Urban cycling debates often revolve around infrastructure: how many kilometers of bike lanes, what design standards, which modal share targets. But what if the real transformation in the future does not begin with asphalt — but with children? The first movement of Dutch cycling also started with children. Now we should move on one more time.
This workshop provocatively reframes cycling as a form of social medicine: a low-cost, high-impact public health intervention capable of addressing physical inactivity, confidence deficits, and social fragmentation in cities. Drawing from hands-on experience with school and community-based cycling programs in Bratislava—particularly in low-income and migrant neighbourhoods—the session argues that behavioral change, peer dynamics, and parental trust can sometimes shift urban mobility cultures faster than infrastructure alone.
Instead of asking, “Where do we build the next lane?”, we ask:
What happens when children reclaim the street?
What happens when cycling becomes a tool for integration, not just transportation?
What if the most radical urban mobility policy is teaching an eight-year-old to balance confidently?
Participants will engage in a collaborative design challenge: building an inclusive cycling intervention for a city struggling with health inequalities and limited infrastructure. Together, we will identify hidden barriers—psychological, cultural, institutional—and co-create strategies aligned with WHO physical activity frameworks and health equity principles.
This session aims to unsettle conventional transport thinking and bridge mobility research with public health, sociology, and political theory. If cities are serious about reducing inequality and improving well-being, perhaps the most disruptive infrastructure is not concrete—but confidence.
Tomas Peciar is a long-time activist and advocate for everyday bicycle transport. He began organizing bike rides in 2010, and since then, he has led hundreds of bike rides with thousands of participants across the Slovak Republic. Later, he co-founded Cyklokoalicia. As a campaigner, he has been involved in European Mobility Week, clean-air campaigns, artistic bike racks, community bike-sharing white bikes, and numerous other projects. Additionally, as a DIY enthusiast, he founded the Bike Kitchen in Bratislava, the area’s largest and most active community bike workshop.
Regarding his aspirations, his primary goal is to establish a connected and safe cycling infrastructure in Bratislava. In the next few years, he plans to focus on promoting cycling among children. This is why he initiated the Kidical Mass bike ride in 2023 and intends to develop a comprehensive platform and community centered around this topic. Furthermore, he aims to continue his fusion project involving bicycles, which involves integrating bicycles into various aspects of our lives and promoting their use.