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.
Cities are invited to apply to join the next round of the SUMP Learning Programme. Up to 25 planning authorities have the chance to join SLP 5. Starting in May 2019, it will focus on SUMP implementation, financing and procurement and blend online and face-to-face learning and exchange. Apply by the extended deadline of 18:00 CET on 31 January 2019.
A new series of policy recommendations have been launched that give officials working at the local, national, and European level suggestions on how to foster the take-up of SUMPs. Broken down into five separate areas, these recommendations draw on SUMPs-Up results and data, including the Europe-wide user needs analysis.
At an event in Brussels on Wednesday 12 December, over 50 participants from across Europe's SUMP community to discuss what to include in the upcoming update of the EU SUMP Guidelines. Cities, industry, academia, civil society, and EU and international institutions expressed what they believed was necessary to put into the document.
