Bicycle Heroes

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Process phases

1. 1
   2022-06-01 - 2022-11-30

   Design Exhibition

   In order to increase awareness about the project and the role children are playing in improving urban mobility, an exhibition is held to showcase the children’s ideas and designs. As part of the exhibition, attendees or viewers learn about the process of engaging children in the ideation, design, and upcoming implementation in order to inspire them to get more involved with other urban mobility projects. It also encourages them to consider active mobility as an option as a result of the emphasis on this topic through the project. The exhibition is displayed locally and virtually. Key stakeholders are invited to pledge to implement the selected idea in partnership with the participating children.

2. 2
   2022-02-01 - 2022-12-30

   Stakeholder Engagement

   In order to ensure the implementation of the selected idea developed by the participating children and increase the awareness of the project’s outputs and outcomes beyond the target group, key stakeholders from government, industry, academia, media, and advocacy are engaged. The partner in each city, utilizing their network, assembles this stakeholder group. The activities related to this group begin with a kickoff meeting in order to help these stakeholders understand the activities, outputs, and outcomes as well as how they can be involved in the design competition, exhibition, and children’s council as well as general promotion of the project. These stakeholders play key roles throughout the process and it is crucial to secure their commitment and buy-in. The stakeholders pledge their support at this kickoff meeting. Later in the project, partners also interface with these stakeholders for the design competition, exhibition, and children’s council.

3. 3
   2022-03-01 - 2022-12-30

   Broadening Awareness

   Following the kick-off meeting, an official awareness campaign is launched through the communication channels of the committed stakeholders, including traditional and social media, and targeted at key demographic groups. This continues throughout the project in order to promote the design competition, exhibition, and children’s council events.

4. 4
   2022-05-02 - 2022-11-30

   Design Workshop: Initial Idea

   In order to incorporate children into the ideation process and give them a sense of empowerment and ownership over the success of urban mobility projects in their city, local partners will organise a design competition. The competition begins with a kick-off event during which children learn about the state of the urban mobility industry and discuss barriers for children to active mobility. The presentations on the state of the industry are given by the key stakeholders identified from industry, government, academia, and advocacy and are tailored to the age group. Following the presentations, the children take part in a mobility-focused tour of their neighbourhood and discuss the important barriers that need to be addressed in order for children to become active mobility users. The children are split into teams in order to come up with an idea to address these barriers.

5. 5
   2022-06-15 - 2022-11-30

   Design Workshop: Idea Development

   The competition concludes with a design workshop, held approximately one month later, during which the ideas of the children are assessed, further developed, and judged. Participants begin the design workshop with an initial presentation of their ideas to a panel made up of key stakeholders. Based on this initial assessment, and using a design-thinking approach as facilitated by a local organisation, the children further develop and design their ideas. The program concludes with a presentation and final assessment of the ideas by a jury made up of the key stakeholders. One or more idea(s) is / are selected by the jury to develop further for implementation in the city.

6. 6
   2022-10-03 - 2022-12-30

   Children's Council

   The final task focuses on ensuring that the participating children remain an ongoing and consistent part of the process of improving urban mobility in order to continue to build trust and create empowerment and ownership. A council of engaged children is formed in order to see through the idea that was designed and selected, to implementation and opening. The council is launched through a kickoff event involving the participating children and the key stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and advocacy. At the kickoff, the council discusses its objectives and role in relation to the key stakeholders and develop a continuation plan.