We all enjoy getting our online orders quickly delivered right to our doorsteps. However, most of us do not question the negative side effects of it. Deliveries made by motorized transport, contribute to traffic jams, air pollution, and reduced road safety. Couriers are often only hired for the short-term or on demand, therefore not receiving fair compensation or a long-term job perspective. Our guest, Jérôme Lühr, founding member of the bike courier collective CROW Cycle Berlin, shares his critical view on the gig economy and insights into setting up an independent bike courier service.

GLS Mobilität – or GLS Mobility – is part of the GLS Bank, the first sustainable bank in Germany. As part of the GLS Community, GLS Mobilität acts as an initiator and enabler of future-oriented mobility solutions. In this episode, Elena Kornettka, Political Communication Officer at GLS Mobilität, will give us insights on the specific fields of action of GLS Mobilität, such as their approach to contactless payment at charging stations, Giro-e.

Dr. Giulio Mattioli conducts research at the Department of Transport Planning at the Technische Universität Dortmund in Germany as the project leader of "Advancing knowledge of long-distance travel: uncovering its connections to mobility biography, migration, and daily travel", funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Giulio holds a PhD in Urban and Local European Studies from the University of Milan-Bicocca and has published numerous journal articles.

What role does ‘cycling’ play in the urban mobility system and what can be done to promote this sustainable practice? Our guest, Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation gives us interesting insights on promoting this sustainable transport. She shares her experience in advocating for cycling as an active and climate-friendly mode. Listen to our latest podcast episode about her work and recommendations to accelerate this sustainable practice.

What is Urban Leisure and how do various public transport users have varying levels of access? Our guest, Shahin Shakibaei, a researcher at Istanbul Technical University, discusses his research into the transgender and gender-diverse experience on public transportation of those living in Istanbul, Turkey. For transgender and gender-diverse people, access to urban leisure can be disrupted by issues of violence, discrimination, and harassment when using public transport. What recommendations are out there to improve the experience of public transport for all users? To learn more about these recommendations and the experiences from the communities he has interviewed, tune in!

How can cycling empower women in Africa? Our special guest on this episode has an answer. Wyson Lungo, CEO, and founder of Onyx was introduced to us through our TUMI Friends network. In 2018, Wyson realized the immense impact a bicycle can make throughout rural and urban communities in Zambia, and started to sell bikes made for heavy loads, long distances, and rougher roads. The women of Zambia typically provide the daily life-sustaining tasks- such as carrying water, food, and firewood long distances to their homes. Prior to Wyson, these tasks would take double the time compared to a trip on a bicycle provided through Onyx. To learn more about the importance of providing bicycles to those living in Zambia, tune in!

The global transport sector is changing – more and more countries are establishing ambitious targets in support of transport electrification. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement a global transformation must take place – also in regions where the implementation of e-mobility solutions seems more difficult. In Sub-Saharan Africa e.g. challenges arise from unreliable electricity systems, missing availability of capital and high dependency on an informal transport sector. For further insights into the cross-disciplinary challenges associated with transitioning towards net-zero, we had the chance to talk to Dr Katherine Collett about her interesting research work on this topic. Katherine is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher in the Engineering Department at the University of Oxford with experience in electric vehicle integration both within the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Anuela Ristani is the Deputy Mayor in Tirana, the capital city of Albania. As the city faced rapid urban growth in the last decades the government had to find a way to face the challenges coming along with uncontrolled urbanization. Tirana’s leadership saw a sustainable mobility concept as a solution for using the available space as efficiently as possible and creating a more livable city at the same time. In this episode we talk with Deputy Mayor Anuela Ristani about the challenges Tirana faced and the solutions the government put forward to solve them.

Why is it that the benefits of active mobility have been widely underestimated? In this episode Carly Gilbert-Patrick will bring us closer to an answer. As the Team Leader for “Active Mobility, Digitalisation & Mode Integration” at the UN Environment Programme she is working with countries around the world in support of active mobility. Listen in to learn her views about economic, social and ecological advantages of walking and cycling and what should be done do to accelerate investment in human-powered transport.

In 2018, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett became the unofficial ambassadors for Dutch cities with the publication of their first book “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”. In June 2021, they published their second book: “Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives”, telling their very own personal story since their move to Delft, and looking beneath the surface to explore why the model of an equitable and accessible city works so well in the Netherlands. The book emphasizes the benefits that a pedestrian- and cycling-friendly city offers for citizens on a psychological and sociological level.