GRONINGEN
THE NETHERLANDS
BID VELO–CITY 2017
The Cycling
Experience
INSPIRATION
GRONINGEN
VELO-CITY
2017
Welcome
back to
Groningen!
No less than 60% of all traffic
movements in the city of Groningen are
bicycle-related. The bicycle is a natural
part of our daily lives and an indelible
part of our city’s compact urban
landscape. We are proud of the fact
that cycling has made Groningen more
livable, resilient and sustainable.
Cities are at the forefront when it comes
to responding to global challenges.
We are glad to see that cycling plays
such an important role in how we look
at cities nowadays. Adopting a city
systems approach requires integrated
work methods and truly integrated
solutions. That has been our view for
the past 40 years.
What makes a city livable? It is a simple
question with a complicated answer,
but we are quite sure it has much to
do with a healthy bicycle culture. That
is why we look forward to welcoming
Velo-city 2017. To inspire the world with
what we have done, to show what we
are still planning to do and to hear and
learn from others.
Ruud Vreeman
Mayor of Groningen
2
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
Max van den Berg
King’s Commissioner
for the Province of
Groningen
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
Paul de Rook
Alderman for Traffic
and Transportation,
City of Groningen
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ABOUT GRONINGEN
1
No.
Cycling capital of the world
cityclock.org/urban-cycling-mode-share/
article 8 August 2014
About Groningen
and its cycling
culture
In the early seventies of the last century,
Groningen’s inner city tackled problems
that many cities are still facing today:
air pollution, congestion and danger for
pedestrians and cyclists due to rapidly
increasing motorized traffic. This was not
the kind of city that Groningers had in mind.
So the City Council took spectacular and
far-reaching measures.
1977: In the 60s and 70s,
the increase in car use
caused accessibility and
livability-related problems in
Groningen’s inner city.
With its Traffic Circulation
Plan the city opted for
a radical solution: all
motorized through traffic in
the inner city was banned in
favor of pedestrians, cyclists
and public transport.
In 1977 an inventive Traffic Circulation Plan was introduced, banning all cartraffic from the city center. This was combined with the design of an extensive
bicycle infrastructure. In the following decades this policy was perfected to
a high degree. In 1987 the participants of the third Velo-city conference were
surprised and inspired by the pervasive pro-cycling nature of our city. In 2017
participants can see what has been achieved in this city in the field of cycling in
the 30 years following the first Velo-city conference. And what plans Groningen
has in store for the next 40 years. And, take it from us; there are many!
Modal split
city of Groningen
59%
No.
2
Runner-up in the iCapital
election of innovative
cities in Europe
ec.europa.eu/research/innovationunion/index_en.cfm?
section=icapital
City of Talent:
Sharing
knowledge
Groningen is the city of knowledge and innovation in the
North-Netherlands. A place offering scope for talent. This
university city has an intricate infrastructure in the fields
of education and research. Constant cross-pollination,
combined with creative and innovative strengths. These
are qualities that we also deploy in fields such as urban
planning, energy, healthy ageing, livability and traffic
policy. And time and again, the bicycle plays a crucial
role in the implementation of measures in all these fields.
We cannot wait to convey many of the lessons we have
learned to others. At the same time we are receptive to
others’ experiences. Sharing knowledge and exchanging
experiences: it is the way to move forward together.
55,000
students, making
Groningen the most
youthful city
in Holland
Greenest
city of Holland
Winner of the 2013
national green
competition Entente
Florale.
Compact City
4,2
Public Transport
Car
Bicycle
ABOUT GRONINGEN
36,8
*2009
Groningen is famous for the successful implementation
of the compact city-concept. The guiding principle of
‘compact urbanization’ is intended as a contribution to
the strengthening of the position of the cities and to help
reduce the steady growth of car use. Groningen has been
advocating and implementing this policy very strongly, not
only by the planning of new resedential locations but also of
work locations. The basic principles underlying the choice
of these locations as well as recreational amenities and
shopping centres is the minimisation of bicycle distances.
No.
60%
City of
Events
Groningen is a vibrant city, a regional metropolis.
We believe in the power of events and are constantly
on the look-out for attractive national and international
conferences and large public events. Marketing Groningen
and the Groningen Convention Bureau have proved their
worth when it comes to the organization, communication
and marketing of events, and accommodating and
facilitating large numbers of guests from this country and
abroad. Groningen is also host to lots of prominent annual
festivals such as:
— International music showcase festival Eurosonic/
Noorderslag (38,500 visitors), including a conference for
3,500 participants
— International cultural performance festival Noorderzon
(10 days, 150,000 visitors)
— Night of Art and Science (13,500 visitors)
— The annual flower market during Easter holidays draws
some 140,000 visitors from Holland and Germany.
3
But once-only events lasting several days are equally
welcome in this city. In the past few years we successfully
staged events such as:
Happiest city in Europe
(European Commission).
Groningen finished third out
of 79 participating cities!
— Gironingen: start of the Giro d’Italia, 2002 (for the first
time in a city outside Italy, 100,000 visitors)
— European Football Championship under 21, 2007
— 3FM Serious Request charity event, 2009 (250,000
visitors)
— Music and theatre spectacle The Passion, 2014 (20,000
visitors and 4 million TV viewers nationwide)
— 4infinity: 400th anniversary of Groningen University,
2014 (150,000 visitors)
ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/
docgener/studies/pdf/urban/
survey2013_en.pdf
bike-related
movements in
this city
The Groningen Convention Bureau has facilitated and
organized over 400 national and international events in the
(Northern) Netherlands during the last 18 years. With over
50 conferences a year, they are our trusted service and
logistics partner in organizing Velo-city 2017.
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VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
5
TOPICS
TOPICS
Innovation and
Technology
Topics we
would like to
address during
Velo-city 2017
Health
Experience Velo-city through its program
of innovative themes in surprising ways,
at exciting sites and sensational locations.
We will tell the story of cycling in a festival
atmosphere. Velo-city will be a groundbreaking and vibrant event. Join us in
celebrating Velo-city in a true bicycle city.
The North-Netherlands is ambitious when it
comes to research and alternative solutions for
the worldwide issue of healthy ageing. Themes
such as lifestyle and use of the environment are
merging here. Finding new ways of getting people
to live healthier lives is one of the spearheads of
our knowledge institutions, authorities and the
business community. Here, too, the bicycle plays
a major role. Consequently, Health Science will
make an interesting topic during
Velo-city 2017.
The North-Netherlands is characterized by high-quality
innovative and technological expertise and experience.
Take the sensors, for example, that do precision work in
traffic and are very convenient for the cyclist in Groningen.
Usually sensors are invisible to the human eye, but they will
become recognizable during Velo-city. This is just one of
the subjects on innovation and technology featured in the
conference. There will be many more.
iFAN
Studio
Tjeerd
Veenhoven
Drymer,
innovative
bike concepts
Creative
City and Art
Fun
Velo-city will be an integral part of
our city, sharing its rhythm of day and
night. Those who are professionally
interested will attend the conference
by day, and lose themselves in the
inner-city dynamics by night. Shop
windows will have bike-related
themes. And there will be sports
contests: bicycle polo and a cycle
race on the Ring road (the only road
in Groningen where bikes are not
allowed).
Groningen is a creative and tolerant city with many people
working in the creative industries. After Amsterdam,
Groningen is the second city of culture in this country.
Obviously this will be reflected in Velo-city in the form of
design workshops and exhibitions, and each day will be
concluded with our Open Air Bike-In Cinema Evenings.
Urban
Planning
Inner city
center
During Velo-city the participants will experience the
elaborate cycling infrastructure in our city and region.
Including a cycling network with protected bike lanes,
special routes, a range of parking solutions, rainsensors at
trafficlights and intersections where cyclists get their own
green phase at the same time in any direction. We will also
show and explain our urban planning philosophy in which
we always integrate the bicycle. Get inspired!
35,000m2
development
area
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VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
Bicycle
tunnel
study
Education
Groningen is a breeding-ground of knowledge, new
developments and top talent, and it has been proclaimed
Dutch City of Education 2014. Groningen aims to link
Velo-city to forward-looking themes, and this implies
that at a very early stage we will involve up and coming
young people, from practical training to science, in the
conference. We will challenge them to carry out research
and start experiments. The bicycle will figure prominently in
educational programmes on all levels within the framework
of the “year of the bicycle”.
Groningen
by night
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
7
PRELIMINARY MAP
PRELIMINARY MAP
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Wadden Islands
CONFERENCE LOCATION
UMCG
The Dutch Wadden Islands provide a
nice opportunity for side and partner
programmes away from the city.
And for bike trips of course!
The first Full Dome 3D Theater in
Holland offering a unique movie
experience.
15
CONFERENCE LOCATION
OSLO
Map of
The Netherlands
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Groninger
Forum
mi
n
The Groninger
Museum
10
5m
LONDON
in
62
5k
m
City
Airport
Bremen
GRONINGEN
mi
n
49 0
CONFERENCE LOCATION
m
COPENHAGEN
0k
mi
n
Renovated glory. Perfect for art
exhibits or other smaller Velo-city
gatherings.
Main Railway
Station
km
18
0
km
BREMEN
180 km
5 70 km
Groningen
Airport
Eelde
BERLIN
AMSTERDAM
35
Schiphol
m
20
The University Medical Centre of
Groningen. A city within a city!
0k
Groningen is a compact city and we
will make good use of that during Velocity 2017. The conference takes place at
different locations all over town - all at a
bikeable distance from each other. These
venues are functional and inspiring for
delegates, visible and recognizable for the
people of Groningen. For when people
get together, awareness grows. And this
is what we aspire to. Apart from the main
conference location MartiniPlaza, this
map shows a number of planned locations.
Water Tower
North
CONFERENCE LOCATION
78
Preliminary map
to Velo-city 2017
Infoversum
CONFERENCE LOCATION
49 0
km
Yet to be completed, participants
of Velo-city will be among the first
to visit the building as well as the
underground bicycle parking facility.
One of the greatest art treasures of
this Museum is the building itself.
BRUSSELS
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Station
Europapark
A must-do visit. There is room
for over 5,000 bicycles under the
Stadsbalkon, the plaza right in front
of the station.
FRANKFURT
CONFERENCE LOCATION
DUO
CONFERENCE LOCATION
MartiniPlaza
Legend
bikeable
non-bikeable
Travel time
(by bike)
8
New railway station including a stateof-the-art, covered and supervised
bicycle parking facility. Perfect as a
pop-up workshop location.
conference location
5 min
10 min
15 min
25 min
Scale
500 m
Main stage for key-note speakers,
lunches and exhibition floor.
Superb location and office garden
for high-level meetings. The
underground bicycle-parking offers
dedicated services to employees.
20 min
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
9
MEET THE PEOPLE
MEET THE PEOPLE
We bike this city.
Come ride with us.
Prof. dr. Sibrand
Poppema,
President University
of Groningen
10
Paul de Rook,
Alderman for Traffic
and Transportation,
City of Groningen
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
11
WHAT OTHERS SAY
WHAT OTHERS SAY
“For me, Groningen as host city for
Velo-city 2017 is one of the most
natural and obvious choices. So
much of the visionary thinking about
liveable cities - and not least the
bicycle’s role in them - originates
in Groningen 40 years ago. It is
rare that small cities inspire larger
ones, but Groningen is a brilliant
exception to this rule. Many of the
ideas spawned in Groningen have farreaching effects on cities around the
world, regardless of size.
Keynote speech at
Let’s Gro Festival 2013
Grand Theatre Groningen
In many ways, Groningen as host
city would be a kind of homecoming
for the Velo-city conference and for
bicycle urbanism. As we spread the
message around the world, it is also
important to come home to our roots
once in a while.”
Mikael Colville-Andersen
CEO - Copenhagenize Design Company
Copenhagen, Denmark
12
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
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INVITATION
INVITATION
Invitation to the jury.
To experience what
an innovative event in
Groningen feels like,
we are pleased to invite
you to our city’s urban
inspirational festival
Let’s Gro (Nov. 21-22,
2014).
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VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
VELO-CITY GRONINGEN 2017
15
We are looking
forward to welcome
the world in 2017
VELO-CITY 2017
THE CYCLING
EXPERIENCE
Photos by Tom van Huisstede / Marketing Groningen except noted otherwise. p4: Groninger Archieven (upper left), p5: Bart Heemskerk (bottom), Joost van Keulen (center), p6: Marieke Kijk in de Vegte (top), Saskia Zwiers (left),
p7: Drymer (top), Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven (center), Jeroen Berends (bottom), p8: Paul Kooi (top), p9: Paul Kooi (top center and right, bottom left), p10: Paul Kooi (center), p12-13: René Keijzer, p14: Jitske Hagens.