EMBRACER speaks at sustainable mobility webinar
On 26 November 2024, the Policy Learning Platform hosted the second episode of the webinar series 'Active Mobility', focusing on "integrating walking into mobility and transport policy", and involving 100 participants.
The webinar included Interreg Europe good practices, and EMBRACER was among the speakers, represented by Sheba Nair, Tampere University, Finland, explaining more how the city of Tampere is promoting walking in the SUMP.
Active mobility, including walking and cycling, plays a crucial role in building a low-carbon transport system. It helps reduce carbon emissions, cut air pollution, and ease traffic congestion, while also improving urban mobility and public health through physical activity.
The Keynote speech by Jim Walker, Walk21 (STEP-UP) on integrating walking into transport and mobility policy opened the webinar. How to promote walking? Thinking about places is the answer: everyone should be able to walk regularly, in a safe condition both to improve mobility system and health at the same time. The real sustainable transport should be made of the combination of walking and public transport.
Sheba Nair, Tampere University, Finland (EMBRACER) told how the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) in Tampere, aims to transform the city's transport system to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. It prioritizes reducing car dependency by enhancing public transport, cycling, and walking, with a goal of 69% of trips covered by these modes. The promotion of walking initiatives started since 2021 when the SUMP was approved, and the city has a budget of 50 ME to support this type of activities aiming to expand the walking infrastructures, improve safety and accessibility, integrate public transport to ensure seamless travels.
Sofia Silvano & Pedro Flores, Sintra Municipality, Portugal (PROMOTER) explained about the Eixo Verde Azul/Green Blue Axis, a joint project involving the municipalities of Sintra, Oeiras, Amadora and Parques de Sintra Monte da Lua. The goal was to create an ecological and soft mobility corridor along the River Jamor stretching for more than 16 km, from the river’s source in the Serra da Carregueira to its estuary in Caxias. The Green and Blue Axis reflects a vision of the territory supported by multifunctional corridors. Corridors for the circulation of water, nature and people, in everyday life and leisure. This route intersects major transport links. Via a gentle path, almost always next to the water and in the midst of nature, this axis ensures continuity, promotes experience of spaces and suggests inducements to points of interest along the way. Natural engineering techniques were applied, placing value on nature and ecosystems.
Johannes Kellner, Business Agency Burgenland & Carlos Cañas, Walk21 (STEP-UP) shared the vision behind the STEP-UP’s Walkability App: a multipurpose tool that can be used as a participatory mapping tool, a walking interview and an expert audit tool.