in cycling, from safety concerns to participation gaps. We left inspired by the growing movement to make cycling more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Bike Parade: The Flagship Moment!

No Velo-City would be complete without the traditional Bike Parade! Hundreds of cyclists took to the streets of Rimini for a joyful, colorful ride through the city. It was a reminder of why we do what we do: cycling is about community, health, and joy as much as it is about sustainability.

Want to Dive Deeper?

To the organizers, speakers, and participants who made Velo-City 2026 an unforgettable experience: thank you! Let’s keep pedaling toward a more sustainable, equitable, and data-informed future.

If you’d like to access the materials we presented at Velo-City 2026 (slides, case studies, or data insights), contact us—we’d be delighted to share them with you!