These are the best EU cities for their sustainable urban mobility efforts

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Mobility is an essential part of everyday lives, especially in cities. The way people travel has an enormous impact on the urban environment, public health and cities’ livability. This is why cities stand to benefit greatly from sustainable mobility.

This important issue was also included in the United Nations’  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims to “make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable“. The SDGs are a set of measures aimed at eradicating poverty, protecting the environment, and ensuring human well-being on a global scale.

As the target 11.1 of this SDG, it has been listed: ‘’By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.’’

Much progress has been made in recent years to address urban mobility, and numerous European cities seem to be leading the way on this important change. The European Union aims to improve the quality of life in cities by promoting active mobility solutions such as walking and cycling while backing initiatives that make cities more accessible to all residents. 

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is held in September every year and allows towns and cities to put new planning measures to the test, promote new infrastructure and technologies, and measure air quality. 2021 saw a record-breaking level of participation with 3,100 towns and cities across 53 countries participating in the campaign, which proved that cities were determined to address this important issue.

The winners of the European Commission’s EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards 2021, the 10th Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP Award) and the EU Urban Road Safety Award were recently announced. The awards recognize outstanding municipal initiatives in the field of sustainable mobility and are a regular part of the annual European Mobility Week cycle.

The German city of Kassel was named the winner of the European Mobility Week Award for larger municipalities, while Portugal’s Valongo took home the trophy in the smaller municipalities category (population below 100,000). Additionally, the Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning was given to Finland’s Tampere. The EU Urban Road Safety Award went to the Greek city of Rethymno.

Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport, stated as per the European Commission’s website: ‘’These cities have taken concrete actions to tackle transport emissions, noise, and congestion through innovative actions. With the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, we will support better planning of sustainable urban mobility, putting public transport, walking, and cycling at the core of local authorities’ efforts to improve people’s everyday lives.”

According to the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, the jury was impressed by Kassel’s innovative set of activities that brought together local and regional transportation partners to encourage behavioral change among its residents. Furthermore, the city implemented a number of important permanent measures, such as road safety signs near schools and the renovation of two busy streets to encourage cycling.

During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2021, Valongo organized several innovative sustainable mobility actions and activities aimed at involving local residents and organizations. In the European Mobility Week Award smaller municipalities category, Valongo outperformed runners-up Alimos (Greece) and Miajadas (Spain).

The jury praised Tampere’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for its ‘’multidisciplinary approach that empowers people to make healthier mobility choices that are active, safe and environmentally responsible.’’ 

At the same time, Rethymno won over jurors for its comprehensive approach to road safety, which focuses on three main pillars: improving public transportation, increasing and encouraging behavioral change through a variety of activities, and establishing integrated cooperation with local stakeholders. (photo credit: CryptoSkylark/Pixabay)