CICLORIA PROJECT Planning Leisure Cycling in the Ria de Aveiro JOSÉ CARLOS MOTA jcmota@ua.pt DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND TERRITORIAL SCIENCES - UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO

1. CICLORIA PROJECT
Planning Leisure Cycling in the Ria de Aveiro
JOSÉ CARLOS MOTA
jcmota@ua.pt
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND TERRITORIAL SCIENCES -
UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO

2. STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION
1. LEISURE CYCLING
CONCEPT
2. CICLORIA PROJECT
• GOALS, CONCEPT &
METHODOLOGY
• ACTIVITIES & RESULTS
• BALANCE, DISCUSSION &
CONCLUSIONS
3. THE FUTURE OF LEISURE
CYCLING IN THE REGION

3. 1. LEISURE CYCLING
• A recent study published by the
European Commission about the
economic impact of cycle tourism at
the European level concluded that it
represents about 2.8 billion
trips/year, 26 million tourist trips and
54 billion Euros/year;
• EUROVELO - Cycling European
Network - consisted of twelve
transcontinental trails, with a total of
66.000 Km, 75% already built,
represents 12,5 million travellers,
with an economic impact of 4.4
billion Euros;

4. 1. LEISURE CYCLING
Route characteristics
• safety (low traffic density), ease of use
(signposting), route variety and
accommodation/catering.
Benefits of leisure cycling (EC, 2009):
• localities which currently do not enjoy
mainstream tourism development;
• spending is similar to that of other
visitors;
• spending is focused more in the area
through which the route passes and,
depending on nature of local supply
chains, will circulate in these local
economies for longer;
• development of routes amounts to a
relatively low-cost investment (involve
disused assets or shared space on roads
where traffic levels are generally low);

5. 2. CICLORIA – GOALS, CONCEPT AND
METHODOLOGY
PROJECT
• promoted by the municipalities of
Murtosa, Ovar and Estarreja and the
University of Aveiro, under a national
programme supported by European
funds - QREN/POVT – Urban
Development Innovative Actions –
Urban Mobility;
• aims to create the conditions to
promote and develop leisure cycling
mobility in the Aveiro Lagoon Region
and value local & scientific
knowledge, skills and resources
(science, art, economy and space)
• open new ways of thinking about
place-based development strategies;

6. 2. CICLORIA – GOALS, CONCEPT AND
METHODOLOGY
Approach aims to:
• promote the use of the bicycle in the
region, specially in a leisure and tourism
perspective, but also in a promotion of
healthy life styles;
• organize and structure the physical
elements of the territory with special
leisure and tourism amenities;
• value natural, cultural and patrimonial
resources and the scientific and empirical
knowledge that the region (institutions
and people) have produced;
• mobilize the technological knowledge
(specially mobile technology) to help
innovative ways of enjoyment of the
territory resources;
• promote the development of R&D linked
to the bicycle, specially in the technology,
design, materials and energy;
• stimulate community involvement,
specially the educative community and
social and economic stakeholders in the
design and implementation of the project.

7. 2. CICLORIA – GOALS, CONCEPT AND
METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY
• non-linear & collaborative
methodology; social-
constructivist approach (HEALEY
1997);
• linking knowledge to action
(FRIEDMAN 1987);
• linking local governments,
researchers, municipal, stakeholders
& community
• articulating different scientific
disciplines (land use planning,
tourism, biology and geology,
environment, education, culture,
design and communication,
telecommunications, mechanic and
civil engineering and health) to
define an adequate and articulated
framework of initiatives

8. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
LEARNING WITH NATIONAL AND
INTERNACIONAL EXPERIENCES
• Conferência internacional sobre Lazer
Ciclável, 6 NOV 2009
• Les Lumsdon & Richard Weston
(visits to Institute of Transport and
Tourism –Lancashire University – UK,
2009/10)
• Visits to Madrid, Barcelona & Sevilha
– international good practices
(Conferência Europeia das ‘Vias
Verdes’, Madrid, 10 a 12 Junho 2010;
Conferência ‘Cycle and Walking’,
Girona, 7, 8, 9 e 10 Outubro 2010;
Conferência Velo City, em Sevilha)
• Possible Trip to Girona
(http://www.viesverdes.org/);

9. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
CYCLING TRAIL PLANNING
• River cycling pathways, with
scientific information about the
fauna, flora, culture and patrimonial
resources of the lagoon and
surroundings (produced by the
Biology Department of the University
of Aveiro/Oporto) and with a
network of entertainment activities
(sport, culture and nature);
• Cycle Trail - 175 Km;
• Use existing paths (shared space &
some segregated)
• Trail was conceived to articulate with
other transports (rail);<<<

10. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
CYCLING TRAIL PLANNING
LEARNING PROCESS
• Organized test-leisure cycling trips
with different target groups
(students, entrepreneurs, mobility
professionals);
• 20 km linear trip (2/3 hours);
• Listen opinions about potentials/
limitations & ask improvement
proposals
• Stimulate future visits, activities
investments;

11. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
PUBLIC BICYCLE SYSTEM
• Building a community bicycle system,
with the adequate information
support - GPS, www, itineraries,
brochures;
• Launching public contest to produce
CICLORIA bicycles with some key
characteristics: durability; easy
identification; different dimensions
(kids also);
• Developing specific software for GPS
incorporating environmental,
cultural and patrimonial knowledge
of Murtosa, involving ICT enterprises
and Aveiro University;

12. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
PEDAGOGIC PROGRAMME – ‘CYCLING
FACTORY AT SCHOOL’
• Articulate the project with School
curricula, stimulating students to use
the bike as a tool to discover their
place (municipality/lagoon)
supported by scientific and cultural
knowledge and improving their sense
of belonging and reinforcing their
identity;
• Experiences:
– In class room– bicycle & health;
– In the play ground – Bicycle
Scientists
• Schools changing experiences

13. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
NATIONAL YOUTH CONTEST - PEDALAR
XXI
• Promote regular use of the bicycle
through involvement in activities
related to Road Safety, Health,
Environment, Space/Place;
• Stimulate culture of citizenship and
experimentation and involvement
with local communities;
• [3.rd Grade] Evaluating Ecological
Footprint of the School
• [Secondary School] Evaluating
Cycling Routes to Schools

14. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
RIA DE AVEIRO LEISURE CYCLING
FESTIVAL
• Final big event of the project;
• Live testing of CICLORIA Cycle Trail;
• Local students in performing art
events in different parts of the trail;
• Cycle Trail & Water trail ;
• Local Stakeholders involvement:
Cenário (traditional boat recovery
association), Amigos do Cáster
(environment defence group);
Pierrots (performing arts),
OriEstarreja (BTT), Ventos da Ria
(tradicional folk music), Associação
de Caçadores e Pescadores de
Avanca, Rotaract Club de Estarreja,
Nortada (water sport);
• Night (urban) events –
music/bicycles; alley cat;
• Three days: 10/12 de June 2011

15. Nature Cycle Trails

16. Semeadores – performing arts & local students

17. Tradition, boats and the lagoon

18. Bicycle and fun

19. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• Developed a Brainstorming Session
(with business incubator association)
in news business ideas in cycling /
leisure cycling
• Stimulating new
developments/projects in support
services (Cycle Garage, Touristic
Guides, Shops, Police, Health)
involving local institutions and
stimulating entrepreneurship/start-
up businesses;
• Organizing a Institutional Framework
to improve a ‘cluster approach’ to
the development of Bicycle Economy
(linking municipalities, cycling
industry, national ICT association,
enterprises);

20. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
VALUING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO
IMPROVE LEISURE TRAILS &
ENJOYMENT OF THE LAGOON
• Organizing scientific and local
knowledge about several aspects of
Ria de Aveiro to develop a more
interesting, qualified and rich
leisure cycling mobility culture;
• Inviting Tour Operators to help us
defining new products and to
identify needs;
• Searching for new formats (web,
mobiles, paper,…) to show the new
scientific contents;

21. 3. CICLORIA – ACTIVITIES AND
RESULTS
COMMUNICATION
• Good and clear communication is
essential in a non-linear, collaborative
& social-constructivist approach
• Help us to
– Produce a identification with the
project (be part of)
– Stimulate and align social and
economic dynamics
– Receive comments/suggestions
during the project
Organize
• International Conference
• Blog (conference, project)
• New site
• Facebook
• Meeting with local stakeholders
• Newsletter (2)
• Brochures and leaflets

22. 4. CICLORIA – BALANCE,
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
RELEVANCE
• Partnership between municipalities &
university;
• Build upon successful projects;
• Opportunity to improve the knowledge of
key resources;
• Oriented to key target-groups (students
and tourists;
• Value scientific (University of Aveiro),
technologic (institutions and private
enterprises) and local (stakeholders)
knowledge;
• Stimulate new technologic services;
• Creates a growing trail network, which
amplifies its attractiveness and potential;
• Stimulate stakeholder (culture, tourism,
art) and school involvement;
• Generate new of companies that provide
services to support the system cycling;
• Value international links;

23. 4. CICLORIA – BALANCE,
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
KEY RESULTS
• Deepen intermunicipal cooperation
framework;
• Better institutional environment with key
partners (INOVARIA, ABIMOTA,
INVESFER);
• Created international links (Spain, UK,…);
• An instrument of regional cycling policy
discussion (Polis Ria de Aveiro);
• Developed a mobile electronic device;
• Mobilize school communities in building a
new educational program;
• Cycling Festival with a innovative concept
(Water/Cycling Trails; Performing
Arts/Local Tradition);
• Effort to stimulate new business
areas related to cycling mobility;
• Increase social (and economic) utility and
value of scientific and local knowledge
with creative playful animation of cycling
pathways;

24. 4. CICLORIA – BALANCE,
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
DIFICULTIES
• significant number of contracts
in outsourcing;
• burden of administrative
procedures that support
any initiative of public procurement;
• lengthy administrative
procedures and their consequences in
the technical file;
• procedures that have to be made in
triplicate (3 municipalities);
• fear of the draft (in progress) and
dissemination of preliminary results;
• difficulties in mobilizing local
actors (changing agendas);
• delays and technical difficulties (the
site design, ...).

25. 5. THE FUTURE OF LEISURE CYCLING
IN THE RIA DE AVEIRO
• High Quality Leisure Cycling Network
linked to EUROVELO;
• Promote a economic development
dynamic (create jobs and growth), linking
tradition with scientific knowledge;
• Ria de Aveiro Leisure Cycling Festival with
a strong local, national and international
relevance and impact;
• An intermunicipal organization for leisure
cycling, with a strategic approach;
• Sub-Region of Aveiro recognized
nationally and internationally as a Leisure
Cycling benchmarking case;

26. THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WISH TO THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE
WHO MADE THIS GREAT, AMBICIOUS
AND VERY HARD PROJECT POSSIBLE:
EUROPEAN UNION AND NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
MAYORS OF MURTOSA, ESTARREJA
AND OVAR
COORDINATORS OF THE PROJECT
(FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO)
TECHNICAL TEAM OF CICLORIA
PROJECT
MUNICIPAL STAFF (MURTOSA,
ESTARREJA AND OVAR)
LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
SPECIALISTS
COMMUNITIES
JOSÉ CARLOS MOTA (jcmota@ua.pt)
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND
TERRITORIAL SCIENCES -UNIVERSITY OF
AVEIRO