Urban mobility days, Rome among the cities selected for having successfully implemented effective mobility plans in response to the emergency.
This year the European Commission organised, for the first time in digital form, the Urban mobility days conference, which saw, on the occasion of initiatives organised by Civitas, the network of more than 320 European cities engaged in innovative urban mobility projects, Rome among the cities selected as part of the Living lab initiative, which set out to reward those realities that have distinguished themselves through their exceptional commitment to promoting resilient and sustainable urban mobility in response to the Covid-19 emergency. The recognition took into account the efforts the Italian capital has deployed towards a form of mobility capable of maintaining physical distancing, through the promotion of pedestrian and cycling mobility, with a plan providing for the development of 150 kilometres of temporary cycle lanes, 20 of which have already been completed.
Also standing out for its commitment was the island of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which won the Civitas resilience title for its initiatives aimed at creating more space for pedestrians and cyclists and for having banned car access on the main streets at weekends. "In the difficult times we are facing, there are few opportunities to rejoice. That is why this award is so special," commented Jose Eduardo Ramirez, Councillor of the mobility department of the Spanish island. "We are proud that this European-level initiative has rewarded our efforts to improve people's lives through sustainable mobility."
The creation of numerous temporary pedestrian zones, the replacement of car parks with "parklets" — a temporary extension of the pavement that offers more space and services for people — the introduction of a shared electric scooter programme, and the closure of streets at weekends were the reasons behind the recognition awarded to the Portuguese city of Porto, which managed — as stated in the award's motivation — "to keep residents safe while at the same time preserving the vibrancy of its neighbourhoods and the survival of commercial activities." Among the motivations common to the awards given to all three cities is the resilience and boldness shown by governments and institutions in response to Covid-19, and for having been able to react to the health emergency by innovating mobility towards more sustainable models.
In addition to the recognition awarded by Civitas to the most virtuous cities, the Urban mobility days brought together contributions from numerous European communities engaged on the theme of urban mobility planning and innovation during this period of health emergency. This year's conference, with the eloquent title Zero emission mobility for all, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal (which sets the goal of making Europe a zero-emission continent by 2050), also placed resilience and sustainability at the heart of the proceedings which, together with the Covid-19 emergency, were the themes that catalysed the work of 2,000 experts including local policy makers, authorities, NGOs, researchers and other mobility professionals who, over four intensive days of discussion, kept the virtual debate alive on the most important issues of urban mobility in Europe.
Many cities have adapted their infrastructure and mobility plans to allow the movement of people and goods during the Covid-19 epidemic. And it was precisely on this theme that the conference focused this year's discussion — on resilience and the role of urban mobility during the pandemic. "This has been a challenging year for our cities," declared the European Commission's transport commissioner Adina Vălean. The Urban mobility days proceedings concluded with a hope, shared by all participants, that the actions taken during the emergency in favour of more sustainable mobility — often temporary in nature — will become permanent features of European cities, a precious opportunity to rethink urban spaces in order to make them safer, cleaner and more accessible.