4th Florence Urban Transport Forum. Sustainable Urban Mobility: A Case for Regulation?

Sustainability plays an increasingly important role in organising urban mobility, and many cities are taking own approaches in promoting more sustainable travel patterns. At the European level ‘indirect’ tools, such as Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) or directives on fuel quality and air quality, try to steer the development. In addition, the European Union recognises the importance of sustainable mobility in its planned Urban Mobility Package.

Advocates of a more sustainable lifestyle attribute urban public transport a pivotal role when it comes to lowering pollution and congestions. But are the challenges and aspirations of sustainable urban transport in any way different from the earlier challenges for urban public transport? Or is it simply a new opportunity to gain more support for the traditional goal of increasing the modal share in favour of public transport?

Stakeholders from operators, authorities, the European Commission, associations and academics will identify and discuss the main challenges of sustainable urban mobility. Further, they will determine if and how public transport authorities should become active, and debate mechanisms to reach clean transport patterns. Participants will address, among others, following guiding questions:

• Sustainable Urban Mobility: New challenges or a new label for old problems?
• Are legal requirements about fuels, air quality and pollutants simplifying or complicating the organisation of public transport?
• Are ‘access restriction schemes’ a suitable tool to promote green transport? Are there best practices, which should be harmonised and followed across Europe?
• How can urban public transport contribute to the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP)? And can the SUMP contribute to increase the modal share of urban public transport?

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European Transport Regulation Observer

Summary of the Presentations