The session combines a short impulse to frame the challenge, followed by a panel discussion featuring Katharina Schlittler (moderation), Katja Diehl (mobility transition and user perspective), Wies Callens (cycling policy and space allocation) and Friedrich Brors (implementation and city-level practice). Together, they bring different angles on how public space is negotiated in reality. The session then moves into an interactive exercise where participants are asked to make concrete trade-offs in how public space is allocated - and to experience how quickly priorities start to clash.
Wies Callens
Fietsersbond / Policy Lead and Spokesperson
From Belgium
Short bio
Wies Callens is Policy Lead and Spokesperson at Fietsersbond, Belgium's largest cycling organisation. With nearly a decade of experience in cycling advocacy, he works at the intersection of evidence-based policy analysis and political engagement; across local, regional, federal, and European levels of government. At Fietsersbond, Wies leads policy development and public affairs, representing cyclists; interests in legislative processes and stakeholder dialogues from Brussels to the European Parliament. He is a regular voice in Belgian media on mobility, urban planning, and sustainable transport, and publishes a widely read cycling policy newsletter. Before joining Fietsersbond in 2016, Wies spent a decade in the cultural sector, developing transferable expertise in stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and organisational governance. His conviction: getting more people on bikes is not just good for cyclists; it is good for public health, liveable cities, and the climate. But it does not happen by itself.
Theme song
Let's Dance - David Bowie
