In 2016 we signed a contract with the mayor of Rosario on a bicycle transition project which is a joint venture with our partner DRIFT (Dutch Research Institute for Transitions, part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam), local non-profit organisation El Desafío Foundation, local cyclists’ federation Rosario en Bici and of course the mobility department of Rosario. The City of Rosario has big ambitions for promoting cycling and wanted to speed up the process.

Based on transition theory, we trained the local stakeholders. We then created a special and diverse group of front-runners -people who normally do not work together on the topic of mobility-, to think about the future of the city and the role that mobility plays. Based on that vision the group became bigger and created 4 different experiments to show the city of tomorrow already today.

What started as a cycling transition project has become the Urban Mobility Lab; an open platform for all city makers who believe in the shared vision. The Lab has become the reference group on all matters of mobility, is often consulted by local politicians and other stakeholders, while remaining independent and agenda-setting. The project accelerates the transition towards a successful and attractive Rosario through sustainable, inclusive and active mobility. But is also an investment in Argentina’s young (local) democracy. The Urban Mobility Lab is currently preparing its first experiments.