Latest SUMPs-Up News

New SUMP Poster: Planning the Sustainable City

Inspired by success stories from European cities that have implemented Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), a new SUMP poster from SUMPs-Up illustrates the sustainable planning process for transport in an urban area.

While the SUMP Guidelines give step-by-step guidance on how to develop and implement a SUMP, lessons can also be learnt from the many European cities that have implemented a SUMP to demonstrate what the outcome for an urban area could look like.

Even when the ideal sustainable city may not exist, the new SUMP poster (based on the revised EU SUMP Guidelines) includes many crucial aspects of a sustainable mobility system. The new poster demonstrates all eight of the fundamental SUMP principles, which are:

Plan for sustainable mobility in the entire ‘functional urban area’;
Cooperate across institutional boundaries;
Involve citizens and stakeholders;
Assess current and future performance;
Define a long-tern vision and a clear implementation plan;
Develop all transport modes in an integrated manner;
Arrange for monitoring and evaluation; and,
Assure quality.

The new poster can be seen and downloaded here.

Brussels pays witness to greatest SUMP story ever told

All good things must come to an end, including CIVITAS SUMPs-Up. Yet before the project concludes at the end of February, it signed off in style with a final event.

Over 50 SUMP enthusiasts and advocates gathered, including experts from the core project team, European policymakers, and cities from across the continent. They heard how SUMPs-Up has shaped the SUMP landscape at the local, national and European level.

The morning opened with introductory words on the project’s achievements and products from Ana Dragutescu, ICLEI Europe, the project’s coordinator, and Octavia Stepan, SUMPs-Up’s project officer at INEA, European Commission.

Herald Ruijters, Director at DG MOVE, European Commission, then contextualised SUMPs in the wider policy landscape. The SUMP approach is critical to meeting goals on decarbonisation, digitalisation, and transport emission reductions set out in the EU’s landmark Green Deal.

Then came a surprise: Siegfried Rupprecht from Rupprecht Consult, launched the new SUMP Self-Assessment tool! This allows towns and cities to evaluate the status of their mobility plans and their alignment with the SUMP approach - access it here. He also revealed further materials to make the SUMP Guidelines accessible.

The first half closed with a summary of SUMPs-Up’s work on the national level by Thomas Durlin of CEREMA. See all presentations from the first half here.

The second half saw six diverse cities and regions from the project’s SUMP Learning Programme (SLP) share the mobility challenges that they have faced. They also outlined how their involvement in the SLP has helped begin to address these.

Those to present were Cesis (Latvia), Heraklion (Greece), Krusevac (Serbia), Leon (Spain), Perugia (Italy), and the Porto Metropolitan Area (Portugal). Their circumstances and areas of focus were incredibly diverse.

For instance, Leon has worked to harmonise with SUMPs with Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs); Cesis’s SLP involvement inspired it to experiment with traffic calming solutions and new street designs; and Heraklion has introduced a swathe of road safety measures. Find all of their presentations here.

Whilst this chapter of the SUMPs-Up story is closing, the project’s impact will continue to felt through its many products and rich variety of learning resources. The new CIVITAS SUMP-PLUS project will also draw on knowledge from SUMPs-Up: its legacy will continue with the next generation of SUMP towns and cities.

New SUMP Self-Assessment tool released

Would you like to develop a SUMP but are not sure where to start? Would you like to evaluate the status of mobility planning in your city and receive tailored feedback on how to further improve?

Then the SUMP Self-Assessment tool is what you need! A new, updated version has been launched that is based on the second edition of the EU SUMP Guidelines, which were released in autumn 2019.

It is particularly useful for local authorities who find themselves at the beginning of their SUMP process, and for cities and regions who want to evaluate their planning status. By answering custom-made questions, local authorities can assess how their current urban mobility plan compares with the SUMP approach.

Individual feedback is given to help identify potential areas of improvement, to determine areas that are already aligned with SUMP principles, and to provide specific measures on how to advance the process.

The updated Self-Assessment Tool includes tailor-made questions for:

Different SUMP starting points;
Planners who want to assess the quality of a completed SUMP;
Local authorities who want to assess the quality of their general mobility planning activities before starting a SUMP and at different points in the process; and,
Planners working on the regional level.

Extended feedback is given to respondents following completion of the questionnaire. This provides an individual assessment, advice, links to further reading, and relevant good practice examples.

The tool was launched during the final event of CIVITAS SUMPs-Up on 19 February in Brussels - the project was responsible for its redevelopment.

Try out the tool here: www.sump-assessment.eu.

Decision Makers Summary for EU SUMP Guidelines out now

An interactive summary has been created that makes the new edition of the EU SUMP Guidelines more accessible and easy to use.

Developed for decision-makers who wish to make use of this crucial document, the summary represents gives a succinct introduction to some of the most important content found in the Guidelines.

In the space of only 10 pages, the general idea of SUMP is explained, the principles underlying the planning process are described, and a brief introduction of the four SUMP phases is given.

Decision-makers are also given an overview of the benefits of sustainable urban mobility planning, as well as guidance on how to start the SUMP process. The summary can also be used as an introduction to the urban mobility planning process.

The summary is available to download here. The complete EU SUMP Guidelines (second Edition) are available in an online version, and as documents for download.

Stay tuned for more SUMP Guidelines-related goodness coming soon!

Annex to the SUMP Guidelines now available

The annex to the "Guidelines For Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan" (Second Edition) is now available to read and download.

The original document was published at the CIVITAS Forum 2019 in Graz last year.

The annex contains a wealth of information that complements the original Guidelines, including:

A Glossary with a selection of the most important SUMP-related definitions;
Printable checklists for all activities of the SUMP cycle, that can be used by cities for checking off all different tasks during the process;
A comprehensive collection of 63 good practice examples from cities across Europe, telling their SUMP stories;
An overview of the complementary guides and briefings to the SUMP Guidelines; and,
A list of all experts consulted during the SUMP Guidelines development process.

The good practices form the centrepiece of the Annex, with 58 European cities describing a wide range of SUMP activities. They explain what the specific activity looks like in their context, allowing readers to understand the content and depth of the 12 steps of the SUMP cycle and how they can be translated into practice.

For example, find out how Tampere (Finland) used the construction of a new tram in the city to introduce new mobility management actions and how Monzón (Spain) linked its SUMP development with a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, and how hessaloniki (Greece) set up a mobility forum for action planning.

Download and read the annex here. Find this and the main guidance document, all Practitioner Briefings, and all SUMP Topic Guides on the Eltis website.

The main document is also available as an online document allowing the user to navigate between linked sections.

Registration opens for the SUMPs-Up final event on 19 February 2020

All good things must come to an end, including CIVITAS SUMPs-Up. Before it does, the project invites you to join its final event on Wednesday 19 February, 09:30 – 13:30 CET, in Brussels (Belgium).

After over three years of working with local authorities and policymakers to accelerate the uptake of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), SUMPs-Up has wide-ranging results and a multitude of SUMP tools and publications to share with Europe’s transport community.

Discover how these have helped shape Europe’s SUMP landscape and join decision-makers, mobility experts and towns and cities to discuss SUMPs from a wide variety of perspectives.

The talking points

The first half will examine European SUMP and transport policy and introduce key tools to assist practitioners and policymakers in SUMP development. As part of this, Herald Ruijters, Director, DG MOVE, European Commission, will discuss where SUMPs and urban mobility fit into the European Green Deal and efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

Following this, the recently launched SUMP Guidelines, forthcoming SUMP Self-Assessment Tool and other SUMPs-Up products will be introduced by the SUMPs-Up team. The first half of the morning will end with an analysis of national SUMP frameworks.

In the second half, towns and cities from across Europe - all of whom took part in the SUMPs-Up Learning Programme - will take to the stage and talk participants through their unique SUMP stories and journeys.

What are their daily SUMP realities? What have they experienced to get to where they are today? What have they learned from other cities and being in the project? What support do they still need in the future from the national and European level?

Be inspired by what they are achieving in sometimes difficult situations and gain insight into what cities really need.

A light, sustainable lunch offers a further chance to exchange with transport and sustainable mobility peers from across Europe.

Registration and more details

Register here now for the event and read the latest agenda here. Note that registration closes on Friday 14 February. We look forward to seeing you all in Brussels.

Fact sheets reveal good practices in SUMPs-Up partner cities

A series of fact sheets chronicling good practice examples of SUMP measures, instruments and planning procedures in SUMPs-Up’s seven partner cities are now available to read.

They cover activities that have taken place in Birmingham (UK), Budapest (Hungary), Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain), Malmö (Sweden), Sofia (Bulgaria), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Turin (Italy) since SUMPs-Up began in September 2016.

In Birmingham, they are about the implementation of a Clean Air Zone and a new road space allocation policy. In Budapest, the documents look at interactive two-way communication with decision makers and an integrated transportation demand management framework for road users.

In Donostia-San Sebastián, readers can find out about flexible use of spaces and interactive maps for cycling and walking, whilst in Malmö they can find out about a new travel survey technique, regional cooperation to develop a Poly-SUMP, and the city’s advanced traffic forecasting model.

In Sofia, two platforms are in the spotlight, one for active citizen participation and one for data collection and exchange. Moving to Thessaloniki, the fact sheets explore funding SUMP measures through private entrepreneurship and ways to measure the development, implementation, progress and impacts of SUMPs.

Finally, Turin’s fact sheets reveal its urban freight logistics measures and how its new MaaS service is providing integrated access to city mobility services.

These good practices should encourage and support SUMP uptake and development throughout the SUMP community. See all fact sheets here.

Landmark second edition of EU SUMP Guidelines released

An all-important update to the first edition from 2013, the document was launched at the CIVITAS Forum 2019 in Graz, Austria.

A milestone release for Europe’s transport community, the guidelines make it easier for city planners and policy makers to integrate mobility into their visions for dynamic, modern, and liveable cities.

Much has changed in the six years since the first guidelines came into the world, including new business models, the onset of driverless technologies, and the further rise of digitalisation and automation.

Mobility habits and awareness are also different – with a shift from owning to sharing, increased active mobility, and a greater understanding of the relationship between public health and transport.

The new SUMP Guidelines reflect these diverse developments and provide the perfect reference and basis for cities to take their ambitions and planning a step further.

With over 300 contributors and case studies from 60 cities, the document reflects the immense European knowledge in the field.

A special Editorial Board steered the bottom-up, co-creative authorial process that included leading mobility academics, the European Commission’s DG MOVE, DG REGIO and INEA, CIVITAS SUMP projects and Eltis. SUMPs-Up coordinated the vast undertaking.

The members of the CIVITAS Political Advisory Committee (PAC) and CIVITAS Forum network also welcomed the release of the Guidelines with an endorsement of the document. This was signed by numerous local politicians from across the EU.

Read and download the full Guidelines here. Browse and download the series of accompanying topic guides and practitioner briefings here.

Register now for three upcoming SUMPs-Up webinars for mobility practitioners

Three upcoming webinars from SUMPs-Up will provide mobility practitioners with insight into a series of crucial SUMP-related topics.

The first of these will look at the newly launched second edition of the EU SUMP Guidelines. With a fully updated SUMP cycle, more detail on the measure planning, financing and implementation aspects, and over 60 new good practice examples from cities all around Europe, the Guidelines summarise the latest knowledge in strategic mobility planning.

In addition, two supporting guides prepared will be presented. The first one looks at how local authorities can plan for electric road mobility solutions in urban areas in a SUMP context, whilst the second focuses on sustainable urban mobility planning for metropolitan areas.

The webinar after this will focus on how to integrate Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) into urban planning, climate and energy strategies.

Participants will hear from the SIMPLA project, which aimed at harmonising Sustainable Energy Action Plans and SUMPs through capacity building activities for small- and medium-sized municipalities. In addition, the City of Lahti (Finland) will present its“Lahti Direction” document, which combines transport and land-use planning in a new way

The final webinar in the mobility practitioners’ series will focus on exploring different financing and funding options for sustainable urban mobility.

It will refer to a guide developed by SUMPs-Up that supports urban transport practitioners and other stakeholders to identify funding and financing options for the development of SUMPs, the implementation of measures, and the operation of transport services.

Find more information on the webinars on the SUMPs-Up events page and watch project webinars here.

SUMPs-Up at the CIVITAS Forum 2019

Three upcoming webinars from SUMPs-Up will provide mobility practitioners with insight into a series of crucial SUMP-related topics.

The webinar after this will focus on how to integrate Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) into urban planning, climate and energy strategies.

The final webinar in the mobility practitioners’ series will focus on exploring different financing and funding options for sustainable urban mobility.

Find more information on the webinars on the SUMPs-Up events page and watch project webinars here.

French, German, Hungarian, Italian and Spanish versions of key SUMPs-Up publications available

CIVITAS SUMPs-Up has released German, French, Italian, Hungarian and Spanish versions of four of its key publications.

Mobility practitioners working in these languages can now make use of three manuals on SUMP measure selection and report on developing a SUMP action plan.

The three manuals provide guidance on identifying appropriate SUMP measures, along with how to enhance selected mobility fields.

Each manual is tailored to a specific city profile, with beginner, intermediate and advanced SUMP cities covered. They also contain recommendations, rating systems for priorities of measures, and checklists tailored to each city type.

The report gives guidance on how to go about approaching a crucial step in the SUMP process; the development of a SUMP action plan.

It sets out responsibilities, resources, stakeholder coordination, time plans, and funding sources; breaks down action plan development into a six-step process (with the final stage an implementation plan); provides examples of action plan templates and best practice; and contains a user manual.

Read and download all the documents here.

Apply now for the 8th SUMP Award

This year's award will focus on the inclusion of safe, active mobility in sustainable urban mobility planning (SUMP). This covers the development and promotion of walking and cycling as urban transport modes and the improvement of safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The topical focus is based on this year's EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK theme, which puts the spotlight on safe walking and cycling and the benefits it can have for our health, our environment, and our bank balance.

Recognising that Europe’s cities can no longer afford to rely on private vehicles for mobility needs, the 8th SUMP Award encourages planning authorities to promote and plan for active modes.

In addition to flexibility, walking and cycling have many other benefits, such as social and economic accessibility, reliability, a low environmental footprint, and a positive impact on health.

The SUMP Award is presented together with the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK awards, and honours local authorities that have developed a SUMP that satisfies the diverse transport needs of people and businesses, whilst improving quality of life.

Applications will be accepted from European local and regional public authorities that have legal competence in developing and implementing a SUMP on their territory.

For more information about this year's edition of the award, the entrance criteria, and how to apply before the 31 October deadline, click here.

SUMP Guidelines and topic guides presented at SUMP Conference 2019

From 17-18 June, the 6th European Conference on Sustainability Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) took place in the cycling city of Groningen (the Netherlands).

SUMPs-Up was out in force at this year's event: it was involved several sessions, had a stand in the exhibition area, and held numerous presentations.

This included the public unveiling of the draft of the revised SUMP Guidelines in the conference's opening plenary by Siegfried Rupprecht, one of the document's authors. Over 400 people were present in the audience at the time.

Afterwards, the SUMP community was invited to discuss and provide comments in two interactive sessions; these focused predominantly on the refined SUMP cycle that sits at the heart of the Guidelines.

Over 100 people gave valuable and detailed feedback in these group discussions, which gave participants the chance to progress through the SUMP process.

The rich input collected will feed into the final version of the Guidelines, which is due to be published at the CIVITAS Forum Conference in Graz (Austria), 2 - 4 October 2019.

In addition, SUMPs-Up also presented four of the topic guides it is currently working on:

“SUMP Guide on Metropolitan Areas”

"Financing and funding options for sustainable urban mobility"

"Public procurement of sustainable urban mobility measures”

“SUMP Topic Guide on Electrification in sustainable urban mobility planning”.

The new SUMP Guidelines and all 15 related Topical Guides are available online for download here.

For those who were not present in Groningen, comments can also be provided on the Guidelines via an online survey. Feedback can be provided to individual topic guide and authors by clicking through the tabulated table on the main Guidelines page.

The deadline for all comments is 9 July 2019.

View photos from the SUMP Conference here and find all presentations on the Eltis website.

The story of SUMPs-Up in Donostia-San Sebastian

At the start of June, SUMPs-Up held two workshops in Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain), one of the project's six partner cities.

From 4-5 June, the fifth SUMP Learning Programme (SLP 5) kicked off with its first face-to-face workshop. SLP 5 focuses on SUMP implementation and the procurement of services for and financing of measures.

Cities from across Europe gathered to discuss SUMP implementation. As they presented their key mobility challenges during the introduction round, it became evident that they face many of the same issues. Through the interaction and exchange the SLP offers, they stand to learn a lot from each other.

Later, the city of Kruševac (Serbia), the Akershus Region and the city of Oslo (Norway) told their stories of preparing and realising their mobility plans.

SLP 5 concludes the learning programme series that began in Autumn 2017. By SUMPs-Up's end, close to 100 local authorities will have participated in the SLPs, enriching their SUMP knowledge in the process.

On 5 June, a workshop was held for mobility practitioners in Spain. This forms part of the learning activities that SUMPs-Up offers to experts working in mobility around Europe.

Several Spanish cities presented how the implementation of a SUMP (in Spanish: PMUS - Planos de Movilidad Urbana y Sostenible) is helping them use more sustainable modes of transport.

In the afternoon, participants discussed new mobility topics, such as the implementation of Low Emission and Noise Zones and micromobility, alongside how to finance mobility measures and involve citizens and stakeholders in their planning.

The City of Vienna was an active participant in both workshops. Thomas Vith explained that instead of focusing on modes, Vienna focuses on the relationship between measures. It has defined fields of actions like sharing instead of owning and mobility needs innovation that combine actions targeted at several modes of transport.

Both days ended with site visit that introduced participants to measures in Donostia-San Sebastian designed to encourage active mobility.

Download the presentations from the Spanish mobility practitioners workshop here (zipped folder) and see photos from SLP 5 here.

Draft edition of second SUMP Guidelines released - feedback is invited

Since the first edition of the SUMP Guidelines was published in late 2013, it has acted as the main European reference document for urban transport and mobility practitioners developing and implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs).

Many cities in Europe and around the world have developed SUMPs, whilst numerous European Union-funded projects and programmes have contributed valuable knowledge to help cities develop this new generation of mobility plans.

Why is an update needed?

Whilst the Guidelines continue to be used extensively, many new urban mobility trends have emerged and a wealth of practical SUMP experience has been acquired since the document's publication.

It was time to rethink and update the original Guidelines. A comprehensive process to update European SUMP guidance was started in 2018, including a revision of the Guidelines itself, alongside the development of a range of complementary topic guides on specific aspects of sustainable urban mobility planning.

The publication of the draft document marks an important milestone in the take-up of a new planning culture in Europe.

This comprehensive revision aims to integrate the dynamic developments in many areas of urban mobility and reflect the rich experience of SUMP implementation that has accumulated since 2013.

Read and provide feedback on the draft Guidelines and topic guides

Find a PDF of the draft document here and visit the dedicated Guidelines page on the Eltis website. Drafts of the topic guides can also be seen in the tabulated table on this page.

All interested parties can provide feedback until 9 July 2019 using the links found on the Guidelines page.

The draft was prepared specifically for the sixth annual SUMP Conference, which took place in Groningen (the Netherlands) from 17-18 June 2019. Following its public presentation by Siegfried Rupprecht, one its the main authors, in the main plenary, two dedicated feedback sessions were held.

Group discussions and an 'exhibition' format ensured that everyone had the chance to contribute in an intimate setting.

The final version of the guidance will be published at the CIVITAS Forum in Graz (Austria), 2 - 4 October 2019.

New podcast zooms in on Eastern Europe to look at SUMPs through a different lens

Towns and cities all across Europe experience unique local challenges when developing their Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP).

Geographical and cultural contexts play a major role and mean that a diversified approach to SUMP development is necessary.

But what are these differences? How do they impact on and differentiate SUMP development?

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.

Seven cities from seven countries across the region discussed their experiences in SUMP development. They were Belgrade (Republic of Serbia), Budapest (Hungary), Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic), Lviv (Ukraine), Palanga (Lithuania), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (Republic of Macedonia).

Budapest, Hradec Kralove, and Palanga are SUMPs-Up, PROSPERITY and SUITS partner cities respectively.

Some issues recurred in numerous cities, whilst others arose due to particular local specificities. What united them all, however, was their need for support and expert guidance in developing their SUMPs.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Join SUMPs-Up webinar on 9 May on preparing and gaining political commitment to a SUMP action plan

How do you ensure the implementation of measures in a sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP)? How do you engage decision makers in the SUMP process?

Find out in the fourth CIVITAS SUMPs-Up webinar for mobility practitioners on 9 May, 10:00 - 11.30 CET!

It will explore these crucial questions by focusing on an important milestone in the SUMP process – developing the SUMP action plan and ensuring political commitment to it.

The action plan forms the core part of a SUMP, as it provides a clarification of how to reach the targets that have been set within the plan. To ensure wide support for it, gaining political commitment to the related actions and engaging politicians in the SUMP process is crucial.

The city of Budapest (Hungary) will reveal how it has engaged its decision makers in their local SUMP process.

The webinar will also present the manual produced by SUMPs-Up to help local authorities prepare action plans. The manual suggests one way of developing an action plan that is suitable for most cities, particularly those who do not yet have much SUMP experience.

It outlines the steps for preparing the action plan, which are illustrated by examples from cities, and includes a concrete action plan template.

Mobility practitioners invited to join SUMPs-Up webinar - Measure selection for SUMPs - on 20 March

Are you eager to learn about different measures that can help achieve the goals outlined in your city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP)? If so, join the third CIVITAS SUMPs-Up webinar for mobility practitioners on 20 March!

Systematic and judicious SUMP measure selection and effectively combining these measures is central for SUMP development and implementation.

This webinar will highlight this crucial step of the SUMP process, showcasing a series of manuals produced by SUMPs-Up that aid cities in measure selection and creating measure packages.

The manuals cover three different city profiles, each of which cover a different level of experience and expertise in the development of mobility policies and measures.

In addition, Barna Ciprian, a mobility planner from Oradea metropolitan area, Romania, will share Oradea's experiences in the selection of different measures implemented within the SUMP framework.

The webinar will take place on 20 March, 10:00-11:30 CET.

To find out more about the webinar, read the agenda. Register for the webinar here.

Photo contest deadline extended - one image can make your city a sustainable mobility star

A picture is worth a thousand words! For its photo competition, CIVITAS SUMPs-Up is looking for a photo that captures sustainable mobility in your town or city.

The winning image will star on the cover of the upcoming revised EU SUMP Guidelines. Used by cities, mobility experts, and politicians across Europe, they are Europe's most important mobility guidelines.

All it takes is one photo! Show us sustainable mobility in action - the greener and safer the better!

The deadline for submitting entries has been extended to 19 March 2019, 18.00 CET (Central European Time)! Send your photos to contact@sumps-up.eu.

Don't miss this chance to show why your town or city is a sustainable mobility success story.

To view the full terms and conditions, including information on eligibility, the judging process and more, click here.

Best of luck to all entrants!

Europe's SUMP community gathers to discuss reshaping EU SUMP Guidelines

Over 50 figures from Europe's SUMP community came together on Wednesday 12 December in Brussels to discuss the revision of the EU SUMP Guidelines.

The morning was opened by Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission's Directorate General for Transport and Mobility.

He emphasised that “solutions to address urban mobility challenges exist in cities“. When combined with their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, much of what is necessary to create the next generation of SUMPs is already there.

Following this, three cities with experience of using the Guidelines - Maia (Portugal), Tampere (Finland), and Oradea (Romania) - presented their SUMP stories.

Marta Moreira from Maia made clear the challenges involved in changing attitudes and the requirement to be “courageous” in a town where cars have 70% modal share.

Speaking about Oradea, Ciprian Barna said that a set of SUMP indicators at EU level is vital to benchmark success, even if progress is apparent like Oradea, where a SUMP and measures such as an express bus lane have been implemented.

Sanna Ovaska outlined Tampere’s desire to become carbon neutral by 2030 and how mobility will contribute. However, she thought that just offering mobility improvements, like the new tramline in her city, is insufficient: “carrots are not enough, sticks are needed.”

The ensuing panel discussion between Matthew Baldwin and the three cities saw all cities emphasise that the new Guidelines should explain how to move from pilots, to projects, to policy.

The second half of the morning, an interactive workshop, enabled the participants – with backgrounds ranging from cities, industry, academia and civil society to EU and international institutions - to express what they would like to see in the updated Guidelines.

Funding was a recurring topic. The desire was expressed for detailed information to be included on possible sources, alongside comparisons of how much measures cost. Such figures could help overcome a crucial barrier - political reluctance.

Ways to create (political) support were also discussed. The importance of local knowledge and understanding the impact measures might have on individual lives, particularly if negative, was repeated.

To achieve this, dialogue must be integral to and be present at the beginning of the SUMP process. Advice for ensuring buy-in from and the involvement of various stakeholders throughout the SUMP process will sit at the heart of the Guidelines.

The contributions gathered from all those in Brussels will serve to inform and inspire the document, a version of which will be presented at the next EU SUMP Conference. This will take place in Groningen (the Netherlands), 17-18 June 2019.

Download the city presentations here: Maia; Oradea; and Tampere.

The event formed part of ICLEI Europe's Breakfast at Sustainability's series.

Read new policy recommendations for boosting SUMP take-up in EU cities

A new series of policy recommendations have been launched that give officials working at local, national, and European levels concise suggestions on how to foster the take-up of SUMPs.

These are broken down into five separate areas:

See - this relates to developing your SUMP vision.
Shape - find advice on how adopt a flexible approach.
Grow - ways to deepen and share SUMP knowledge.
Engage - getting stakeholders on board with your SUMP ideas.
Give - how smart and targeted finance can maximise impact.

These are summarised from the insight gained from various sets of SUMPs-Up results and data, namely the ‘Users’ needs analysis on SUMP take-up’ (2017); the ‘National Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) programmes analysis’ (2018); the ‘Interim result report: city-level SUMP monitoring and impact evaluation’ (2018) and the ‘SUMPs-Up interim report on the project level evaluation’ (2018).

Download the summary here and all other reports on the main reports page.

See previous news here

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