Early insights and lessons learned - EUI Policy Lab on integrated and active mobility

The EUI Policy Lab on Integrated and Active Mobility helps cities put the EU’s vision for cleaner, healthier, and more liveable urban areas into action. Focusing on walking, cycling use, among others, the Lab brings together lessons from previous projects from the European Urban Initiative (EUI), Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), the Urban Agenda for the EU and URBACT

The aim of the Policy Lab is to translate high-level European policy goals into practical, evidence-based solutions that help cities integrate active mobility into their transport systems. By drawing on real-world experiences, the Lab seeks to understand what truly works when implementing walking, cycling, and public transport measures. The resulting policy recommendations will provide cities across Europe with concrete guidance for replication, scaling, and long-term impact.

We know what needs to be done and why. In this study, we’re looking at the «how».

The Policy Lab began in August 2025 with a review of 67 projects involving 157 cities across Europe. Focusing on active and integrated mobility, the analysis identified examples of innovation, success, and potential for replication. From this, 30 cities were shortlisted and invited to complete a detailed questionnaire.

Based on their responses, 11 cities were selected for in-depth case study interviews: Brussels, Coimbra, Faenza, Groningen, Hradec Králové, Lahti, Ljubljana, Lyon, Sofia, Turku, and Viladecans.

The selection focused on policy integration, behavioural change, data use, success and satisfaction, learning potential, and the ability to overcome real barriers.

Each city contributes a distinctive lesson:

• Policy integration: Coimbra, Ljubljana, and Lyon embed walking and cycling in long-term mobility strategies.
• Behavioural innovation: Lahti introduced a carbon trading scheme for mobility, Viladecans implemented a school “bike bus”, and Turku gamified school mobility initiatives.
• Smart data use: Hradec Králové and Ljubljana apply digital platforms and automated counters to guide active mobility planning.
• High impact: Sofia, Lyon, and Lahti report strong results in satisfaction and upscaling potential.
• Learning value: Each case offers transferable lessons: from Groningen’s multimodal framework to Faenza’s urban–rural cycling links.
• Addressing real barriers: The cases reflect real challenges, making them credible examples for EU-wide learning.

Together, these cities provide a solid evidence base to understand what enables active mobility to grow from isolated initiatives into integrated, citywide systems.

The first results from the interviews conducted under the Policy Lab reveal both common challenges and shared success factors in advancing integrated and active mobility. While cities differ in size, governance, and context, many face similar obstacles - and those who have progressed often share the same enablers.

Common Challenges

Cities frequently struggle with fragmented responsibilities and limited resources. Departments tend to work independently, focusing on their own objectives, while financial and human capacity constraints slow progress. Resistance to behavioural change, regulatory barriers, and lack of continuity between projects also remain major hurdles.

Common Success Factors

At the same time, certain ingredients consistently underpin successful action:

• Political leadership and commitment that sustain progress beyond electoral cycles.
• A clear strategic framework aligning goals across departments.
• Technical expertise to translate vision into implementation.
• Cross-departmental cooperation within the municipality.
• Access to external funding to maintain momentum.

Interestingly, many success factors mirror the barriers: communication, cooperation, resources, regulation, political support, policy frameworks, and expertise can enable or hinder progress depending on how they are managed.

Integrated planning and political support

Embedding active mobility in broader strategies strengthens impact.

• Lyon: Vision Zero, low-speed streets and pedestrian zones reallocate space around schools.
• Coimbra: Cycle lanes and pedestrianisation enhance links with the new metro-bus system.
• Brussels: Improved cycling infrastructure and parking enable the uptake of cargo bikes.
• Sofia: On-demand e-buses complement city-wide low-emission zones and tariff reforms.
• Groningen: Traffic signals prioritise walking and cycling, with timing designed for vulnerable users.

Engagement

Successful cities place people at the centre of their strategies.

• Work with schools as key partners in awareness and dissemination.
• Empower teenagers to share their perspective on how they use public space.
• Use existing networks and collaborate with stakeholders who know how to reach target groups.

Behavioural change

Promoting lasting change requires a holistic approach.

• Address current and future habits - as Lyon noted, shaping children’s travel choices means shaping tomorrow’s citizens.
• Combine multiple tools and start small before scaling up.
• Use existing frameworks and European initiatives - such as Ljubljana’s use of European Mobility Week and Green Capital awards - to sustain engagement.
• Behaviour change takes time.

Image

Data as a catalyst

Data supports smarter decisions and continuous improvement.

• Lyon used crash data to identify and protect vulnerable age groups.
• Coimbra leverages movement data to optimise street use and delivery schedules.
• Groningen combines sensor and app data to fill cycling network gaps.
• Sofia employs user research and app data to refine its on-demand transport system.
• Ljubljana integrates surveys, complaint data and proxies such as ad-panel impressions to estimate footfall in shared spaces.

Evaluation

Evaluation ensures lasting impact and learning across projects.
Cities increasingly embed monitoring and evaluation before, during, and after implementation, combining quantitative and qualitative data, aligning it with policy KPIs, and scaling successful measures based on user satisfaction and outcomes.

The initial findings of the Policy Lab were presented at the EU City Lab on Active Mobility, held in Hamburg on 28–29 October 2025 and co-organised with URBACT. The event gathered city representatives, policymakers, and mobility experts to discuss results, share experiences, and identify ways to scale up active mobility.

Events highlights:

An inspiring two-day event full of exchange, ideas, and real-life examples of how cities are making walking and cycling part of everyday life. Participants experienced hands-on learning, from city showcases to immersive site visits across Hamburg.

The event opened with welcoming words from Christoph Holstein, State Secretary at the Hamburg Ministry for the Interior and Sports, who emphasised the strong link between active mobility - walking and cycling, and an active, healthy lifestyle in cities. This introduction set the scene for the keynote and panel discussion, Moving differently, living better: The active mobility revolution. Marianne Weinreich, active mobility expert, highligted that active mobility enables LIFE – Liveable, Inclusive, Free, and Engaged cities. She highlighted that when cities are designed to be liveable, they prioritise people; when they are inclusive, everyone can move safely; when they are free, communities benefit from less noise, pollution and inactivity; and when they are engaged, they foster stronger connections between people and their urban environment.

Active Mobility Gallery: Learning from City to City

Cities including Brussels, Faenza, Turku, Coimbra, Pombal, Varaždin, and Hamburg presented posters showcasing innovative active mobility projects from EUI, UIA and URBACT, highlighting local actions, lessons learned, and transferability to other contexts.

Image

Image

After the morning full of exchanges and inspiring ideas, participants embarked to see real world examples across Hamburg.

Dialoghaus “Dialog im Dunkeln” Workshop

Guided by visually impaired hosts, participants navigated urban spaces without sight; an eye-opening experience revealing what accessibility, trust, and orientation truly mean when navigating the city and designing mobility services.

Image

EUI Innovative Action: CUSTOM Project

Exploring inclusive mobility through a digital accessibility app that supports independent travel for people with disabilities. Attendees tested the app during a walk through Hamburg’s streets.

Image

Image

Hamburg’s Walkable City Centre

A look into Hamburg’s transformation toward a car-free core. Around Jungfernstieg, streets once dominated by cars now prioritise pedestrians and cyclists -showcasing successful collaboration for urban liveability.

Image

Image

Connecting walking with public transport

Through a persona exercise, participants stepped into the shoes of different user groups to explore how Hamburg links public transport and pedestrian areas to create seamless, walkable routes and more accessible stations.

Image

As a conclusion to the City Lab in Hamburg, the discussions from the Active Mobility Gallery: Cities leading the way, offered valuable lessons from cities across Europe.

• In Brussels case, discussions focused on behavioural change, accessibility, intermodality, and the reallocation of urban space. The city’s communication efforts towards families and incentives such as tax breaks for carbo bikes sparked reflection on how to expand participation while ensuring inclusive and measurable outcomes.
• The Varaždin discussions highlighted how smaller cities face distinct challenges and opportunities. Political commitment, especially from the mayor, was recognised as a key strength driving small-scale but effective interventions. Tailoring measures to local realities proved essential for success.
• Pombal’sconversation centered on behavioural change and the city’s ongoing effort to shift away from a deeply rooted car culture. The exchange in Pombal highlighted a clear awareness of cultural and economic barriers and the need for transparent communication, equitable access, and intergenerational inclusivity.
• Turku: Conversations addressed behavioural change, safety, and intermodality. Issues such as bus lane use, mixed commuting for students, and road safety during winter underscored the need for year-round planning and operational flexibility.
• Faenza: The city stood out for its participatory approach and creative engagement methods. Feedback mechanisms and gamification were viewed as powerful tools to encourage citizen involvement and enhance safety.
• Coimbra: The discussion focused on data-informed planning. The city’s strategic use of data was recognised as a foundation for developing inclusive, adaptive, and evidence-based mobility services.
• Hamburg: Exchanges revolved around behavioural change, accessibility, and data management. Participants questioned whether city administrations have the technical capacity to manage large data volumes and explored time-restricted car-free zones around schools as a potential solution for space reallocation.

Beyond the city-specific discussions, several insights emerged from the exchanges, offering valuable reflections on how European cities are advancing sustainable and inclusive mobility:

• Behaviour Change: changing mobility behaviour remains a challenge due to entrenched habits and the persistent “car mentality.” Everyday routines, convenience, and cost barriers make transition difficult. Yet, cities showed that with clear communication, local engagement, and realistic planning, resistance can gradually turn into participation.
• Accessibility & Inclusion: Faenza, as part of the Econnecting URBACT network demonstrated that accessibility grows through participation. By co-designing mobility solutions with citizens, young people, and employers, the city fostered ownership and engagement. Combining digital tools with human interaction proved essential to reach diverse groups and make inclusion a shared responsibility.
• Intermodality & Modal Shift: Pombal illustrated how behavioural change depends on infrastructure readiness. Long-term progress requires aligning infrastructure, culture, and communication so that sustainable modes become the natural choice.
• Urban–Rural Linkages: the connection between cities and their surrounding regions is often weakened by infrequent services and limited data. Turku’s regional plan showed how integrating ticketing, bike sharing, and design standards across municipalities can strengthen cohesion. Similarly, Coimbra’s use of regional data from 19 cities demonstrated how collaboration at scale can guide smarter investment.
• Public Space Reallocation & Low-Traffic Zones: successful space reallocation depends on communication, inclusion, and visible local benefits. Cities that integrate community anchors - such as cafés, workshops, or public seating—avoid gentrification and foster acceptance. Gradual implementation and transparent communication help residents adapt and embrace low-traffic environments.
• Safety: it was a recurring theme across cities. In Faenza, improvements emerged through co-creation rather than enforcement, while Brussels’ Vision Zero approach combined a 30 km/h citywide limit, strict monitoring, and safety audits for all new infrastructure. Both examples showed that real safety relies on inclusive design and data-informed collaboration.

The next phase of the Policy Lab continues with a series of online focus groups, designed to validate and enrich the initial findings, foster peer learning, and engage the wider urban mobility community.

The first webinar, “Under the Surface: The Infrastructure and Systems Powering Active Mobility” (10 November 2025), took place earlier this month and explored how cities improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency through infrastructure and operational measures.

Up next, the second webinar “Shifting Mindsets: Behavioural and Inclusive Pathways to Active Mobility” (21 November 2025) will focus on behavioural change and inclusion. Exploring how communication, participation, and equitable access can drive a long-term cultural shift towards walking, cycling, and other active modes.
👉 Register here: Shifting mindsets: Behavioural and inclusive pathways to active mobility | EUI

The final report, to be published in March 2026, will compile case studies and provide practical, evidence-based policy recommendations to help cities accelerate active mobility within integrated transport systems. All outputs will be available through PORTICO, the EUI’s knowledge and learning platform, supporting authorities in turning European policy goals into tangible action.

An accompanying e-course will allow city representatives to explore best practices, deepen their understanding of active mobility strategies, and gain guidance for implementing effective measures in their own cities.