Better urban transport with a global perspective
Sustainable urban transport is crucial for raising the standard of living in European cities and the continent's metropolitan areas. The EU-funded VIAJEO PLUS (International coordination for implementation of innovative and efficient urban mobility solutions) project investigated the best and greenest urban mobility solutions adopted around the world. It exchanged knowledge and experiences on the topic through workshops, site visits and findings, to create a virtual solution book to facilitate adoption of these solutions. An important part of this initiative involved cross-learning through which Asia, Europe, Latin America and EU Mediterranean Partner Countries benefit from each other's best practices and viable solutions. This highlighted cutting-edge solutions currently in use and policies being adopted, as well as the latest research and development, helping European industry to strengthen its competiveness within the global marketplace. Future collaboration with cities around the globe has also been planned. To further sustainable urban transport, the project team is studying five key areas: innovative integrated network management, clean vehicle deployment, innovative public transport, sustainable urban logistics and enabling infrastructure. The project established five expert groups. It also integrated the 28 best solutions from 20 cities worldwide into the virtual solution book. The project also published a booklet named “TOP 10 Urban Mobility Solutions” which has received over 1 000 downloads. Beyond releasing its virtual book, VIAJEO PLUS has organised several events to further its objectives around the globe. It organised four city mobility weeks in China, Latin America, Singapore and Sweden, featuring workshops, meetings and technical visits. The project also launched two forums on the topic in Turkey and in Morocco, attracting high-level attendees and participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and the host countries. Several implementation plans for selected solutions and recommendations on future sustainable transport research topics were pursued under international cooperation. The project's impacts include better transfer of innovative transport solutions worldwide, enhanced global dialogue among practitioners and policymakers in the field, and contributions to EU policy development. In the long run, efficient and more sustainable urban transport will bring numerous benefits to European citizens, from seamless commuting to a greener environment.
Keywords
Urban transport, cities, urban mobility, sustainable and innovative solutions, clean vehicles, public transport, integrated network management, urban logistics
