With over 70% of EU citizens currently living in urban areas, urban mobility has a huge influence on the quality of life that they have. Yet traffic congestion, bad air quality, and inefficient transport systems continue to impact upon lives across the continent.
An approach is required that places citizens' needs first. By improving accessibility to, through and within urban areas and encouraging a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans do exactly this. Both cities and their inhabitants enjoy significant economic and environmental benefits.
As they integrate practices and policies from other sectors, SUMPs also help transport measures correspond with wider urban development plans. Transport then actively contributes to cities' efforts to become more sustainable and liveable. In doing so, SUMPs-Up fulfils its ultimate aim: to improve citizens' quality of life.
The “Status of SUMPs in EU Member States” report supports the advancement of national SUMP programmes by highlighting the main findings of a joint CIVITAS SUMPs-Up and PROSPERITY study. It summarises the SUMP and national SUMP programme status in 28 EU Member States and elaborates recommendations for countries seeking to develop their national programmes.
Since their launch in 2013, the SUMP Guidelines have been the main reference document for SUMPs. Yet with new developments in society and technology and new practical insights, an update reflecting these is now appropriate. The process to develop them began at this year's SUMP Conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, and SUMPs-Up is part of the group doing so.
The report acts as a guiding document for city planners developing a SUMP action plan. It outlines a clear six-step process for this, whilst providing advice on vital action plan elements, such as resources and stakeholder coordination. It also contains examples of action plan templates and good action plan documents, as well as a user manual.
