Forum Conference maps out future of CIVITAS
The CIVITAS Forum conference took place in Krakow, Poland from 19 - 21 October. During the three-day conference, the needs, objectives and indicators of cities were identified and discussed. There were several key points which speakers and participants alike agreed on. These included the need to focus on packages rather than individual interventions, as well as the need for more effective evaluation of impacts and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. Finally CIVITAS must overcome the challenge of transferring the initiative to other European countries.
The Forum Conference also drew attention to the fact that 90 percent of citizens consider the traffic situation in their city needs to be improved, and believe climate change should be understood better and requires action. Cities agreed that indicators and targets are needed for planning, monitoring, evaluation and benchmarking, while there should be a focus on objectives and desired change in travel.The solutions and interventions needed to deal with the problems cities face were then identified. These included both technology and transport planning. It was also a chance for the work of CIVITAS cities to be showcased. Various innovation measures were mentioned, such as the Pipe§net project in Perugia, Italy, freight management in Bologna, Italy and superblocks in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The Action Plan on Urban Mobility recently released by the European Commission, was also discussed as it contains several references to measures being introduced as part of the CIVITAS Initiative.The main outcome of the conference was the consensus that there is no one solution to each city’s problems. An integrated strategy which can draw on themes from the Commission’s Action Plan is needed. This strategy would include a package of measures, which incorporate transport and spatial planning, passenger and freight transport, technology and behavioural change and social market forces and social regulation. Good examples of putting these solutions into action can be seen in Ghent where parking, bus service and walking facilities have been introduced and improved. It was clear that cooperation and exchange between cities is vital, while long term stability and mass deployment of measures were identified as the main goals of the initiative. The presentations of the plenary and technical sessions are now available for download from the Download Center. Approximately 80 photos are also available in 11 sub-folders, courtesy of Mirjam Logonder. In order to assess and improve the quality of the CIVITAS Forum’s Annual Conference, participants of the CIVITAS Forum in Krakow are kindly invited to complete the evaluation form below and to send it back to the CIVITAS Secretariat by 2 November.
Author: CIVITAS Secretariat
