Bogotá proposes that bicycles become the intangible heritage of the city

Within the framework of the District Development Plan 2020-2024, called 'A New Social and Environmental Contract for Bogotá in the 21st Century', the District Institute of Cultural Heritage (IDPC), set the goal to manage the declaration and recognition of Bogotá culture, on the use and enjoyment of bicycles, to classify it as intangible cultural heritage of the city.

Since 2021, the Institute has been working jointly with the District Secretariat for Mobility, the District Secretariat for Women, UN Women, among other district entities, to develop the process of applying this “cultural manifestation” to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bogotá.

IDPC director Patrick Morales Thomas stated during the event:

The Institute stated that in February of this year the participatory process began through

this will generate a document, which will be submitted to the Bogotá Council and will determine whether or not it approves the application as intangible heritage.

According to El Tiempo, the drafting of the document, by law, takes between one and three years, although it is estimated that it will only take 1 year, there will be a phase where spaces for citizen participation will be generated, in addition, they will seek to include multiple uses of bicycles in Bogotá, consolidate it as a cultural symbol of the city, among others. aspects.

The proposal is based on the bill proposed by Andrés García Zuccardi, senator of the U Party, which sought to make cycling and cycling cultural and intangible heritage of the nation.

The congressman stated that:

in addition, it sought the State to invest in technical studies on contributions to employment, the local and national economy, as well as the historical and cultural legacy of cycling and cycling in Colombia.

The Institute explains that approximately 8% of all trips made in Bogotá are made by bicycle; of which there are figures that show that men are mostly those who use this medium, 75.8%, compared to 24.2% for women.

The use of bicycles is essential for Bogotá's mobility, as they point out that 68% of trips are made for work purposes, while 20% are done by study, the remaining percentage is made for social activities, tourism, sports, among others.

Mady Samper, photographer, photojournalist, producer and film director; declared that the bike path is the new “Bogotazo”, and requested that this day be included in the declaration as intangible heritage.

The increase in the use of this means of transport and taking advantage of this initiative, seeks, among other things, to improve road infrastructure for bicycle users, in the discussion it was stated that in Bogotá, there are not only cars and/or buses, and in 3 areas of the city there are bicycle congestions detected; therefore, it is necessary think about road improvements for this mode of transport.

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