European Commission honours Malmö and Brussels as leaders in sustainable mobility

Posts 22 Mar 2017

The European Commision has announced the winners of the European Sustainable Urban Mobility Awards at a ceremony held in Brussels.

Malmö won the European Mobility Week Award for its long-term focus on encouraging walking and cycling, while Brussels scooped the fifth Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP) for its freight strategy.

European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, and Daniel Calleja, Director General of DG Environment, made the honours at a ceremony this week (20 March 2017) in Brussels.

Malmö

Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city, has been promoting active forms of travel, by prioritising pedestrians and cyclists. Among its measures include the conversion of a major shopping area into a car-free zone, and a bike-sharing scheme offering 500 bicycles across 50 stations. The jury also noted Malmö’s partnerships with local businesses and strong public communication.

Bragging time: Malmö has won the European Mobility Week Award for "its long-term focus on walking and cycling"! https://t.co/eKyN2xxTc0 pic.twitter.com/9R3T0nvfYW

— Malmotown (@Malmotown) March 21, 2017

Brussels

Brussels, meanwhile, has been integrating its freight transport with passenger mobility strategy. The city, home to 1.18 million, has been working with private sector initiatives to improve urban logistics, and increasing the use of consolidation centres to boost efficiency and reduce the distances travelled.

And the winner of the 5th SUMP Award is… #Brussels! Congratulations to the Belgian capital!

— EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK (@mobilityweek) March 20, 2017

Runner ups

Malmö and Brussels saw off competition from other finalists Lisbon, Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia, Budapest and Stockholm.

Lisbon made the shortlist for increasing the public space available to pedestrians, while car-pooling in Skopje has helped its residents save money and protect the environment.

European Mobility Week

The European Mobility Week award celebrates the municipal authorities that demonstrate significant efforts in promoting sustainable urban mobility. The 15th edition of European Mobility Week took place from 16 to 22 September 2016. An independent panel of mobility and transport experts selected three finalists out of a total of 63 applications from 23 different countries.

Transport is responsible for around a quarter of all the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, is a major source of air pollution and contributes to ill-health and respiratory problems. The European Commission aims to boost support to cities in their quest to tackle such issues.

https://twitter.com/mobilityweek/status/843853994820845570

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