On the 27th of October, 2022, international author and urban mobility advocate and advisor Melissa Bruntlett will be hosting this year’s annual International Cargo Bike Festival Conference in Amsterdam, powered by Mobycon, as a part of our mission to make the world less dependent on the car. The 2020’s have been deemed the decade of the cargo bike, and Melissa is excited to be a part of bringing together industry leaders in all areas of cargo bike advocacy, manufacturing, policy, and planning. “Having first been introduced to the ICBF in 2017 during the simultaneous Velo-City and ICBF 2017 conferences in Nijmegen, it’s an amazing opportunity to be a part of pushing the conversation forward, especially as we look ahead to a just transition,” she states.
Melissa and her partner Chris first began promoting the value of cargo bikes when they established the cargo bike championship in Vancouver. Since then, they have focused on helping broaden the reach of these functional, sustainable, machines, to promote cargo bikes as not only a form of transport, but also city logistics. This includes co-authoring two books, Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality, which includes a chapter on cargo bikes and an interview with ICBF Founder Jos Sluijsmans, and Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in our Lives. In 2019, following her move from Vancouver, Canada to Delft, Melissa and Chris attended the ICBF Conference in Groningen, presenting some of the Dutch cycling history and research contained in their first book, as well as participating in a number of exciting activities, including testing out a few cargo bikes with their two children.
Participating in this year’s event is an opportunity to continue reinforcing that interest, using her more recent experience as a Communications and Engagement Advisor with Mobycon and working with organizations around the world to help encourage meaningful dialogue throughout the conference. With speakers from all over the world in attendance, and as an international representative for happier, healthier, more cyclable cities, Melissa will be an enthusiastic and passionate host for the ICBF 2022!
‘I believe that to create cities that work for every one, you have to tell a great story. Promoting multi-modal transportation to a mainstream audience means sharing the stories of the people who benefit from making communities more walkable and bikeable, and showing what is possible if we rethink the way we design our streets and public spaces. I strive to inspire people to create places where children can flourish, and where the simple act of moving through their city is a safe, simple, and enjoyable act.’
Communications and Engagement Advisor
m.bruntlett@mobycon.com
