An unconference exploring how cycling can inspire more sustainable, social, and imaginative public spaces.
2 – 7 July 2026 unibz – campus Bozen-Bolzano
July 2 — 15:00-22:00
Exhibition Opening – DIY Workshop – Book presentation – Movie night
July 3 — 13:00-17:00
Bike Repair Workshop
2-3-4-6-7 July — 10:00-19:00
‘Creating Cycling’ Exhibition – Bike-related Public Art, Product Design, Eco-Social Design, Experimental Graphic Design and Local Making Culture.
The Competence Centre for Sustainability and the Faculty of Design and Art of unibz present “Common Frames”, an unconference exploring how bicycles can inspire more sustainable, social, and imaginative public spaces. Through an exhibition, short movie screenings, hands-on repair, and collective futuring sessions, the event brings together designers, artists, researchers, activists, citizens and cyclists to experiment with low-tech, open-source tools for ecological care and urban transformation.
While Bolzano ranks as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Italy, the daily reality of traffic, air pollution, and road safety highlights how much work is still left to do. A truly fair mobility transition is urgent, and cycling offers real solutions for public health, air quality, and social connection. The event asks a critical question regarding what role scientific and research institutions should play in promoting soft mobility. Universities are well positioned to develop and test ways of living together, yet there is still a noticeable gap in strong mobility management. By looking closely at unibz and its partner organizations, the unconference examines what can be improved in mobility offers for both their own communities and the wider city.
‚Common Frames‘ kicks off with a seven-day Art and Design Exhibition stretching across the university corridor. This showcase brings together bike-related works from students, researchers, designers, artists, and producers, featuring sculpture and graphic design, product concepts and stories from bike culture. The cultural exploration deepens with a dedicated opening event featuring a book presentation about the life of an influential figure in the Italian bike industry, followed by a curated selection of short films about cycling.
Moving from inspiration to action, the unconference hosts a futuring workshop ‚Bike to the Future‘. The session begins with short keynote talks highlighting real-world examples of soft mobility concepts. The participatory workshop brings stakeholders and citizens together to discuss and develop future scenarios. Define how research institutions can take a proactive lead in local bike mobility. Finally, visitors are invited to learn practical, everyday skills through a DIY Bike Repair Workshop. This open session invites everyone to bring their bikes, learn basic maintenance, share tools, and gain the skills to care for their bicycles autonomously. By joining ‚Common Frames‘, participants will help build new networks, share practical knowledge, and shape forward-thinking mobility concepts.