CityMobilNet

CityMobilNet takes on one of the most prominent policy challenges for Europe’s cities today: urban transportation.

The European Commission underlines the importance of urban transportation due to the central role of cities for growth, employment and the welfare of citizens. Cities need an efficient transportation system to come up to this central role. However, cities’ transportation reality faces major problems and increasing inefficiency. Such problems are amongst others the high loads of GHG emissions deriving from urban transportation as well as the increased costs cities face from chronic congestions, coming up to € 80 billion/year EU-wide.

CityMobilNet faces these major problems of urban transportation by empowering cities to develop sustainable urban mobility strategies counteracting their transport related problems. The network takes up the concept of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, which design urban transportation development in a comprehensive and co-productive process for a time scope of 10-15 years. The strength of these plans lies in taking a view on all transportation aspects AND all related issues of other urban policy fields as well as consequently establishing a Local Action Group that pools forces of all relevant stakeholders out of this. The Local Action Group takes a strong participatory approach for creating the plan for the future development of urban transportation.

Thanks to the support and knowledge provides through the URBACT programme, CityMobilNet will adapt the concept of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans to the diverse local needs of its cities. Our cities produce their plans at the background of their specific transportation challenges and their planning and participation culture. They gain the needed capacities and knowledge thanks to the network’s joint learning and exchange activities. Cities will be able to use these proficiencies for further urban transportation strategies but also for solutions and policies of other urban policy challenges.