The 18th edition of the CIVITAS Initiative’s flagship conference focuses on “Smart routes towards climate-neutral cities”. This builds on the European Commission’s mission to create 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030.
What is the role of mobility and transport in meeting this goal? How do smart mobility and climate-neutral mobility relate to each other? And what do local authorities need – from the private sector, the European Commission, and each other – to create the smart and climate-neutral cities we need?
Aachen has a long legacy of committing to sustainable urban mobility. Its long engagement in the CIVITAS community, involvement in other EU-funded programmes, and political commitment to sustainable mobility make Aachen an ideal host. Read more about this legacy in its CIVITAS Success Story.
A walkable city with cross-border connectivity
In this medieval city of “short distances”, most locations are walkable. Aachen has developed the EU-funded #AachenMooVe project to promote sustainable inner-city mobility, which includes pedestrianisation, multimodal mobility stations, mobility management for companies, and clean urban freight.
Aachen’s location at the Dutch and Belgian borders creates challenges related to cross-border public transport. Based on cooperation between the Dutch and German national train operators, the project “euregiobahn” has been a regional success story and enhanced cross-border connectivity since its inception in 2001. A series of site visits enabled participants to discover these and Aachen’s other mobility innovations.
