Leaders come together to ensure that the future of mobility is sustainable
Image by Anna Westervelt
Last month, mobility leaders from every corner of Europe came together in Brno for the Urban Mobility Days 2022. The event, jointly organised by the European Commission (DG MOVE) and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, convened over 600 in-person delegates, plus 600 online participants.
This was a momentous occasion for the CIVITAS Initiative, and for sustainable urban mobility at large. In the face of an ongoing energy crisis in Europe, mobility leaders were poised to address these immense challenges head-on, and to bring forth solutions to make urban mobility across the continent more sustainable. From an introduction to the Bikes 4 Ukraine initiative, to discussion of climate-neutral cities, all sessions emphasised the ways we can effectively face urban mobility challenges.
The UMD was also a time to take stock of and celebrate the immense successes in sustainable urban mobility in Europe. Site visits showcased how our host city Brno (Czechia) has become a public transportation leader, with public transport making up over 50% of their modal share! An awards gala dinner celebrated the CIVITAS Initiative’s 20th anniversary, and recognised the outstanding achievements of the CIVITAS Awards finalists and winner.
This year, the City of Rethymno (Greece) was awarded the CIVITAS Transformation Award in recognition of their wide-ranging measures focused on accessibility, active mobility, inclusive electromobility and changing mobility behaviour; Coimbra (Portugal) and Ioannina (Greece) were the runners-up. András Vágány won the Young Champion Award thanks to his work developing Budapest into one of the most sustainable, innovative and liveable cities in Europe; Iulia Dorobantu and Memo Buijs were the runners-up. Learn more about all six finalists on our CIVITAS Awards YouTube playlist.
Of course, inspiration also came from networking and session presentations, as well as from the prominent role of young leaders in this year’s event. As one CIVINET representative put it, reflecting on the impact of the Urban Mobility Days: as a CIVINET, the important role of young academics and students will definitely be taken-up in our activities.
While Urban Mobility Days 2022 has come to a close, the insights shared during the event remain available online. Speaker slides and recordings of all streamed sessions are available on the Eltis website, and summary reports from the event’s youth rapporteurs are now on the CIVITAS website. A selection of photos taken during the Urban Mobility Days 2022 are on the Eltis Flickr page, and all are invited to revisit the videos that introduce the CIVITAS Award finalists and winners on the CIVITAS YouTube page here.
Additional impacts from the Urban Mobility Days are sure to become visible in the coming months. CIVITAS extends our sincere thanks to the urban mobility leaders who attended and made the event such a success. We look forward to re-convening next year!
Author: Adrienne Kotler
