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 revised draft of the EU SUMP Guidelines and a series of related topic guides were presented at this year's EU SUMP Conference, which was held in Groningen (the Netherlands). The final Guidelines and other documents will be presented at the CIVITAS Forum 2019 in Graz (Austria) on 2 October 2019.
Each of the seven SUMPs-Up city partners has its own unique SUMP story to tell to the world. Why and how did they develop their SUMP? How is their SUMP working? What plans do they have for the future? Find out the full lowdown in a recently released series of video interviews. All can be found on the project's YouTube channel.
A new podcast from the CIVITAS SUMP projects (SUMPs-Up, PROSPERITY and SUITS) sheds light on the challenges that towns and cities in Eastern and Central Europe face when developing and implementing their SUMPs. Hear seven cities from seven countries across the region discussing their unique local experiences and realities.
