Schoolhoods’ 5th Quarterly Network Report – getting into detail

Edited on 19/08/2025

“Getting into detail!” – during the fifth quarter of our journey, we dived into the details of emerging pressing topics like how to safeguard political buy-in for our implementations-to-come and focused on getting our actions ready to fly and to deliver.

With Line No. 1 – learning and exchange @ network level – Our webinars and the network meeting explored strategies to promote sustainable mobility among children and communities. Political buy-in was identified as essential, ensuring funding, cross-departmental cooperation, and public support. Success relied on combining citizen voices with reliable data, framing messages around shared values, and involving politicians in public events. Gamification initiatives proved effective: Slovenia’s “Let’s Walk with Rosie the Chicken!” and Singapore’s “OneEarth Challenge” increased sustainable journeys by over 20 percentage points, highlighting teacher involvement, narratives, and social engagement. UK initiatives, such as “Beat the Street,” also showed positive impacts. SCHOOLHOODs cities shared campaigns like Skawina’s Cycling in May, Turku’s Alien Game, Brno’s Dragon Game, and Parma’s workplace cycling incentives. Hands-on planning exercises helped prioritise actions under limited resources, while monitoring workshops guided cities in defining visions, objectives, result indicators, and output metrics, supporting structured, evidence-based approaches and fostering lasting behavioural change in sustainable travel.

With Line No 2 – putting things on the ground – Brno improved pedestrian safety at the SCHOOLHOODs pilot school, Tuháčkova, by installing a fully marked zebra crossing at Černovická and Schwaigrova Streets. Feedback from pupils, parents, and teachers prompted collaboration with traffic specialists, the Road Administration, and local police. The upgrade, part of the street’s first reconstruction phase, enhances safety and accessibility for children and families. Meanwhile, Rethymno prepared for its Pedibus pilot at the 2nd Primary School, organising routes, stops, and supervision with teachers, parents, and municipal representatives. This walking bus initiative promotes safety, daily exercise, reduced traffic, independence, social interaction, and sustainable commuting, reflecting strong community-school collaboration.

With Line No. 3 – what else is out there? – At the Outta Climate Festival in Agios Dimitrios, students painted Greece’s largest school-based asphalt mural outside the 1st and 12th Primary Schools. Guided by artist Soteur, the 100-square-metre artwork covers a downhill street leading to a busy crossing, aiming to slow traffic and improve safety. Part of the Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative and supported by CIVINET Greece-Cyprus, the project combines art, education, and road safety. It engages students, raises awareness, and transforms the street into a vibrant, safer, and more welcoming space.

With Line No. 4 - creative work with methods and tools – The “Planning with Limitations” exercise helps teams prioritise and sequence the most feasible measures within specific time and resource constraints. Using a two-dimensional matrix, the horizontal axis represents the timeline, while the vertical axis tracks available resources such as funds or staff. Individual measures, sized according to their estimated requirements, are placed onto the matrix in collaborative sessions. This process fosters discussion, negotiation, and strategic decision-making, ensuring critical actions are implemented first. Flexible and adaptable, the method works with estimated or actual data and can be applied in physical or digital settings, making it a versatile tool for effective project planning.

 

Take a look at the full Quarterly Network Report No. 5 – getting into detail – here

 

Stay tuned!

 

Your SCHOOLHOODs team

Submitted by on 19/08/2025
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Claus Kollinger

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