International Cargo Bike Festival 2018

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INTERNATIONAL CARGO BIKE FESTIVAL 2018 New impetus for the ICBF Text and photo Karin Veenendaal Director Jos Sluijsmans felt it was time for a change. He wanted to reinvigorate The International Cargo Bike Festival. What he didn’t foresee was a whole new partnership and a new location. This year the ICBF is hosted by VELOBerlin. From the oldest Dutch city to a German capital brimming with both innovation and history. Speaking of impetus… Teaming up with VELOBerlin; how did it come about? Our two events sometimes have overlapping dates. This has hindered us in the past and as it turned out, we were once again planning the same dates for 2018. VELOBerlin contacted me to see if we could change our dates and I had to tell them that unfortunately this wasn’t possible. To my surprise they suggested a kind of merger. At first I was a bit hesitant to be honest. For sure there were advantages, but I wasn’t sure whether or not ICBF participants would embrace the change. So what made you say ‘yes’? Tempelhof. The moment I found out this would be the new location for VELOBerlin, it clicked - it just felt right. This former airport near the city centre is highly atmospheric. Picture this; an historic place as a backdrop for innovation. Despite this, cargo bikes are really an old means of transportation and, for me, this juxtaposition of old and new makes Tempelhof the perfect venue. Not insignificant was VELOBerlin’s offer to take on part of the costs and organisation. The combination of these things made me say ‘yes!’ How will ICBF and VELOBerlin benefit from linking up? I think everyone involved will benefit. ICBF visitors will have a richer, more diverse experience. ICBF exhibitors will have access to a larger, more generic audience; Germany is one of the biggest markets in the world for cargo bike manufacturers. Cargo bikes are still seen as something strange, we still occupy a niche and I really want to change that. Linking up with VELOBerlin has given the ICBF a higher profile, which is great. I mean Berlin, that’s quite something! VELOBerlin benefits by hosting ICBF; the best, most diverse gathering of cargo bike manufacturers in the world. Until now VELOBerlin has been primarily focussed on local consumers and visitors. It has been their wish for some time now to include cargo bikes and introduce an element of Business-to-Business. Furthermore VELOBerlin also benefits from adding an international component to what is a local festival. How about you and Berlin? It’s amazing, but until very recently Berlin was a blind spot for me. I find the city enthralling. Very relaxed. A bit un-German, if I may say so. What fascinates me are those rough, old sites right in the heart of the city. The combination of the old and the new, establishment and counter-culture all so close together is extraordinary. But I also like the spacious, clean streets and sidewalks. Pedestrians and cyclists share space in harmony. Nijmegen is European Green Capital 2018. Wasn’t it more logical to stay put? No, not necessarily. To clarify this I would like to quote the European Commissioner Karmenu Vella. In his foreword in the brochure Nijmegen, Green Capital of Europe 2018 he states: “The centre of the cargo 4
#ICBF2018 bike movement, developments in this area pioneered in Nijmegen, can change the way we view transport in urban areas. The European Green Capital Award is not just a singular award for one city. It is a showcase of best practices to inspire other cities to build a more sustainable future.” With that in mind it is my pleasure to put the values and ideas of Nijmegen Green Capital 2018 under the spotlights here in Berlin. Besides, it’s a great opportunity to reach eastern- European countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Balkans. Their cities are also suffering from excessive air pollution and traffic congestion. I would like to demonstrate to them that freight distribution by cargo bike offers a solution. Next year: same time, same place? No. In 2019 the ICBF will return to The Netherlands. But to a different location: Groningen. The municipality of Groningen is very keen on sustainable city distribution and is looking forward to our presence. They are eager and already have many great plans. Very motivating! I think this will be the future for the ICBF: joining like-minded initiatives and promoting Nijmegen’s green values and ideas elsewhere. 5
Page 1 and 2: 8 INTERNATIONAL CARGO BIKE FESTIVAL
Page 3: Colophon: ICBF Magazine is a public
Page 7 and 8: #ICBF2018 Cargo Bikes in Rotterdam
Page 9 and 10: What do you think Berlin will gain
Page 11 and 12: Multimodality We covered a pair of
Page 13 and 14: Hatch open, hatch closed! Our must
Page 15 and 16: There is an important precondition
Page 17 and 18: #ICBF2018 “The aim is a city for
Page 19 and 20: #ICBF2018 We saw that occasional ro
Page 21 and 22: #ICBF2018 Nijmegen is home to the D
Page 23 and 24: Using the Ebike4Delivery brings man
Page 25 and 26: #ICBF2018 25
Page 27 and 28: Experiment in Amsterdam - LEFV Batt
Page 29 and 30: Cargo Bike Poland By Krzysztof Guba
Page 31 and 32: #ICBF2018 Cargo bike logistics The

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