The European Commission has announced the winners of the 2012 European Mobility Week Award and of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Award. The cities were presented with their awards by European Commissioners Siim Kallas and Janez Potočnik at a joint award ceremony in Brussels, Belgium (Théâtre du Vaudeville) on 6 March.
Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport, said: “Aberdeen, the winner of this year's Sustainable Urban Mobility Award, and the other finalists are at the forefront of an EU-wide drive to incorporate sustainability into urban mobility planning. The urban mobility plans devised by cities and local authorities today are crucial to boosting efficiency and competitiveness. In line with the 2012 theme, the finalists boast a strong role for citizens– a key factor in long-term urban planning success.”
Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “By organising a range of activities focused on sustainable mobility, cities competing for the European Mobility Week Award are making a tangible contribution to creating a more sustainable Europe. Such efforts will educate, inform and more importantly, inspire more people and cities incorporate sustainability in their everyday lives.”
A standard European format
European Mobility Week (EMW) 2012 award winner Zagreb (Croatia) is a rising star in the field of sustainable urban mobility. The city won the award for its well-organised campaign to promote the week, a strong link with the 2012 theme (’Moving in the right direction’) and 62 separate activities involving more than 150 000 citizens. The Croatian capital turned European Mobility Week into a week-long celebration: citizens took part in urban fitness and educational sessions, rode vintage trams, visited cycle information centres and helped redesign public parking facilities for bicycles. The environmental benefits of the week were measured by monitoring air quality and noise intensity and through setting up health check points throughout the city.
Aberdeen is a city of around 220 000 inhabitants with strong oil and farming sectors, a good deal of heavy goods traffic and heavy reliance on the private car. Aberdeen’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan addresses social, integration, safety, environmental and economic objectives and includes a focus on sustainable transport. The Plan is being developed in close consultation with citizens and stakeholders and features open workshops, surveys, a promotional campaign and an innovative social media/online presence. Almost 500 people completed online surveys, and accounts on Facebook and Twitter helped citizens contribute directly to the development of the plan.
Zagreb edged EMW finalists Gävle (Sweden) and Östersund (Sweden) to claim the 2012 Award. Find out more about the EMW finalists here.
Aberdeen took the top honour in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Award ahead of two other finalists: Ljutomer (Slovenia) and Toulouse (France). Find out more about the three finalists here.
Background
The European Mobility Week (EMW) Award scheme rewards the local authority deemed to have done the most in raising public awareness of sustainable mobility issues and implementing measures to achieve a shift towards sustainable urban transport. The winning city is chosen by an independent panel of transport experts who assess all eligible applications and shortlist 10 local authorities which they consider to have performed outstandingly well. The winning city is awarded the chance to work with a professional production company to film a three-minute promotional clip highlighting its achievements. Together with the other finalists, the winner is also promoted as an example of best practice. In 2012 the EMW Award saw 30 applications from 15 countries.
The annual Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Award is presented to cities and regions that show excellence in developing and implementing their sustainable urban mobility plans. SUMPs are devised by local authorities and define measures to tackle the urban mobility challenges of both today and the future. In 2012, the thematic focus of the Award was on ‘stakeholder and citizen participation.’ The winning local authority is selected by an expert jury on the basis of the Award’s evaluation and eligibility criteria, and rewarded with EUR 10 000 to support local awareness-raising activities on sustainable urban mobility. The 2012 SUMP Award attracted 29 applications from 12 countries.
More information:
For more about European Mobility Week see: http://www.mobilityweek.eu/
For more about Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans see: http://www.mobilityplans.eu/
Source : © European Union, 1995-2013
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Extra info :
European Mobility Award 2012 Winner: Zagreb, Croatia
Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Award Winner: Aberdeen City Council