Diffusing Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning in the EU

Abstract

This paper explores how the European Commission promotes the concept of Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP) among European cities. Despite the strong uptake of the SUMP concept, mobility-related problems persist in European municipalities. Linking theoretical approaches to understand the diffusion of policies with empirical findings from working with cities in the SUMP context, this article explores channels of policy diffusion and investigates shortcomings related to the respective approaches. Studies on the diffusion, the transfer and the convergence of policies identify formal hierarchy, coercion, competition, learning and networking, and the diffusion of international norms as channels for policy transfer. The findings which are presented in this paper are twofold: First, the paper finds evidence that the Commission takes different roles and uses all mechanisms in parallel, albeit with different intensity. It concludes that the approaches to explain policy diffusion are not competing or mutually exclusive but are applied by the same actor to address different aspects of a policy field, or to reach out to different actors. Second, the article provides first evidence of factors that limit the mechanisms’ abilities to directly influence urban mobility systems and mobility behaviour.

The Other Side of the (Policy) Coin: Analyzing Exnovation Policies for the Urban Mobility Transition in Eight Cities around the Globe

“…This is not a surprise, as the transport sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, urban air pollution, and land consumption, allowing for a strategic linkage of urban mobility with other policy areas, including environmental and health. Such policy integration questions traditional mobility planning approaches and objectives [7,13,33]. Hamburg's Climate Plan, for example, provides a "transition pathway" for the mobility transition, which includes measures to increase the modal share of public transport and active mobility (i.e., to reduce the share of car transport), or to phase out fossil fuel powered vehicles in public fleets; and European air quality legislation was the reason to implement access restrictions for diesel vehicles.…”

“…A survey among ca. 30 representatives of European cities, which had been conducted in the H2020 'SPROUT' project, confirmed this general tendency towards the implementation of innovation or pull measures [33]. Participants were asked to select those policy interventions that they have already implemented from a long list of ca.…”

Key Challenges in the Status Analysis for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan in Podgorica, Montenegro

“…About 74% of all Europeans in 2018 lived in urban areas and this percentage is expected to increase over the coming decades [5]. Population growth and the expansion of urban areas are increasing the demand for urban mobility, causing congestion, environmental, and social problems [6]. As a result, a large number of cities in the EU are facing serious environmental problems and a significant number of road accidents [6,7].…”

“…Population growth and the expansion of urban areas are increasing the demand for urban mobility, causing congestion, environmental, and social problems [6]. As a result, a large number of cities in the EU are facing serious environmental problems and a significant number of road accidents [6,7]. About 25% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe ordinate from the transport sector, and urban mobility is responsible for 23% of all transport-caused GHG emissions in the EU [6,8].…”

“…As a result, a large number of cities in the EU are facing serious environmental problems and a significant number of road accidents [6,7]. About 25% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe ordinate from the transport sector, and urban mobility is responsible for 23% of all transport-caused GHG emissions in the EU [6,8]. Forecasts show that these percentages will be doubled by 2050 in the case of a lack of appropriate strategic decisions and actions at all levels [2,9].…”