MedCities has launched its thematic group on Sustainable Urban Mobility with a first series of online and physical initiatives aimed at fostering the exchange of knowledge and empowerment of the network’s city members. The first trimester of work will focus on active mobility, territorial connectivity, and electrification of public transport.

On the 26th October an online session with 15 representatives recalled the group’s goals and activity program and engaged the city members in a discussion about some of the most promising aspects of sustainable urban mobility in the Mediterranean region.

A technical visit was organised 7th to 9th November in Barcelona with the support and contribution of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). The first day the group of 7 cities (Agadir, Antalya, As Salt, Dubrovnik, Irbid, Limassol and Mersin), visited the headquarters of the AMB and held a meeting with AMB Sustainable Mobility department. The Metropolitan Urban Mobility Plan was presented, together with some of the very recent policies on active mobility and electrification of public transport. Before the lunch break, the group celebrated a first working session animated by the thematic expert Celia Corneil to identify the common challenges affecting their sustainable mobility plans and implementation. In the afternoon the group visited the Smart City World Congress Expo area.

The second day brought to life some of the measures heard the day before and started in Gava Trainstation with a visit to the Bicibox and Bicivia cycling way. Some members even tested and drove an electric bike part of the metropolitan sharing system (AMBici). In the afternoon, the group walked through one of Barcelona’s world-known SuperBlock and met for the group dinner later on. The visit ended with the participation of some of the city representatives to the Urban Transition Mission’s side event at the Tomorrow Mobility sessions inside the Smart City World Congress to give visibility to what Mediterranean cities are doing to achieve the shared goal of building greener, more sustainable and inclusive cities.

Indeed, the rationale behind the need for such a group within MedCities lies in the importance of supporting the city’s exchange and learning about the shift towards sustainable mobility. Mediterranean cities are currently testing and implementing projects to step out of a car-centered model and promote active mobility, public low-carbon transport, and create friendlier urban spaces, often facing opposition from various actors.

The 5th December an online session will pursue the discussions with an analysis of some of the common challenges the cities face when designing and implementing sustainable mobility policies. The year will wrap up with the publication of a short publications presenting the main conclusions of these first months of work and pave the way for the future activities.