The webinar series “Implementing Sustainable Mobility in the Mediterranean” is part of the Urban Transports Community’s efforts to facilitate local mobility stakeholders and key players joining forces to foster sustainable mobility in Southern European Cities. Once a week, every Wednesday morning from October 7th until November 25th, we invite local authorities, civil society organisations, Universities, mobility planners and private companies to set the ground for future cooperation by discussing with our Community about sustainable mobility strategic issues.
Since November 2016, the Urban Transports Community – Interreg MED Programme initiative – gathers seven territorial cooperation projects co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and almost 200 organisations that implement sustainable urban mobility solutions in twelve Euro-Mediterranean countries.
To set the scene, the webinar series opening session is about the urging issue of COVID-19’s impact on mobility ecosystems in Mediterranean urban areas. Experts, local authorities’ representatives and mobility planners examine the main changes entailed by the pandemic, to define, with the participants’ contribution, what is most needed to make mobility ecosystems more sustainable and resilient.
In the second session, we address the question of replicability of sustainable mobility solutions and good practices to assess the real possibility of benefiting of Cities previous experiences. At the same occasion, we present the upcoming “Sustainable Urban Transport Implementing Cities”: a peer-learning opportunity, offered by the Urban Transports Community to Mediterranean Cities, to overcome some of the obstacles to the full implementation of sustainable mobility solutions. The successful candidates will benefit from the support of a dedicated mentor, who will facilitate the access to our Community resources, and of the hands-on experience of our Community stakeholders. Should you wish to know more, do not hesitate to reach out to us via this contact form.
Our Community most effective tools and solutions are examined in five thematic webinars in relation to some of the most strategic challenges to sustainable mobility in urban areas, such as: big data and ICT for smart traffic management; soft mobility; shared mobility; mobility in tourist destinations; and different approaches in urban mobility planning. The main discussion points will be raised by a Community partner organisation, while the experiences of the Urban Transports Community projects will be examined more deeply in break-out rooms by their implementers.
The webinar series will be closed by a session where we invite our participants to look forward, to discuss about the future, by focusing on a technology that will impact mostly our urban planning such as electromobility.
07 October //9:00-11:00// #1 _ How is COVID-19 reshaping the urban mobility ecosystems?
The aim of the webinar is to explore how cities have managed mobility during the worst phases of the Covid 19 pandemic by identifying some good practices, to understand how people perceived the forced smart working, and finally to acknowledge how cities can turn this dramatic experience into an opportunity for accelerating the process towards a more sustainable mobility.
Moderator: Fabio Tomasi, Area Science Park, Trieste
/ Opening and presentation of the Urban Transport Community (MED Cities)
/ Introduction of the topic and presentation of the speakers and of the agenda (Fabio Tomasi – Area Science Park)
/ Managing urban mobility in a pandemic scenario, a European perspective (Ivo Cré – POLIS Network)
/ Sustainable mobility as an healthy choice, the experience of the Barcelona City Council (representative of the Barcelona City Council)
/ Covid19 & Smart working: an opportunity for more sustainable cities and companies? (Valerio Piras, Euromobility)
14 October //9:30-11:30// #2 _ Replicating sustainable mobility solutions, is it really possible? The Urban Transports Community’s call for replicating cities
The Urban Transport Community projects have developed and tested several solutions to make mobility in Mediterranean cities more sustainable.
The webinar will offer the opportunity of learning about the peer-learning and technical support services, offered by the Urban Transports Community to Mediterranean Cities, to overcome some of the obstacles in the full implementation of sustainable mobility solutions
/ Mr. Christos Gioldasis, Civinet CY-EL_Presentation of the project & consortium, Information about the public Call, application procedure, eligibility criteria, and benefits of becoming a Replicating City
/ Ms. Laia Vinyes Marcé, MedCities_Presentation of the MedurbanTool Platform – Online example
/ Ms. Fabiola Meo, Area Science Park_Presentation of the Catalogue of Solutions
21 October //9:30-11:30// #3 _ Big data and ICT for smart traffic management
A huge quantity of data related to mobility is generated every day in cities. The potential for fine tuning mobility and providing real time information for citizens is enormous.
28 October //9:30-11:30// #4 _ SOFT MOBILITY in Mediterranean cities
Soft mobility can bring several benefits to cities and citizens: less pollution, noise and space occupancy reduction, as well as improving the health of those performing active mobility.
Yet, many citizens in the Mediterranean area feel biking in cities unsafe, and this fear prevents them from riding a bicycle when moving in urban areas. The webinar will present how cities can improve biking infrastructure to persuade their citizens to leave their cars and ride a bike.
04 November //9:30-11:30// #5 _ SHARED MOBILITY in Mediterranean cities
Shared mobility solutions is one of the key steps towards a Mobility As A Service approach and the principles of circular economy. Using shared vehicles makes the ownership of private vehicles unnecessary, reducing occupation of space and environmental impacts.
Pioneer cities will present their experience sharing the lessons learnt in order to ease the adoption of similar solutions by other Mediterranean cities.
11 November //9:30-11:30// #6 _ Mobility in Mediterranean Tourist Destinations
Tourism brings wealth and jobs to a city but could generate overcrowding, congestion, affecting the quality of life of citizens.
Planning mobility in tourists destination cities could be a challenge due to several factors:
a. Trade off between citizens and tourists’ interests
c. Keeping the city attractive for tourists and tour operators as cruise ships companies.
The webinar will present how some Mediterrannean cities have dealt with these challenges in a winning approach.
18 November //9:30-11:30// #7 _ Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning approaches in Mediterranean cities
The webinar will illustrate innovative approaches to urban mobility planning. On one hand, an holistic approach is required to meet different needs and interests of people moving within an urban area. On the other hand, targeted solutions are relevant for specific attraction areas, gathering a great number of people, such as university campuses.
25 November //9:30-11:30// #8 _ ELECTROMOBILITY: urban planning impact of technology trends
Electric vehicles are getting more popular in recent years, yet their introduction even by public administrations is facing some hindrances.
A key issue that is arising is the impact that increased number of recharging electric vehicles can have on the network. New technologies are arising to manage this issue and make EV also a potential resource for energy storage.