The representatives of 7 city members of the network visited Montpellier to discuss pedestrianization, public transport and behavioral change.

The municipalities of Agadir, Ancona, Dubrovnik, Izmir, Mersin, Sarajevo & Rethymno met in Montpellier to visit on the field the Metropole Mediterrannee Montpellier’s transformative projects to prioritise pedestrians on the urban space, and promote cycling and public transport, with new tramlines and strong efforts to support the change of behaviors of daily commuting in the city.

The first day brought the 5 city officers and 2 elected council Members to discover how the Metropole plans for, organises, and finances the urban transport network, including an ambitious cycling policy and a sustainable and integrated vision for the whole metropolitan territory.

The best way to discuss Mobility is by walking the roads, so the group left the computers and stepped out the streets to see how the metropole has transformed the city center to be able to safely cycle, and walk around and commute daily: families, workers, service providers (cargo bikes), everyone!

The visit continued with a second day exploring the ongoing works for the new tram line 5 and a discussion about the environmental, social, and economic impact of big projects that commonly generate negative feedback from citizens in the short term, but that end up transforming how people move every day in favour of healthier and more sustainable modes in the long run.

The cities ended up discussing initiatives and policies to support the behavioral changes necessary for a shift toward sustainable mobility. These initiatives include free transport access, car sharing, and sustainable mobility plans for employees of local businesses.

The visit concluded with a walking tour of Tram Line 4 and its surroundings, and with a group session about the main conclusions, lessons learned, and topics that require further exploration to collaboratively shape the future steps of the group.

The group met earlier this month on a first thematic online session which gathered over 20 representatives from the 14 municipalities members of the group to discuss sustainable mobility solutions in peak-demand and touristic areas and will continue working this autumn through bilateral and online sessions.