We are proud to share the winners of the fifth annual edition of the ECF Awards!
Since 2022, the ECF Awards have been recognising remarkable achievements in cycling and active mobility promotion. This year’s winners were announced at our flagship event Velo-city, hosted in Rimini, Italy. ECF CEO Laurianne Krid and ECF President Henk Swarttouw presented the awards in front of over X Velo-citizens at the Palacongressi di Rimini conference venue.
The 2026 ECF Award winners are:
- The City of Oslo for the Cycling Improvement Award sponsored by Eco-Counter
- The City of Helsinki for the Road Safety Award
- The City of Rimini for the Cycling Infrastructure Award
The City of Oslo for the Cycling Improvement Award sponsored by Eco-Counter
In a decade, Oslo has gone from being car-dominated to bike-friendly. Through strong political will and commitment to gradual growth, infrastructure improvements eventually led to a cultural change with cycling at its centre. Now, Oslo boasts large volumes of daily cyclists that compete with those of long-established cycling cities. It has shown consistent growth over the past two years, securing the 18th spot on the
Copenhagenize Index in 2025. Oslo's impressive transformation shows that even car-dominated cities can reinvent themselves with the right priorities and persistence.
The City of Helsinki for the Road Safety Award
Helsinki made headlines last year for an unprecedented feat: zero road fatalities in 12 months. This was reported in July 2025, but the achievement continues to spark conversations about how other cities can replicate it. Lower speed limits are attributed as the most important factor. Today, over 50% of streets have 30 km/h speed limits, compared to 50 km/h previously. This is part of the city’s broader strategy to prioritise the safety of children, pedestrians, and cyclists, informing smarter intersection design, safer crosswalks, and stronger traffic enforcement. Helsinki shows that road casualties are preventable—not inevitable.
The City of Rimini for the Cycling Infrastructure Award
The host of Velo-city 2026 has spent years scaling cycling infrastructure to improve active mobility for residents and tourists, and one project is the incredible Parco dela Mare. Inaugurated in 2020, this park stretches 15 kilometres of coastline with a pedestrian promenade, open-air gyms, play areas, and bicycle lanes where cyclists can ride freely and safely. Around 80% of the project is complete and the rest is scheduled to finish soon. Parco del Mare highlights how reclaiming space from cars and designing people-first corridors can transform not only mobility, but the health and sustainability of an entire city.
The next edition of the ECF Awards will be held at Velo-city 2027 in Ehime, Japan, from 25-28 May 2027.
