Transforming European Metropolitan Regions. Smart mobility for better liveability

Transportation in urban areas, particularly metropolitan regions, generates congestion and vast greenhouse gas emissions, and thus imposes enormous challenges upon authorities in providing healthy living conditions and a supportive environment for businesses. Thus, the overall objective of the SMART-MR project was to support local and regional authorities in improving transport policies and providing sustainable measures for achieving resilient low-carbon transportation and mobility in metropolitan regions. To tackle this issue, ten project partners from eight metropolitan regions (Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Budapest, Ljubljana, Rome, Porto, and Barcelona) have shared their experience in transport and mobility planning by holding seven topically interrelated workshops. The goal of this publication is not to present all of the project results. It only focuses on the main lessons learned during the seven workshops. They are presented by following the Eight-Step Process for Leading Change (Kotter 1996): The starting point of the publication is climate change and the challenges it poses to metropolitan regions. By following available knowledge and our own experiences, we define participatory planning as an effective tool for joining forces in countering climate change, whereas creation and communication of a vision and strategy are logical following steps. Focused on mobility and land-use planning, we present short- and long-term wins in mobility planning, low-carbon logistics, transport management, and the sharing economy, and the development of and around transport nodes. By acknowledging the importance of integrated planning, we present activities and policy recommendations that can be combined uniquely in each metropolitan region to reduce climate change impacts, improve mobility, and enhance liveability.

The main message we wish to deliver is that alternatives to current unsustainable modes of behaviour already exist; what is missing is a willingness to make a change. It is hoped that this publication will help everyone make a decisive step.