In this interview, Pia Primec, National Coordinator for EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK in Slovenia, shares insights on the challenges and successes in the campaign. She also reflects on her own experience in shifting mobility habits and the inspiring success of small municipalities like Solčava in making a meaningful contribution to sustainable mobility.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you ended up becoming a National Coordinator.

Before becoming National Coordinator, I was a Local Coordinator, so I understand how challenging it is to prepare and coordinate a campaign. I have to admit that when I started to work in sustainable mobility, I was using a car. I didn’t change my habits until I faced an illness, and I was away from work for more than half a year. Afterwards, I could see that waking up and facing a traffic jam was really challenging for me. That was the trigger I needed to change my mobility habits. Now, I’m using trains. The train stop is 35 mins walking distance to my office. But I do it anyway because I have noticed that I need this walk. It makes me feel ready to face work in the morning and then ready for my three small children in the afternoon. 

Mobility habits are something that need to be talked about. A co-worker supported me in the transition away from the car. We both took our bikes on the train and then rode together from the station to the office. I think having this support or guidance, especially right at the beginning, is very important. I see my role as the National Coordinator in a similar way. Guiding municipalities and showing that it is possible to make changes to our mobility habits.

How has the campaign in Slovenia changed since you joined?

I started in 2019, when there were 78 participating municipalities, and we now have 120! That’s roughly 65% of all the municipalities in the country. Overall, over 500 campaign activities were implemented, reaching more than 10% of the population of Slovenia. One change we have enacted is to really push decision makers to personally use sustainable transport modes so that they can experience how challenging it is to be a pedestrian or cyclist in their municipality. In this way, they can see where more effort and money need to be invested.

Did last year’s theme of ‘shared public space’ play a large role in your campaign activities?

Yes, I’m quite proud as we achieved our goal, which was the temporary pedestrianisation of public space normally used by cars. This happened in 50 municipalities and the transformation lasted for several days. Three municipalities even made a permanent transformation in favour of pedestrianisation. That’s a big success, because people are used to this kind of closure for single-day events. But if it lasts for a longer period, people start to ask questions and think about it more. In my perspective, this was the best part of our campaign this year.

Were there any other challenges or hurdles that you faced this year?

Yes, during the summer, our public transport agency implemented some infrastructure changes, which lasted into September, when children returned to schools. This created total chaos. And then, two weeks later, the campaign started. Our public transport system was not operating fully, but we were still promoting sustainable mobility - it was quite a challenge! But despite all this, the results were very positive. Without challenges the campaign would be boring!

What are your thoughts on Solčava receiving a special mention during the European Mobility Week award ceremony?

I was very surprised, but above all happy for them. Especially as it was a special category made just for them. I’m extremely proud of Solčava. It is a very small place, but the level of commitment and dedication shown by the organising team was wonderful to witness. They contacted every single inhabitant of the municipality to let them know about the activities, which is, of course, an approach that only small municipalities can do. But this personal approach was very successful and showed how even small towns and villages can actively participate in the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign. We hope that Solčava can inspire similarly sized municipalities, in Slovenia and beyond. 
  
Pia Primec has been the National Coordinator for Slovenia for EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK since 2019. She works in the Ministry of Infrastructure of Slovenia.

Learn more about EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK in Slovenia via the national campaign website. 

On 27 March, Bologna and Czech association Pěšky městem (Walk to School) won the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award and the MOBILITYACTION Award respectively, during a public award ceremony in Brussels. The awards were handed over  by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, and Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission, in the presence of around 150 city representatives, mobility practitioners and local campaigners.

Bologna won the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award for its efforts in making sustainable mobility concepts and activities more accessible to the public during the main week of the campaign. The city hosted a variety of information stands and educational activities, ending the events with a car-free day in the city’s historical and commercial centre. 

Anna Lisa Boni, Deputy Mayor of Bologna, shared her enthusiasm for receiving the prestigious EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award on stage, speaking proudly of her city’s transformative efforts, leading the way by permanently introducing 30 km/h zones on 70% of roads in the municipality. She remarked on the truly life-saving impact that such measures can have, dedicating the award to the 10 fewer people who lost their lives since the changes were enacted. 

“It’s hard work to transform your city into a more sustainable city and to shape public space that is really shared […]. It’s about the future for our children and making cities places which are worth living in […] so we are extremely proud and grateful to have received this award, because it really tells us that we are going in the right direction.”: Deputy Mayor of Bologna, Anna Lisa Boni.

Petra Syrová, Chair of Pěšky městem (Walk to School), received the MOBILITYACTION Award on behalf of the organisation. The association was recognised for its innovative approach towards encouraging parents and children to walk to school, promoting healthier and more environmentally friendly behaviour from a young age.  

Petra Syrová pointed out the growth in their ‘walk to school’ campaign, which started in 2017, with just three schools in Prague. The campaign now covers more than 500 schools from over 300 cities, towns and villages nationwide: 

“We are very grateful that our campaign was selected by the European Commission, so thank you very much. We know that it helps to open our streets in our cities to children. We help them to enjoy their walks to school, their everyday adventures and to grow through walking”: Petra Syrová, Chair of Pěšky městem. 

In addition to the two award winners, the small town of Solčava (Slovenia) also received a special mention during the ceremony. Solčava, with its 500 inhabitants, showcased that rural communities can play a vital role in encouraging greater use of public transport, having made remarkable efforts in engaging both senior and younger residents. 

Katarina Prelesnik, Mayor of Solčava, reflected that this is the most sparsely populated municipality in Slovenia and commented: “Distance has not separated us, quite the opposite. It has brought us closer and encouraged us to seek sustainable and innovative ways of sustainability. […] Participation in the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is motivation for the future. To keep thinking in a connected and green way.” 

Speeches by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, and by Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission, focused not only on the winners and finalists but on all those who came together to make the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign a success last year, celebrating the huge efforts of all participants in promoting better sustainable urban mobility and ensuring safer, greener and more accessible spaces for all.  

A highlight video of the award ceremony is available here.

Official photos from the event can be viewed here. 

Six finalists are in the running for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK and MOBILITYACTION awards. The awards seek to raise awareness on sustainable urban mobility and mobility management plans. Both awards celebrate activities implemented in 2024. The winners will be announced at an award ceremony hosted by the European Commission in Brussels on 27 March.

The nominees for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2024 are:

Bologna (Italy) for making sustainable mobility concepts and activities more accessible to the public. During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, the city hosted a variety of information stands and educational activities related to sustainable urban mobility plans and the transformation of public space. Many local private and citizen-led organisations were involved in the planning of events, which helped foster a sense of community ownership. Of particular note is also the Bologna 30 initiative, whereby 70% of roads in the municipality have been permanently transformed to 30 km/h zones. The week’s events ended with a car-free day in the city’s historical and commercial centre.

Braga (Portugal) for hosting a diverse range of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK activities, many of which were co-created with local residents. This year a strong emphasis was placed on increasing the capacity of politicians and urban mobility technicians to implement change. Other notable activities included the expansion of urban cycle paths, multiple school mobility projects and the transformation of Dom Pedro V Street into a shared public space. Two kiosks provided information on mobility projects to 14,500 residents throughout the main week. Braga, Portugal’s third largest city, won the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK award in 2022.

Leipzig (Germany) for a particularly impressive car-free day, closing off the inner-city ring road for 12 hours to hold activities involving the participation of around 25,000 people. The city hosted a full programme of activities during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, including public workshops, lectures and discussions, all with a clear focus on sustainable mobility. The ‘shared public space’ theme was reflected strongly, in the pedestrianisation of parts of the city and traffic-calming measures. Partnerships with DHL, Nextbike, Tink and ADFC resulted in the establishment of cargo bike rentals and other bicycle-related activities, raising awareness of this particular active mobility mode.

The nominees for the MOBILITYACTION Award 2024 are:

Associació Amics de Ca la Cileta del Palau d'Anglesola (El Palau d’Anglesola, Spain) for promoting an inclusive approach to street space during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, showcasing the coexistence between people of different ages and abilities. The project involved meetings between primary-school students and the elderly, creating an inter-generational bond linked to an exchange of knowledge on sustainable mobility. The activity, which also extends to other towns in the Pla d’Urgell region, encourages a vision of public space which is not dominated by cars but instead promotes mobility options that are sustainable and accessible to all, such as walking and cycling.

Bucharest-Ilfov Public Transport Intercommunity Development Association (Bucharest, Romania) for transforming Gheorghe Duca Boulevard into a temporary exhibition area, turning a regular city thoroughfare into an interactive cultural space, blending historical and modern mobility themes. The initiative is a key component of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK celebrations in Bucharest. By exhibiting vintage vehicles, the event highlights the evolution of public transport and mobility in the city. New public transport routes were introduced to link the city’s main transport hubs with major landmarks and to ensure better access to the exhibition. 

Pěšky městem (Czech Republic) for its promotion of active mobility, with a nationwide campaign involving 501 schools across 338 Czech cities, encouraging children and parents to walk to school during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. The campaign highlights the benefits of walking for children’s health and for the environment. Emphasis is placed on learning safe, healthy and sustainable transport habits from an early age. Leaning into the 2024 theme ‘shared public space’, the campaign also fosters safer and more inclusive communities, particularly by reducing the volume of car traffic in the vicinity of schools. 

The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award acknowledges excellence by municipalities in promoting sustainable urban mobility during the campaign’s main week of 16-22 September. 

The MOBILITYACTION Award acknowledges excellence in mobility management planning solutions submitted by businesses, institutions, civil society organisations, citizen initiatives or municipalities. 

The annual theme in 2024 for both awards was ‘shared public space’.  

The shortlisted candidates were selected by an independent panel of mobility and transport experts. The two winners will be announced during an award ceremony at Plein Publiek in Brussels on 27 March. 

The city of Helsingborg, Sweden, has been making remarkable strides in sustainable urban mobility, from significant investments in cycling infrastructure to innovative behavioural change initiatives. Helsingborg developed a pilot project in collaboration with Nudgd in autumn 2023, to help increase the modal share of cycling, which went on to win the 2023 MOBILITYACTION Award. During a visit to Helsingborg, we had the opportunity to speak with Emma Kangas, a representative from the city about their efforts to foster a cycling culture, the groundbreaking pilot project, and their vision for a sustainable future.

In this interview, Emma shares insights on the infrastructure upgrades, the behavioural shifts observed among residents, and their ongoing collaboration with Nudgd to foster a more active and sustainable mobility culture.

What infrastructure changes have been made in the city of Helsingborg during the last years regarding active sustainable mobility?

Helsingborg has invested a lot in infrastructure during the last ten years. In the last couple of years, we've spent almost 10 million EUR yearly on cycling infrastructure, so it's been a large focus for us for a long time now. I would say that in the last couple of years we have also created a lot of pedestrian crossings, making it even safer for cyclists and making it mandatory for cars to stop.

Could you tell us about the work carried out by Helsingborg lately and if you have noticed any behavioural change?

I would say that Helsingborg for quite some time has had a strong car culture. The people in Helsingborg do like their cars and it's quite easy to travel by car in Helsingborg. But we also see all the benefits with cycling and walking and taking the bus. I want to say that taking the bus is also a form of active travel, because you have to walk to the bus and it still makes you move your body just a little bit. In the last five years we've seen an increase from an 11% share of trips made by bike to 16% now, so it is increasing. We're really happy about that. We’ve also invested more and more in increasing the culture in the city when it comes to cycling, such as doing bike parades and we're doing a lot of events with children. It's something we're aiming at from many different directions, both infrastructure and mobility management, children and workplaces in Helsingborg. So, it is a major work that we're doing.

Could you tell us more about the area of “Oceanhamnen” (Helsingborg’s Innovation District)?

Yes, so this is “Oceanhamnen”. It's very new. It's only been here for the last two years, since when we had the big city fair for innovation. Its major focus is on environmental sustainability, when it comes to plumbing and mobility for example and the buildings are all green labelled. We're really proud of this new area, with the closeness to the sea. And it's a very attractive place to live in and to work in for the people of Helsingborg.

What do you think made your partnership with Nudgd such a success for the MOBILITYACTION award winning pilot project?

We started our partnership with Nudgd during last fall, when they gave us this suggestion to work with children in a new inventive way. We have been working with children for a long time in Helsingborg, but adapted their suggestion to work more with a digital approach, a web platform and using nudges, competition, and gamification for the children. So, for us, that was very exciting, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to try it, as a pilot here in Helsingborg. And we did during last fall and that's where Nudgd won the award together with us. We are still in close contact with them because we are really interested in all their knowledge in behavioural change. It has been a real learning experience for both of us, I think.

Why was the focus of the pilot placed particularly on school routes and journeys to school?

I would say that, in Helsingborg, as in most of Sweden and most of Europe, I guess, we see a decrease in how much children are moving and being physically active and this is really alarming for us. We see that if you walk or take your bike to school in the morning, that that affects the whole day. You get better grades, you're happier and you get this habit of moving more. It changes how you travel during the whole day, and during the weekend even.

And we also see that if the parent goes by bike with the kid to school, the parent then will take the bike to the office. So, it has this long-term effect as well, affecting the grown-ups too. We think it's really important to start with that first puzzle. How do they leave their home in the morning? And then it will have good effects for the rest of the day. Ultimately, working with children and their safety and their freedom to move is really important for us.

What do you think are the next steps for creating a sustainable cycling culture in the city?

I've been working a lot with something we call test cyclists, where citizens of Helsingborg are invited to just try to commute by bike for six weeks. And we realised that if they try it, they all discovered that it is the best way to travel. It's nicer, it's cheaper and it's faster. It's so much more convenient in many ways. We have tried many different communication campaigns and all kinds of projects. But, when we try to convince people, not much happens. However, if we ask them to try by themselves, they discover that it is the best way to move and that it's just easier for everybody.

We don't want to force anybody either, so if they discover it by themselves, I would say that’s the best way to go. If they discover it themselves, they will also share it with their family and their coworkers, and it will spread. That is my main focus and what I'm trying to work with all the time, getting people excited about biking and to share that excitement with others so that it spreads around.

A full video version of the interview can be viewed here on the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Youtube channel.

More information about the MOBILITYACTION Award, as well as the other finalists of 2023 and previous winners can be found on the MOBILITYACTION Award page. This year's finalists and winners will be announced in March 2025.

The 69th EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK National Coordinators meeting recently took place in Helsingborg, Sweden. This location was chosen due to it being home to the 2023 MOBILITYACTION Award winning pilot project, carried out by the sustainable behavioural science specialists Nudgd, in partnership with city authorities. We were fortunate enough to find some time to speak with Ola Rynge, CTO and Co-Founder of Nudgd during the visit in Helsingborg.

In this interview, Ola reflects on the MOBILITYACTION award, the strategies that propelled Nudgd to success in this pilot project, and the most effective ways they have found so far in helping progress towards sustainable urban mobility transformation.

Could you describe in your own words the work that Nudgd does?

“We work with behavioural science and the method of nudging. We have our digital nudging platform. It’s one of a kind, and we apply that to cities for nudging citizens towards more sustainable behaviours, such as taking the bike instead of the car or using less fresh water, or using energy at the right time of the day.

By using it in a digital form, we can personalise it to each individual, which makes it more efficient. 43% of our users say that they have adopted a more sustainable behaviour, based on our platform.”

Could you tell us more about the Mobility Action Award winning pilot project carried out by Nudgd?

“So this was an EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Urban Mobility RAPTOR project that we did last year, in 2023. It was a short time, only five months that we were allowed to do this implementation, and the aim was to get more people in Helsingborg to bike. That was the overall scope and our proposal to the city was to do that together with the schools. So we did a project with school mobility where we, through the school platform, sent out an invitation to our platform, to the parents and also staff at about half of the schools, from 0 to 9 grades, here in Helsingborg. It was about almost 9000 individual parents that got this message and also almost 1000 staff.  In the end almost 2500 people entered the platform and hence got the messaging and were nudged toward a more standard behaviour.

Depending on the motivations of the parents, we changed the messaging. In the end four out of ten parents said that they also adopted more sustainable behaviours due to that. We were really happy that we got recognised by the European Mobility Week Action Award. We got a lot of recognition from that, so we are really happy.”

Your project was largely based on active mobility and participation. What do you think made this approach so successful?

“I think that to get good results when you're talking about a modal shift, we need to consider both having some infrastructure change and we need to do some regulation change, like traffic calming etc. All these measures are relevant. But, you will also need to work with behaviour change, and that is something that is usually overlooked. It's quite a cost effective and good method to implement. Using interactive and digital tools, as I mentioned earlier, we are able to personalise it to each individual's motivations. By doing that we can reach a lot better relevance to each end-user and hence also be more prone to, or have more possibility, to make them change their behaviour.”

What do you think made Nudgd’s partnership with the City of Helsingborg so successful?

“It's really important to be engaged and to have the right expectations. In this case, the expectation was actually a lot lower than the results. We could have had a little bit more courage in that. In the case of Helsingborg, where we worked with the environmental department, they were the project leader. But we needed to integrate the school department and also the overall city department itself. Getting those to work together in Helsingborg was really smooth. And also, given that we had a really short time to reach the end user, we needed to get the school principals on board and the school department on board. And one of the reasons there is that if you want to communicate with parents, for example, you can’t send something from the school every day because then they would stop reading. So it has to be a good level of frequency. And we were happy that so many schools could get us into that.

What we would like to do in the future, is to look into how we can work more with the actual kids. Because kids have a lot of influence on their parents as well. So, if we can work with both these groups, I think we could have a lot of opportunities to make more school children be more active in their mobility.”

What are the implementation challenges you experienced in relation to the pilot project?

“It's a good question. We are working with quite a lot of pilots, especially internationally. A success factor, if you want a pilot to actually become implemented and be creating impact over time, is for both the city and also the startup, and also third-party financiers if they are involved, to have a plan from the beginning. And to have the mindset that this is not a project that ends by the product end, but that it ‘ends’ with a continuous implementation.

If you have that mindset and start with that even before the award of the pilot project, and to be having these discussions already, I think you have a lot more opportunities to succeed and have an ongoing pilot afterwards. Especially when it comes to municipalities or cities where we have to work with procurement. So, you could make that procurement even in the early stage of the pilot. And then giving relevant KPIs from the beginning. So, if we reach this and this KPI, then we already have a procurement in place, and we will also continue with the project. I think that would be our ideal way of doing it.”

A full video version of the interview can be viewed here on the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Youtube channel.

More information about the MOBILITYACTION Award, as well as the other finalists of 2023 and previous winners can be found on the MOBILITYACTION Award page. This year's finalists and winners will be announced in March 2025.