EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK News

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Bilbao, Grenoble, Lilienthal, and Mönchengladbach win European sustainable mobility awards

19 April 2021

The European Commission today announced the winners of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards 2020, the 9th Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP Award) and the EU Urban Road Safety Award.

Mönchengladbach (Germany) was revealed as the winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2020 for larger municipalities, while Lilienthal (Germany) took home the title for smaller municipalities. The 9th SUMP Award was won by Greater Grenoble Area Mobility Authority (SMMAG) for Grenoble-Alpes SUMP (France), and the EU Urban Road Safety Award went to Bilbao (Spain). The awards were presented during an online ceremony hosted by European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, and Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility, Matthew Baldwin.

Speaking about the finalists, Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to all finalists and winners. Your inspiring achievements really show how cities and towns across Europe can improve people’s wellbeing by shifting towards cleaner, greener and more sustainable travel options for all. I invite others to follow this path and to join forces in building a mobility system for future generations that is smart, resilient, and does its share to achieve our ambitious emission reduction goals. I look forward to celebrating with you the 20th Year of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK under our call to action Move Sustainably. Stay Healthy.

Mönchengladbach, Germany – winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2020 for larger municipalities
The German city of Mönchengladbach impressed the jury with its broad programme of activities and events for people of all ages and abilities. During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2020, the city organised a number of information and awareness-raising initiatives on sustainable mobility, including public participation meetings where local residents could ask questions and voice their opinions. The city also took a creative approach to promoting sustainable mobility, through organising colouring competitions for children, poetry recitals on urban car parking, and by turning 50 car parking spaces into areas where people could read, play mini golf, or park their bicycles. The jury was also impressed by the strong citizen engagement and number of partnerships that underpinned the activities.

The other finalists are Granada (Spain) and Sofia (Bulgaria).

Lilienthal, Germany – winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2020 for smaller municipalities
During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2020, Lilienthal organised a broad array of initiatives on the theme of ‘zero-emission mobility for all’. Activities included walking and bicycle trips, information sessions with senior citizens, a rubbish collection event and an exhibition on the history of city transport. In total more than 2,000 local residents participated in related activities. In addition, Lilienthal worked together with the City of Bremen (Germany) to organise a Car-Free School Day with the participation of 55 schools and over 60,000 students. The jury was particularly impressed with the strong support shown by the local government, with local politicians opting to leave their cars at home and travel to work by public transport.

The other finalists are Bruck an der Leitha (Austria) and Nea Moudania (Greece).

Greater Grenoble Area Mobility Authority (SMMAG) for Grenoble-Alpes SUMP (France) – winner of the 9th Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP)
SMMAG’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) sets clear and ambitious goals for Grenoble-Alpes, which seek to make sustainable mobility accessible to all, prioritise active and shared travel options, and render city travel more interconnected. The jury was particularly impressed by SMMAG’s integrated and structured approach, which aims to meet the mobility needs of all public transport users, including socially vulnerable groups.

The other finalists are Belgrade (Serbia) and Bilbao (Spain).

Bilbao, Spain – winner of the EU Urban Road Safety Award
Bilbao has sought to improve road safety in the city by reducing the speed limit to 30km/h. Speed limits were first reduced in June 2018 on 87% of all roads in the city. In September 2020, Bilbao extended the 30km/h speed limit to cover the entire city. The jury was also impressed by Bilbao’s communication and awareness-raising activities to promote road safety, and its steps to include residents in discussions and decision-making.

The other finalists are Heraklion (Greece) and Quart de Poblet (Spain).

European Commission announces sustainable mobility award nominees

22 March 2021

The finalists of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards, the Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP Award) and the EU Urban Road Safety Award were revealed today.

All awards recognise remarkable activities conducted in 2020. The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards showcase smaller and larger municipalities promoting sustainable urban mobility during the week of 16-22 September; the SUMP Award rewards excellence in sustainable urban mobility planning; and the Road Safety Award celebrates outstanding road safety measures. The annual theme for all awards was ‘Zero-emission mobility for all’.

The shortlisted cities were selected by an independent panel of mobility and transport experts, and the four winners will be announced during an online award ceremony, taking place on 19 April 2021. For more information and to attend the ceremony, visit: mobilityweek.eu/award-ceremony-2021 

 

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards 2020

The finalists for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2020 for larger municipalities (more than 100,000 inhabitants) are:

  • Granada (Spain)
  • Mönchengladbach (Germany)
  • Sofia (Bulgaria)

The jury praised in particular:

  • Granada’s communication activities, including social media, and online conferences to engage local residents in discussions on sustainable mobility. The jury was also impressed by the wide range of permanent sustainable mobility measures implemented during the week;
  • Mönchengladbach’s broad and comprehensive programme of activities and events addressing people of all ages and abilities. They were also impressed by the strong citizen engagement which underpinned activities, with people being able to suggest activities for Car-Free Day 2021;

  • Sofia’s focus on road safety and active mobility, with many interesting events throughout the week highlighting these themes. The diverse activities included a national walking contest, and broad ranging permanent measures such as extending the city’s metro line, all of which impressed the jury. 

The finalists for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2020 for smaller municipalities (less than 100,000 inhabitants) are:

  • Bruck an der Leitha (Austria)
  • Lilienthal (Germany)
  • Nea Moudania (Greece)

The jury was impressed by:

  • The strong political support from local government, which underpinned Bruck an der Leitha’s activities. The Mayor and the city councillors led by example, giving up their cars during the week, instead opting to travel by public transport;

  • Lilienthal’s rich programme of events and activities. In particular, its Car-Free School Day, which was organised together with the City of Bremen (Germany) and saw 55 schools and more than 60,000 students participate;

  • The vast array of permanent sustainable mobility measures unveiled in Nea Moudania during the week. In particular, the introduction of new bicycle paths, stands, and stations, and the improvement of footpaths and pedestrian crossings.

 

9th SUMP Award

The finalists for the Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning are:

  • Belgrade (Serbia)
  • Bilbao (Spain)
  • Greater Grenoble Area Mobility Authority (SMMAG) for Grenoble-Alpes SUMP (France)

The jury was impressed by:

  • Belgrade’s approach to sustainable mobility planning, which provides the city with a clear strategy for achieving shared, integrated, and inclusive mobility, alongside detailed and ambitious targets to reach along the way;

  • Bilbao’s well thought out and detailed approach to sustainable mobility planning, which addresses gender equality issues through a dedicated gender mobility action plan;

  • SMMAG’s integrated and structured approach to sustainable mobility planning, which aims to ensure the mobility needs of all public transport users are met, including socially vulnerable groups.

 

EU Urban Road Safety Award

The finalists of the second edition of the EU Urban Road Safety Award are: 

  • Bilbao (Spain)
  • Heraklion (Greece)
  • Quart de Poblet (Spain)

The jury praised in particular:

  • Bilbao’s efforts to reduce the number of road traffic victims, in line with their urban safety mobility plan. Its steps to reduce speed limits to 30km/h across the city, to reorganise streets, and to include the participation of residents in road safety discussions were also commended;

  • Heraklion’s monitoring and evaluation work around the implementation of speed reduction programmes near schools, which led to other organisations, such as health care centres, asking for the introduction of similar measures;

  • The speed reduction programme introduced near schools in Quart de Poblet. In addition, the jury praised its prioritisation of pedestrians, making traffic lights unnecessary and kick-starting an interesting debate on their effectiveness in protecting pedestrians’ lives.

New Topic Guide on planning for more resilient and robust urban mobility

1 March 2021

As cities and regions respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with new and innovative transport solutions, what are the lessons for long-term sustainable mobility planning?

Sustainable urban mobility planning (SUMP) is a strategic and integrated approach to dealing with the complexity of urban transport.

Across Europe, local authorities and their private operating partners are striving to create sustainable solutions for passenger transport and freight that foster accessible, safe and affordable mobility, while aligning with European Green Deal emissions reduction objectives.

As part of the CIVITAS SATELLITE Coordination and Support Action, and supported by projects from the CIVITAS Initiative, the Topic Guide, “Planning for More Resilient and Robust Urban Mobility” has been compiled.

Drawing on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, it exhibits possible avenues for accelerating the transition towards more resilient and sustainable urban mobility systems and increasing preparedness for any future crises that arise.

Urban transport systems must be able to endure and respond to crisis situations, from pandemics to climate change. An immediate crisis can cause further long-term changes and increase the impact of other major trends, such as climate change. Managing such fundamental change processes is a key challenge for urban mobility practitioners to integrate into their plans.

Transitioning toward more sustainable and resilient solutions requires comprehensive changes in transport systems, expanding active travel, public and shared transport and electromobility infrastructure.

Cities’ and regions’ responses to COVID-19 exhibit that change is possible. From pop-up cycle lanes to parklets, transport options have been transformed and extended to build resilient and robust mobility services which are embedded in SUMP agendas.

The Topic Guide introduces the concept of resilience in urban mobility and presents the importance of integrating it into the SUMP process.

To read the Topic Guide, click here.

EU Cancer Plan to promote investment in active mobility infrastructure

17 February 2021

Earlier this month, the European Commission released its Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, setting out a new EU approach to cancer prevention, treatment and care.

The plan will be supported by actions spanning across policy areas from employment, education, social policy and equality, to transport, cohesion policy, and taxation.

The plan aims to tackle the entire disease pathway and is structured around four key action areas where the EU can add the most value: prevention; early detection; diagnosis and treatment; and quality of life of cancer patients and survivors. Urban mobility plays an important role in addressing the key action area of “prevention”.

Under the plan, the European Commission will seek to promote investment in active mobility infrastructures, as well as initiatives such as EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, which this year focuses on health issues under the theme Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Urban Mobility.

The plan also calls for the revision of the Urban Mobility Package in 2021, to support sustainable and healthy transport and mobility.

For more information about the plan, click here.

Call opens to host CIVITAS Forum 2021

18 January 2021

Applications are now being accepted from cities across Europe for the opportunity to host the CIVITAS Forum Conference 2021.

The CIVITAS Forum Conference serves as the main event of the CIVITAS Initiative, and is one of the leading conferences on sustainable mobility in Europe. The conference provides an opportunity for exchange among key stakeholders in the field of urban mobility. Past hosts have included Graz (Austria), Umeå (Sweden), Torres Vedras (Portugal), and Ljuljana (Slovenia).

This year will be the 18th edition in the conference series, which began in 2003. The proposed time windows for the conference this year are either the week of 27 September – 1 October, or the week of 18 October – 22 October 2021.

Hosting the CIVITAS Forum Conference 2021 offers an excellent opportunity to a city hoping to demonstrate and share its successes in the field of sustainable urban mobility with the wider world. Past hosts have used the conference to exhibit local sites, showcase their clean urban transportation initiatives and innovations, and share cultural and historic heritage.

As the current COVID-19 pandemic brings some uncertainty to the planning of an event of this size, a degree of adaptability is required of the selected host city. Currently, a hybrid event is planned, which would see a physical event with a restricted number of attendees (200-250), combined with an online event.

In order to apply, cities should submit a completed application form by 15 February 2021.

Download the form here. This should be sent to the CIVITAS Secretariat by email – secretariat@civitas.eu – in a compressed file (.zip) alongside any supporting documentation. Any additional documents that applicants feel will add to the quality of their application are welcome. Find these in a guidance document.

Applications are particularly encouraged from cities situated in eastern and southern Europe that have not hosted the Forum before.

Click here to read more about previous CIVITAS Forum events.