Join our leadership program in Amsterdam 2026!
Change doesn’t always go smoothly. Around the world, efforts to create safer, healthier and more liveable streets face resistance. Community opposition, political pushback, and media storms can derail even your best plans.
That’s why we’ve partnered with the Urban Cycling Institute to launch a new, in-person leadership program in Amsterdam 2026: Engaging Communities for Changing Streets.
FAQs
Where and when is this course?
Monday 20 - Friday 24 April, 2026
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Who is this course for?
This course is for professionals, researchers, activists, and decision-makers in:
Urban planning design
Transport and mobility
Public health and sustainability
Local government or city administration
Academia and research
Community organising and NGOs
What will I learn?
Grounded in academic research, real-world case studies, and critical immersion in the Amsterdam experience, you’ll learn how to engage, communicate, and collaborate more effectively. You’ll discover:
Amsterdam’s long history of resistance to change, and the surprising story of how it became a cycling city.
Pushing against: why people resist change, and how to frame messages that invite understanding, not outrage.
Pushing for: capturing unheard voices in consultation, including children.
Innovative stakeholder engagement methods: including street interviews, influence mapping and collaborative design. Practice on Amsterdam’s streets!
Global examples (including Amsterdam’s own successes and setbacks) and how to apply them to your city’s context.
Why Amsterdam?
Amsterdam continuously changes its streets – but not always with success. Visit:
A road which enraged a riot
A trial traffic 'cut' overturned by public pressure, and
A neighbourhood where on-street parking disappeared…
You’ll study at the Urban Cycling Institute – the global leaders in research and education transforming urban cycling environments. Amsterdam, with its remarkable public spaces, transport network, and cycling culture, will become your living lab.
Explore the city through a critical lens, translate theoretical concepts into the real world, and experience sessions both in classrooms and in the streets.
Alongside your global peers and industry experts, you’ll cycle, observe, record and reflect – and learn to balance technical ambition with social permission.
What is included?
Course fee includes lectures, course materials, bike hire, site visits, and a course certificate upon completion.
Travel, accomodation and insurance is not included.
How big is the class?
Places are limited to just 25 people. For group bookings of 5 or more, contact Shefali Bharati shefali@urbancyclinginstitute.org
How much is the course fee?
Early bird rate: €695 (book before October 1 2025)
Standard rate: €895
