Innovation in Urban Mobility at its Peak at the Third SCALE-UP General Assembly in Turku
SCALE-UP Project Partners at the General Assembly at the meeting venue EduCity of the University of Applied Sciences Turku (TUAS) in the City of Turku (Finland).
On 11-13 June 2014, the SCALE-UP project consortium partners gathered at the EduCity campus of the University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) in the City of Turku (Finland) for the third General Assembly & Annual Event showcasing the advancements and measures completed within the SCALE-UP project, which focuses on upscaling urban mobility in European Urban Nodes from an urban level, via the functional urban node all the way up to the TEN-T level.
Representatives of five of the seven SCALE-UP Felllow Cities (from left to right: Netwerkstad Twente (The Netherlands), Riga (Latvia), Turin (Italy), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Eurocities, Belgrade (Serbia))
The three-day gathering served as a unique opportunity for SCALE-UP partners to unite & exchange insights across the mobility measures tested in the 3 SCALE-UP Urban Nodes - Antwerp (Belgium), Madrid (Spain) and Turku (Finland) - before entering the fourth and final year of the EU-funded project and initiating the evaluation process of all measures deployed.
Additionally, SCALE-UP partners welcomed representatives of five of the seven SCALE-UP Fellow Cities for the first time in person to exchange with them important insights & key learnings. They engaged in discussions, sharing best practices, innovative solutions and strategic approaches to common challenges towards urban mobility.
Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Dr Elina Rantanen (City of Turku) at the Welcome Session
On Tuesday 11 June 2024, the General Assembly kicked off with the Annual Event and the participation of all SCALE-UP consortium and some of the representatives from the SCALE-UP Fellow Cities.
Dr Elina Rantanen, Vice-Mayor of the City of Turku, welcomed all participants to the Annual Event and General Assembly. During her introductory keynote speech, she highlighted the importance of the City of Turku participating in the project as one of the three Urban Nodes and how the measures are shaping a more sustainable, safe and inclusive transport system for its citizens.
Following the keynote speech, Mr Michiel Penne, Coordinator of Smart Ways to Antwerp from the Project Coordinator City of Antwerp, provided an overview of the SCALE-UP project and the measures developed so far.
During Roundtable 1, titled “Developing travel chains, crossing modes of transport and municipal borders“, participants discussed the integration of diverse modes of transport to create seamless travel chains. Turku’s ongoing efforts include reviving tram traffic as an additional mode of transport and the expansion of the public transport system overall. Dr Elina Rantanen, Vice-Mayor of the City of Turku, presented the City’s targets for 2029, emphasising the importance of improving rail connections, winter mobility and enhancing inclusive mobility for children and vulnerable groups. Mrs Silke Lamoen, Communication Consultant from the City of Antwerp, emphasised the need for social pressure and infrastructure changes to make cities more cycling and walking-friendly. Moreover, Mrs Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson, PhD Candidate at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), explained the benefits of the proximity-based planning models, like the 15-minute city concept by walking or cycling. Additionally, Mr Heikki Saarento, Planning Director of the Council of Southwest Finland, noted significant changes since the project's inception, particularly in the role of regional trains in offering alternatives to state-level planning.
Mr Roelof Hellemans (MaaS Alliance) Highlighting the Need to Rethink MaaS
Mr Roelof Hellemans, Secretary General at MaaS Alliance, held a second keynote speech and addressed the need to rethink Mobility as a Service (MaaS). He presented the current challenges Europe is facing, such as including GDPR compliance, data ownership, and the fragmentation of mobility services across different modes of transport. Moreover, the concept of a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) for mobility data was discussed as a potential future solution.
During the Roundtable 2, titled “Bringing MaaS to life – increasing acceptance and engagement with mobility platforms”, participants discussed future trends in mobility apps and user behaviour. Mr Stijn Vernaillen, Expert MaaS and Mobility Data at the City of Antwerp, highlighted the need for market apps with detailed information. Mrs Stella Aaltonen, Project Manager from the City of Turku, discussed the challenge of attracting service providers to smaller cities, like Turku, emphasising the importance of seamless mobility that meets the needs of individuals. Mrs Anna Rettenmayr-Perras, Project Manager at Hacon, shared successes in integrating data from various service providers, with a future focus on tailoring services to users. Mr Giuseppe Chiantera, Technical Responsible for the City of Turin - a SCALE-UP Fellow City -, noted Italy's high levels of car ownership at 65% and high pollution levels. Furthermore, he shared with the audience the central Italian government’s initiative to centralise mobility data. Mr Hellemans stressed that cities should lead the MaaS movement and develop new business models for high-quality data.
Following the Annual Event, two parallel site visits in the City of Turku took place to see and investigate the local mobility measures developed within the SCALE-UP project in Turku. They explored bus e-solutions, park-and-ride facilities and recharging points aimed at enhancing public transportation in the city of Turku and also explored bicycle solutions by Fölläri city bikes, in an attempt to promote cycling as a sustainable mode of transport.
The day was wrapped up with a social dinner provided by the city of Turku, allowing all participants to get together in a relaxed atmosphere and try local Finnish cuisine.
Wednesday, 12 June 2024
The second day of the General Assembly started with a second set of site visits, offering participants a firsthand look at innovative mobility solutions developed in the City throughout the project. Highlights included a visit to the children e-bus initiative, aimed at improving urban transportation for youth, and exploration of a dedicated bike track used to improve cycling skills of school children. Participants also gained insights into the Sustainable Urban Logistics Plan (SULP) initiative, shaping the city's future mobility landscape, and engaged in discussions on upcoming mobility challenges and opportunities.
Later on the same day, an interactive workshop focused on lessons learned and upscaling strategies took place, where each Urban Node showcased its developed measures. Emphasising the importance of cross-sector cooperation, participants discussed how collaborative efforts are pivotal in addressing complex urban issues. The workshop concluded with a process evaluation session, led by Transport & Mobility Leuven (TML) together with the evaluation team of the project and facilitated by Eurocities. During the evaluation process, SCALE-UP consortium partners shared insights gained and brainstormed on enhancing implementation strategies across various fields.
Thursday, 13 June 2024
The final day of the meeting began with a workshop session led by the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), highlighting strategies for horizontal integration across the three Urban Nodes to enhance efficiency and collaboration. Following this, Ecorys, another SCALE-UP Consortium partner, presented strategies for vertical integration, promoting holistic and coordinated approaches to urban development and sustainability.
The day concluded with a rehearsal meeting for the interim review meeting with CINEA in the following week involving Project Coordinator City of Antwerp, Technical Coordinator ETRA, and all Work Package leaders of SCALE-UP, aimed at reviewing the project progress to date and preparing for the final year ahead.
In its final year, the SCALE-UP project remains committed to fostering sustainable, multimodal, and inclusive transport systems for cities across Europe and focusses on evaluating and analysing the mobility measures impacts from the previous years to facilitate replication and uptake to define its legacy.
Preparations are now underway for the SCALE-UP project's final event that will showcase all milestones achieved and measures implemented within this four-year project!
The final event will take place on 1 & 2 April 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
Author: Eftychia Koliou, Smart Transportation Alliance (STA)
Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter “SCALE-UP In Action” and be the first to receive updates on our work & hear of upcoming events and milestones.