Six finalists have been selected for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK and MOBILITYACTION awards. The awards place a spotlight on awareness-raising and mobility management in the area of sustainable urban mobility and are presented in recognition of activities conducted in 2023. Both winners will be announced at an award ceremony held in Brussels on 14 March.
The nominees for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2023 are:
Amadora (Portugal) for partnering with fellow local and regional authorities, including the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, with brands like IKEA and Decathlon, and with Europe-wide campaigns, such as Kidical Mass, to promote walking, cycling and public transport. Activities and the launch of permanent measures (such as the creation of an inter-city cycle network) were broadcast on local television and radio stations, in addition to being widely shared on social media platforms.
Budapest (Hungary) for an ambitious car-free weekend (16 – 17 September), counting 10,000 participants and featuring activities for children and adults, and a Car-Free Day (22 September) during which the Mayor of Budapest revealed plans for the construction of a new, pedestrian-friendly car-free zone on the Danube embankment. Events on how to 'Save Energy' in the transport sector were also held, alongside close cooperation with the City of Vienna (Austria) to promote best practices in walking and cycling policies.
Innsbruck (Austria) for tackling the 2023 theme 'Save Energy' from all angles. The city promoted energy savings by allowing public transport subscription holders to travel with up to three friends, by hosting an event on the practical aspects of e-mobility, and by offering free rental of city bikes on World Car-Free Day. Innsbruck also focused on shifting space from cars to people by opening parking spaces for pedestrian use in a central square; the action was so popular that it was extended for several weeks.
The nominees for the MOBILITYACTION Award 2023 are:
GSK (Wavre, Belgium) for its comprehensive approach to mobility management, which offered replicable examples for other large employers, including 13 activities on sustainable urban mobility and mobility-conscious commuting. Examples included a car-pool “speed-dating” session; a bicycle maintenance service to ensure that employees are not forced to handle maintenance issues in their free time; and discussions with a representative of the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB) on transport pass options for hybrid work.
Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH (NVBW) (Germany) for empowering students across the entire state of Baden-Württemberg to travel to school safely and sustainably via the ‘MOVERS - Active to School’ programme. In 2023, MOVERS (which is supported by Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and Ministry of the Interior) encouraged pupils to participate in a Germany-wide bike-to-school competition, in addition to supporting schools and municipalities with selected mobility measures.
Nudgd (Helsingborg, Sweden) for its innovative online platform leveraging behavioural science to encourage sustainable school travel habits in Helsingborg. Students, parents, and teachers were invited to join an online platform where they are gently “nudged” with messages, challenges, and quizzes to raise interest in - and show the benefits of - active travel. The platform supports the City of Helsingborg’s goals to enhance cycling, and promote safer, more sustainable travel by the parents/guardians of primary school students.
The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK award recognises municipalities that have excelled in promoting sustainable urban mobility during the campaign’s main week of 16 - 22 September. Meanwhile, the MOBILITYACTION award was launched by the European Commission in 2022 to acknowledge excellence in mobility management planning solutions submitted by businesses, civil society organisations, institutions, or local administrations throughout 2023. The annual theme for both awards is ‘Save Energy.’
The shortlisted candidates were selected by an independent panel of mobility and transport experts. The two winners will be announced at an award ceremony at La Bellone (Brussels, Belgium) on 14 March 2024. Register for the ceremony here.