SCALE-UP & MOVE21 Close with Key Achievements for Mobility in Europe
SCALE-UP & MOVE21 project partners at the Final Event
After two days of insightful discussions and knowledge exchange, the final joint event of the EU-funded projects SCALE-UP and MOVE21 came to a close. The event Next Steps Towards Cities as Green and Connected Nodes for Urban Mobility on 1 -2 April 2025 brought together more than 158 participants who explored the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from the two EU-projects.
On 1 April, the event opened with warm welcomes from Tiina Ruohonen, Project Coordinator for MOVE21 and Senior Adviser at the Office of the Governing Mayor of Oslo, and Michiel Penne, Project Coordinator for SCALE-UP and Coordinator of Smart Ways to Antwerp. The two project coordinators highlighted the importance of cooperation and knowledge-sharing in accelerating green, seamless and inclusive mobility in cities across Europe.
The first session of Day 1, under the title “Navigating and governing complex urban mobility topics from the perspective of functional urban areas and urban nodes” delved into the complex layers of urban mobility governance—what was referred to as the “governance lasagna”. Koen Kennis, Deputy Mayor of the City of Antwerp highlighted the importance of cross-border mobility strategies, stating that “mobility does not stop at national borders”. Kennis also shared insights on how Antwerp further developed its 2030 route plan (SUMP) through the SCALE-UP project, working closely with partners to ensure alignment and cohesion.
Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director-General for Investment, Innovative & Sustainable Transport at the European Commission (DG MOVE) stressed the pivotal role that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) play, describing them as a crucial link between local ambitions and regional strategies. Henrik Zetterquist, Analyst at the Swedish Transport Administration, added that in order to engage in discussion beyond cities it is important to separate between process and product, and noted that the national levels need to have a keener ear towards the regional and local levels.
The second session of the day, titled “Priorities for Urban Mobility and Logistics in the Coming Years”, addressed urban mobility and logistics priorities in Europe. Marit Kristine Vea, Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport in Oslo, presented Oslo’s commitment to scaling up green mobility initiatives and reducing emissions while also creating an inclusive city where people are prioritised over vehicles. Eugenio Patanè, Deputy Mayor for Mobility in Rome, shared how Rome aligns its SUMP and SULP strategies by developing 80 environmental islands which are dedicated areas to reduce emissions and enhance liveability in Rome.
Lola Ortiz, General Director of Mobility Planning and Infrastructure at Madrid City Council showcased how Madrid is leveraging mobility planning, not only to improve transport, but also to boost air quality and energy efficiency. Sylvain Haon, Senior Director of Strategy and Transformation at UITP concluded by emphasizing that the key challenge ahead is supporting cities through the climate transition, particularly via digital innovation, workforce development, and moving from planning to real-world implementation. No sooner said than done.
Yannick Bousse, Project Adviser at CINEA during Welcome Speech on Day 2
The next sessions during the first day of the event discussed how to move from political goals and priorities to real-world implementation. It also saw sessions devoted to the development of different types of mobility hubs, transit points and mobility hotels. The first day was rounded off with a conversation on identified gaps and needs – important topics for any future endeavours on the topics covered by MOVE21 and SCALE-UP. The second day of the event was devoted to technical presentations and discussions on the main results from both projects. All in all, more than 14 sessions and 60 speakers ensured wide dissemination and attention on the impacts of both projects.
The legacy of both projects will continue to resonate through innovative ideas, tools, measures, policymaking and commercialised products and partnerships that have been created since the projects started in 2021.
In the words of Yannick Bousse, Project Adviser at CINEA:
-Let’s keep up the momentum to accelerate innovation and scale up solutions to make sustainable urban mobility a reality for all!
The proceedings and pictures of both days are now available.
All pictures were taken by Rikke Dahl Monsen.