The Policy Committee proudly highlights the 10-year anniversary of the successful operation of the Network, which has established itself as the largest, most active and most successful of all CIVINET networks. The anniversary was marked by a very successful three-day meeting in Ljubljana. We would like to thank the City of Ljubljana for the excellent hosting and contribution in organizing the central meeting of the Network in 2023, which was attended by over 150 participants.
The Policy committee thanks the coordinator, the City of Zagreb, for supporting the work and contributingto the implementation of the Network’s activities. We would also like to thank ODRAZ, which has performed the tasks of the Secretariat with enthusiasm and dedication to the mission of the Network for all these ten years.
The Policy committee expresses its satisfaction with the activities of the Network in 2023 as all planned activities were successfully implemented. In addition to the meeting in Ljubljana, a two-day CIVINET Forum was held in Sarajevo, which dealt with climate neutral cities. The second summer school was held in Šibenik – continuation of cooperation with faculties and students, future decision makers – as a good way to involve young people in reflection about sustainable mobility. The interdisciplinary approach proved to be rewarding. The Committee is satisfied that, despite the reduced amount of co-financing from CIVITAS, the financial structure has been closed and the summer school is being organized again this year, in 2024.
Last year – 2023 was also fruitful with other events, from webinars to study visits and active participation in various conferences. We also highlight the manual “National support for the development of sustainable urban mobility plans” prepared by ODRAZ in cooperation with members of the Network. Cooperation with other CIVINET networks also continued, thereby increasing the possibilities for additional activities and a wider range of funding sources. The quality of the activities carried out is confirmed by the continuous increase in the number of members –
from 219 at the beginning of the last year the Network ended with a total of 231 members.
At the end of 2023, a survey was conducted among the members to gain an insight into which topics are important to our members and how to plan activities in accordance with their needs. In addition, as in previous years, the Network continues to inform about relevant and new EU documents and regulations (related to sustainable mobility, but also climate neutrality). For the implementation of the New EU Urban Mobility Framework, an Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM) was formed, whose activities the Network will continue to follow. In February 2024, the first set of recommendations was published, aimed at prioritizing public transport and the necessary changes to make transport more inclusive.
We certainly remain committed to implementing the UN’s 17 global sustainable development goals (SDGs). Cities have a decisive role in developing pragmatic and future-oriented solutions for the challenges ahead – and urban mobility is a key topic that strongly affects the everyday life of citizens. In documents, the European Commission proposes to focus on active and shared mobility based on low and zero emission solutions, in order to ensure the transition to safe, accessible, inclusive, smart and resilient urban mobility bnwith zero emissions. At the same time, special attention should be paid to public transport, multimodality and infrastructure for active mobility.
The Policy committee sees the role of CIVINET in the further promotion of the European urban mobility policy and other relevant documents, the collection of data on the challenges of implementing these policies, the connection with CIVITAS research projects and the transfer of good practice. When defining activities in 2024, the activities of the CIVITAS initiative, the goals of the European Commission in the field of mobility, but also the need to look at the wider picture – including rural areas and paying attention to small and medium-sized cities as well as achieving climate neutrality – will be taken into account. The results of the previously mentioned survey were also taken into account: public transport, integration, shared mobility, SUMPs for small and medium-sized cities, urban-rural connections, interdisciplinarity and inclusion of all stakeholders.
The Policy committee believes that by further positioning the Network as a relevant source of information and a creator of new ideas in the field of mobility and spatial planning, it is possible to systematically act on the main perceived problems: the lack of a systematic approach to the design of public spaces and mobility solutions that deal with the needs of citizens and at the same time take into account impact on the environment. Changing the existing paradigm “predict and ensure” to “decide and ensure” in combination with the necessary change in the behavior of citizens and other stakeholders are the main challenges.
In addition, the need to adapt solutions to the local context with the aim of increasing the acceptance and quality of implemented (necessary) reforms is of great importance. All of the above is aimed at achieving the vision of the Network and the areas in which the Network operates.
Velika Gorica, 5 April 2024
European Green Deal, The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans , Communication “Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy – putting European transport on track for the future”, Fit for 55%, The New EU Urban Mobility Framework, Long-term vision for rural Europe until 2040 and Communication “A new growth plan for the Western Balkans”.