Awards 2019
Four European towns and cities were revealed as the recipients of the CIVITAS Awards 2019. The announcements were made in a lavish ceremony that concluded the second day of the CIVITAS Forum 2019 in Graz, Austria.
This year prizes were given out for the most ambitious initiative, exemplary citizen engagement, creating a high-impact legacy through CIVITAS involvement, and transforming a city into a more liveable environment.
Antwerp (Belgium), Bremen (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden) and Vinnytsia (Ukraine) walked away with the prizes, whilst the city of Kruševac (Serbia) received an honourable mention for its work.
Aside from the “Transformation” award, whose winner was chosen by the CIVITAS Political Advisory Committee, all winners were selected by a five-person jury made up ofprominent local politicians and renowned mobility experts.
See photos from the ceremony here.
Bold Measure
Winner city: Vinnytsia
By renovating old Czechoslovakian-era tram technologies into clean, efficient trolleybuses, Vinnytsia stepped up for this year’s “Bold Measure” award.
The town has slashed electricity use in the vehicles by 40% and reduced CO2 emissions with its ambitious new infrastructure. In addition, each vehicle is fitted with energy-saving LED lighting and all passengers have access to free Wi-Fi.
The initial “WinWay” trams came into operation in 2016, and were the first of their kind in Ukraine. In 2019 alone, 10 new trams have been added to the fleet.
The cost of retrofitting the old trams into energy-efficient vehicles can be - model dependent - more than five times less the cost of purchasing euqivalent new vehicles in Ukraine and Europe.
Citizen and Stakeholder Engagement Award
Winner city: Antwerp
Antwerp scooped the “Citizen and Stakeholder Engagement” award, leading the pack with its public-private collaboration, smart use of data and progressive public communications.
Through its Smart Ways to Antwerp umbrella brand, it is raising awareness, supporting the development of innovative mobility solutions, and driving real behavioural change. It includes a broad range of projects targeting different target groups: citizens, visitors, commuters, companies, entrepreneurs, service providers.
The city's Marketplace for Mobility serves as a platform for public-private partnerships. By working together with the private mobility service providers, the city encourages and supports innovative solutions through project calls and active communication/promotion.
Such projects are not only solving existing traffic problems, but also changing the way the city looks, feels, moves and lives.
Legacy Award
Winner city: Stockholm
Already at the vanguard of clean mobility, Stockholm triumphed with the CIVITAS “Legacy” award – with big steps on low and zero-emission vehicles and EV charging infrastructure.
Today, 98% of the city’s fleet comprises of clean vehicles, compared to 57% in 2014. Similarly, Stockholm successfully introduced congestion taxation in 2007. This resulted in traffic levels falling and then remaining constant, whilst the city population has increased dramatically.
As part of current demonstration project CIVITAS ECCENTRIC, Stockholm has established a business model for public charging infrastructure. Thanks to the ‘Fixa laddplats’ information campaign, at least 3500 units were installed at single and multifamily houses over the past two years.
The Swedish capital’s CIVITAS story began in 2002 with the TRENDSETTER project, and continues today through its ECCENTRIC participation.
Transformation Award
Winner city: Bremen
Bremen took home the “Transformation” award, after impressive efforts to reduce car use through car sharing and integrated public transport and by offering alternatives to car ownership.
In 2009, Bremen adopted the world’s first Car-Sharing Action Planand. 80% of car-sharing users own no car. Indeed, over 5,000 people have already got rid of their cars.
Bremen has also become a true cycling city. A 2019 German Cycling Federation survey named it Germany’s most cycle-friendly city. Over 4,000 safe cycling parking spaces and a network of premium cycling routes have been added in recent years