Véloterritories. Shaping European cycling landscapes
11/09/2025 , De Brug Area 1

The contemporary ecological crisis has led to an increased focus on the need for alternative visions of mobility as a sociological system with a holistic impact on public space. Vélomobility, a concept developed from previous utopian experiences in the late 2010s, has contributed to the debate on how to develop cycling infrastructure and what factors could lead to an increase in the cycling modal share. Concurrent research from social sciences has fostered heightened interest in the domain of urban cycling. However, investigation in design-oriented fields has approached the subject only from the perspective of the rationales behind the materialisation of cycling infrastructure in so-called urban sustainable developments and the drafting of diverse, locally-oriented handbooks. It is imperative, therefore, to adopt a comprehensive approach to vélomobility from the perspective of urbanism in order to promote the use of the bicycle. This approach will engender a new interpretation of public space, with complementary contributions that directly affect the quality and experience of urban cycling, including ecology, intermodality and inclusivity. In this context, the urban-oriented study of véloterritories emerges as a pivotal opportunity for enhancing our understanding of the requirements for characterising environments from the perspective of active transportation.