Sustainable Cities Mobility Challenge

During hot summer days, residents of Cornellà de Llobregat struggle to access critical community services due to thermal discomfort, impacting their mobility choices and leading to a reliance on private vehicles. With climate projections indicating an increase in extreme heat days, the municipality wants to ensure that the city’s services and facilities remain accessible under all weather conditions.

In collaboration with the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) and Università di Napoli Frederico II, the project aims to develop a proof of concept for “climate itineraries,” to address the challenges posed by extreme heat in the district of Sant Ildelfons – one of the five most vulnerable districts in the entire Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. The project includes developing green sustainable mobility corridors, identifying areas most affected, conducting predictive modeling, landscape design, and implementing pilot interventions.

Emília Briones Matamales, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Presidency and Security, Cornellà de Llobregat City Council:  “Cornella de Llobregat is eagerly embracing the opportunity granted by the Mobility Challenge, empowering us to elevate our ‘climate itineraries’. With this funding, we stride toward fostering healthier local lifestyles, nurturing sustainability, and enriching our community.” 

Promoting walking in urban mobility offers multiple benefits, and this project aligns with Portugal’s National Strategy for Active Pedestrian Mobility 2030. However, successful implementation necessitates scalable data on pedestrian mobility and the walking environment. The Walkability.App designed by Walk21 Foundation addresses this need, enabling pedestrians to share experiences and inform interventions. With this grant, Lisbon plans to enhance the app to align with local needs, supporting its commitment to increase walking and halve emissions by 2030.

The first phase focuses on improving the functionality of the app, including GDPR compliance and enabling citizens to attach images. The second phase involves conducting participatory walking assessments to identify areas requiring improvement for pedestrians followed by evaluation, analysis of the lessons learned and an assessment of global replication potential.

Ângelo Pereira, Lisbon’s Deputy Mayor for Pedestrian Accessibility: “Data collection on the experience of walking is essential for our understanding of the citizen pedestrian needs, developing the best policies and evaluating measures. This  project will give us the opportunity to create better information and processes for transforming Lisbon into a city of excellence for walking.”

Liverpool City Council faces urban challenges exacerbated by climate change, including poor air quality, low biodiversity, and surface water flooding. Despite efforts to promote active travel, only 2 per cent of journeys in the Liverpool City Region are made by bike or foot, contributing to carbon emissions and congestion. Recognising the urgency of these issues, the Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019.

Leveraging expertise gained from previous EU-funded projects, such as the URBAN GreenUP project, the Greening Liverpool Project aims to deliver innovative, nature-based solutions to improve the local environment and encourage walking, cycling and wheeling. The proposal includes installing trellis planters on Grafton Street, planting native hedges at Saint Brides Church, introducing permeable paving on Kent and Upper Pitt Streets, and upgrading paths, cycling lanes, and native planting in Dingle’s Hill Street.

Andy Mollon, Director of Transportation and Highways at Liverpool City Council: “Liverpool prides itself on innovation and we’re also looking at new ways to deliver greener methods in highways construction, so sustainability is rooted in everything we do from the materials in our roads to how people travel on them.” 

In the metropolitan region of Barcelona, 93 per cent of all journeys cover less than 10 kilometres, making bicycles (and e-bikes) a sustainable alternative to cars. This community-driven initiative in the northeastern part of the city aims to increase cycling participation among residents, particularly women and children. By establishing a dedicated ‘Cycling Promotion Lab,’ the project will implement practical initiatives to improve access, skills, and confidence in cycling.

With a focus on engaging directly with 300 participants and reaching about 3,000 individuals, this project aims to make cycling more attractive, accessible and inclusive for all residents of Santa Coloma. Through hands-on initiatives and careful evaluation, the goal is to foster a culture where cycling is seen as a convenient and sustainable mode of transportation, contributing to a healthier and more environmentally conscious community.

Núria Parlón, Mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramenet: “Santa Coloma supports the Cycling Lab project with the aim of promoting and empowering more people, especially mothers and children, to use bicycles as a means of sustainable, environmentally friendly transport and improving the health, quality of life and autonomy of citizens. This exemplifies our strong commitment to creating a model city that is equal, sustainable and safe, and one that is firmly dedicated to addressing the effects of the climate crisis.”

The project proposes temporary pop-up elements in public spaces, with a particular focus on reimagining car parking spaces to advocate for sustainable urban design. By temporarily repurposing these spaces into green areas, bicycle parking zones, and gathering spots, the project sparks conversations about redefining public space and reducing car dominance in urban environments. 

Aligned with Utrecht’s Spatial Strategy 2040 and the city council’s initiatives like the Green Leap, the project aims to increase greenery and prioritise people and sustainable mobility over motor vehicles. Through these interventions, the project seeks to stimulate discussions on the future of urban design, encourage alternative transportation modes and community interaction, and demonstrate the potential for long-lasting changes in urban planning which reclaim space for people and nature. 

Councillor Linda Voortman of Utrecht: “By prioritising greenery and community spaces over car dominance, we’re reimagining the future of the city, fostering a healthier environment, and creating spaces that truly serve the needs of our residents and promote a sense of belonging.”