Urban environments in Latin America face increasing environmental challenges, including prolonged droughts, high temperatures, and severe flooding, all exacerbated by the unchecked growth of vehicle fleets. A common denominator in cities across Latin America is the lack of safe, efficient, and sustainable public transportation systems, as well as the absence of cycling infrastructure networks. This has facilitated the rise of motor vehicles, further increasing emissions. These fleets significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, air and noise pollution, and longer travel times, all of which negatively impact public health and quality of life. In Colombia, over 78% of particulate emissions come from more than 15 million vehicles circulating in cities. Decarbonization efforts are progressing slowly, underscoring the need for active citizen participation to drive change. To address these challenges, we focus on three core strategies:

• Behavioral Change: We implement street-level actions and communication strategies to inspire and encourage citizens to adopt active mobility options in their daily routines.

• Advocacy: We collaborate with cycling and environmental organizations to co-create advocacy tools, promote citizen engagement with decision-makers at local and national levels, and develop oversight strategies to ensure environmental measures are integrated and executed through public policies.

• Movement Building: We connect key citizen stakeholders, provide training, and develop governance systems to ensure the long-term sustainability and collective action of our efforts.

Since 2020, we have built a network of organizations advancing sustainable urban mobility and cleaner air in cities across Colombia. This network includes a diverse range of actors, such as environmental groups, bicycle messenger collectives, sports collectives, bike-sharing systems, and mothers biking with children, among others. Our vision is to systematize this successful model and replicate it across various Latin American countries. We are currently conducting a scoping study to expand this work to Mexico.